Competitive strategies in the craft product retailing industry

A potentially profitable product category for retailers in tourist regions is handcrafted items. Porter's theory of competitive strategies served al the guiding framework for this study, which examined competitive strategies used by retailers who market crafts to tourists. Craft retailers (n=373) in three Midwestern states responded to a mailed questionnaire about their businesses and their selected tactics for competing in the crafts retail market. Retailers relied on strategies that minimized operational costs while considering quality, uniqueness, and innovation as important in their marketing efforts. Store type and number of years in business affected which strategies were used.