TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of Antitrust Challenges to Category Captain Arrangements
AU - Desrochers, Debra M
AU - Gundlach, Gregory T
AU - Foer, Albert A
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - Category management (CM) is a widely practiced supplier–retailer process for managing
entire product categories as strategic business units and for customizing them on a storeby-store basis to produce enhanced business results through a focus on delivering consumer
value. A particular form of CM involves “category captain” (CC) arrangements, in which a
supplier, often the category leader, takes on a significant role in the retail management of
the category, including the brands of competing suppliers. Although CC arrangements are
capable of yielding benefits to competition, they may also enable a CC to take advantage of
its role in ways that restrict competition and harm consumers. Recent antitrust litigation
that targets CC arrangements illustrates the nature and magnitude of competitive issues
that can arise in the arrangements. Competitive concerns about CC arrangements have also
attracted the attention of public policymakers in the United States and abroad. In response
to public policy developments and in recognition of the significance of CM and CC
arrangements in the marketing field, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing recently
collaborated with the American Antitrust Institute to convene the Roundtable on Antitrust
and Category Captains. This article assembles and archives the findings, analysis, and
commentary from the roundtable, and it examines antitrust issues that may attend CC
arrangements
AB - Category management (CM) is a widely practiced supplier–retailer process for managing
entire product categories as strategic business units and for customizing them on a storeby-store basis to produce enhanced business results through a focus on delivering consumer
value. A particular form of CM involves “category captain” (CC) arrangements, in which a
supplier, often the category leader, takes on a significant role in the retail management of
the category, including the brands of competing suppliers. Although CC arrangements are
capable of yielding benefits to competition, they may also enable a CC to take advantage of
its role in ways that restrict competition and harm consumers. Recent antitrust litigation
that targets CC arrangements illustrates the nature and magnitude of competitive issues
that can arise in the arrangements. Competitive concerns about CC arrangements have also
attracted the attention of public policymakers in the United States and abroad. In response
to public policy developments and in recognition of the significance of CM and CC
arrangements in the marketing field, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing recently
collaborated with the American Antitrust Institute to convene the Roundtable on Antitrust
and Category Captains. This article assembles and archives the findings, analysis, and
commentary from the roundtable, and it examines antitrust issues that may attend CC
arrangements
U2 - 10.1509/jppm.22.2.201.17635
DO - 10.1509/jppm.22.2.201.17635
M3 - Article
VL - 22
SP - 201
EP - 215
JO - Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
JF - Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
SN - 0743-9156
IS - Fall
ER -