Towards a Benchmark in the Innovation of the Retail Channel

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of innovation in marketing channels has assumed an increasing importance, but this topic has been considered in reference to specific areas of innovation or to single categories of subjects within channels. Despite this, there is a lack of contributions that provide guidelines to excel in innovative retail channels. This chapter aims at describing the set of features of benchmark firms awarded for the innovation in retail channels and proposing an illustrative framework to be followed by retailers who choose the path of innovation. This objective is carried out throughout a systematic analysis of related literature both on innovation and benchmark in retail channels and throughout the analysis of 127 benchmark retailers awarded with two important prizes for innovation in the period 2011-2014. Results allow the creation of a set of best practices for innovative retailers, thus providing an important contribution to this topic.