ABSTRACT
There is now a very large literature on the Japanese distribution system [see, for example, Flath, 1989; Czinkota and Woronoff, 1991; Dodwell, 1991; Goldman, 1991 and 1992; Czinkota and Kotabe, 1993; Nishimura, 1993; Anwar and Taku, 1993; and Larke, 1994]. Some ofthis literature has looked at the problems facing foreign retailers and marketers hoping to gain access to the Japanese market [Batzer and Laumer, 1989; Itoh. 1991 and Miyagiwa. 1993] and at the changing levels of efficiency in Japanese distribution.
