ABSTRACT
Products are central to most organisations whether they are in the form of tangible goods or of services. Traditionally, manufacturers have been concerned with the design and production of products, whilst retailers have had the task of gathering together a relevant and inspiring selection of goods and making them available to consumers at convenient locations and times. These boundaries are becoming blurred, as we shall see throughout the book; some business organisations engage in retailing, even though the majority of their activity is concerned with some other enterprise, such as production or entertainment, and some retailers do have their own factories. However, if a business is to be classed as a retailer, its core activity, which accounts for over half of its total revenue has to come from selling finished products or providing personal services to the final consumer. Most retailers do not engage in any other primary business activity, and so the collection of products that they offer to their customers determines the nature of the business and influences all other aspects of their business strategy.
