Abstract
The paper shows how the relationships between suppliers and retailers have experienced several important changes over the last decades. By analyzing the main developments of these relationships and the different tools implemented to improve them, the paper argues that the business to business approach to retailing is following the same trends worldwide. Based on two of the largest partners in the worldwide retailing environment, Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble, the paper illustrates how the buyer's market has gradually resorted to a cooperation strategy between the supplier-retailer relationships. It emphasizes the features of Category Management. Over the last several years, the nature of the buyer-supplier relationship in retailing has been undergoing dramatic changes. Industry observers and researchers have described these emerging relationships as "partnerships" or "strategic alliances," as opposed to the traditional "arm's length" type of associations.
