SATISFYING THE EXPECTATIONS OF CUSTOMER THROUGHOUT THE VALUE CHAIN: VALUE CHAIN IMPLICATIONS ON SUPERMARKETS VERSUS GROCERIES

There is a fundamental and revolutionary transformation of the industrial system over the role of consumer in modern value chain. This is the transformation of the role of consumer from passive audience or simply buyer towards active participant in co-creating value. Consumers today are increasingly engaged in a direct and explicit dialogue with companies to become an integral part in value creation process. Furthermore, consumers are becoming business collaborators who have as much to contribute to value creation as companies themselves do. This changing role of consumers through the value chain raised our enthusiasm to examine the overwhelming influence of consumers on value chain as the ultimate purpose of this study.