Retailers' adoption decision of new consumer durables

In today's competitive environment, members of the market chain, such as retailers and suppliers, are becoming increasingly powerful. It has been established in the packaged goods area that the ability to get new products on the shelves is an essential factor in the success of a new product. However, no research exists to dare that relates variables investigated in packaged goods contexts to retailers' adoption decision of new consumer durables. The present study focused on the dimensions that influenced the new product adoption decision by 291 retailers of consumer durables by exploring the relative importance of 26 adoption criteria across seven product categories, The results largely supported previous findings but simultaneously extended that body of knowledge. For example, six dimensions characterized the new product adoption decision in our sample of Dutch retailers, We discuss implications of this study and provide directions for future research in this area. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.