ABSTRACT
Products purchased by retailers are often composed of various semi-manufactures, which in turn are made from raw materials and auxiliary materials. It should be obvious that not everything is made and sold at the same location. From its place in the business column, the enterprise will have to establish what forces operate and how decision making takes place in a business column. The forces in the business column relate to the power position the enterprise wishes to assume in the column. The enterprise will therefore have to make an analysis of the enterprises in the business column and establish what the developments of the enterprises are, to safeguard its own position. The enterprise should therefore know the players in the business column and respond to a possible takeover or possible takeover candidate. From the vertical and horizontal integration, the enterprise can establish what opportunities and threats the companies and markets with which the enterprise will be directly involved, will pose.
