ABSTRACT
The political changes, together with the economic growth, have made the Eastern European emerging markets increasingly attractive for international retailers. This article analyzes why, where, when and how the eastward expansion of the biggest Finnish and Swedish retailers has taken place. This article focuses on the international behavior of five case companies from both the food and non-food sectors. The article shows that the case companies have expanded first, from their small and saturated domestic markets, to culturally and geographically close target markets. Furthermore, their internationalization has developed from less intensive operation modes towards more intensive modes. The case companies display a great variation in the market and operation strategies used to enter the four target markets. There are also great differences in the present and planned future operations in the Baltic States and Russia. The article proposes managerial and research implications based on the key findings. doi:10.1300/J097v13n01_00 [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: 64<docdelivery@haworthpress.com> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2007 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
