Manufacturer and retailer brand innovation in grocery packaged goods categories

Abstract

The consumer packaged goods literature has largely portrayed manufacturer brand innovation in FMCG/supermarket product categories, in relation to retailer brands, as a competitive tool that is employed against the retailer brands. This submission reports on-going research that employs a qualitative study to argue firstly, that the role of manufacturer brand innovation in driving and growing grocery packaged goods categories and benefiting retailer brands in the process, has escaped the level of academic attention it deserves. Secondly, it is argued that the determination of strategic management regimes that govern the coexistence of manufacturer brands and retailer brands in the categories is partly influenced by manufacturer brands’ ability to enhance retailer brands.