Developing competitive strategies in retailing

This article shows how the strategic groups concept can provide structure for the analysis of strategies in competitive environments. Using the supermarket retailing industry as an example, the existence of clearly defined group strategies is confirmed and those strategies are then interpreted for firm-level strategists interested in determining distinctive strategies for achieving long-run sustainable competitive advantages for individual firms. It is argued that the characteristics and dynamics of industries, strategic groups and firms must be analysed in an integrated manner in order to develop effective competitive strategies.