Restructuring of Food Retail Markets in Countries of the Global South: The Case of Emerging Supermarkets in Dhaka, Bangladesh (Handel und ... Retailing and International Marketing)

This explorative, primary data-based study provides findings on the first nearly two decades of the emerging supermarket industry in Bangladesh, in particular its capital city Dhaka. The objective is thereby twofold: On the one hand, the study traces the so-far development of supermarkets in Dhaka, and Bangladesh, and depicts current hindering factors to the local supermarket industry's further development, as well as supermarket managers' measures to tackle these challenges. On the other hand, the study explores the (potential) implications of emerging supermarkets for other food retailers on-site. To this end, the study's focus lies on so-called wet markets (Bengali: kacha bazars) as an exemplary "traditional" food retail format. Here, the study strives for the determination of supermarkets' competitive pressure on kacha bazars in Dhaka, and kacha bazar vendors' corresponding (proactive) coping strategies. The study is based on theoretical and conceptional reflections on markets and market structures, the fundamentals of retail management and modern food retail, and research findings on supermarkets' structural impact on food retail markets in other country contexts. About the author Christine Hobelsberger is PhD candidate at the Department of Economics at the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Her research interest lies at the nexus of corporate responsibility, the guiding principle of sustainable development, and development politics Preface Acknowledgements Summary Contents List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction 1.1 Relevance and Purpose of the Thesis 1.2 Objectives and Research Questions of the Thesis 1.3 Structure of the Thesis 2 Theoretical Reasoning on Markets and Market Forms 2.1 Markets and their Structural Characteristics 2.2 Market Forms 2.2.1 The Functioning of Markets under Perfect Competition 2.2.2 Market Forms under Imperfect Competition 3 The Fundamentals of Retail Management 3.1 The Functioning and Functions of Retail Management 3.2 Competition in Retail and Development of a Retail Strategy 4 Supermarkets and Modern Food Retail Management 4.1 The Origins and Developmental Milestones of Supermarkets 4.2 Approaching the Terms “Supermarket” and “Modern Food Retail” 5 Research Waves on Modern Food Retail in the Global South 5.1 Research Wave on the Role of Modern Food Retail in Economic Development 5.1.1 Presence and Diffusion of Modern Food Retail 5.1.2 Impact of Modern Food Retail on Traditional Food Retail 5.1.3 Modern Food Retail as Component of Economic Development Programs 5.2 Research Wave on “The Rapid Rise of Supermarkets in Developing Countries” 5.2.1 Diffusion Patterns of Modern Food Retail 5.2.2 Drivers for the Diffusion of Modern Food Retail 5.2.3 Impact of Modern Food Retail on Traditional Food Retail 5.2.4 Governmental Responses toward Modern Food Retail 6 Interim Conclusion on Theoretical and Conceptual Reflections 7 Dhaka: The Emergence of a Capital and Megacity 8 Research Design and Methodology 8.1 Research Process 8.2 Data Collection 8.2.1 Semi-Structured Expert Interviews 8.2.2 Qualitative Observations 8.2.3 Document Analysis 8.3 Data Analysis 9 Modern Food Retail in Dhaka 9.1 The Outset of Modern Food Retail in Dhaka 9.1.1 Drivers for the Emergence of Modern Food Retail 9.1.2 Dhaka’s Supermarket Landscape at the End of its First Decade 9.1.3 Supermarkets’ Retail Strategies 9.1.4 The “Bangladesh Supermarket Owners’ Association” (BSOA) 9.2 Hindering Factors to the Expansion of Modern Food Retail in Dhaka 9.2.1 Hindering Factors to Modern Food Retail on the Supply Side 9.2.2 Hindering Factors to Modern Food Retail on the Demand Side 10 Modern Food Retail’s Impact on Dhaka’s Kacha Bazars 10.1 General Influencing Factors on Kacha Bazar Vendors’ Businesses 10.2 Modern Food Retailers’ Competitive Pressure on Kacha Bazars 10.2.1 Perceived Competitive Advantages of Modern Food Retailers 10.2.2 Perceived Competitive Advantages of Kacha Bazars 10.2.3 Expected Future of Dhaka’s Food Retail Markets 11 Summary of Key Findings and Implications for Further Research and Practice 11.1 Summary of Key Findings 11.2 Implications for Further Research and Practice Bibliography