If ever there was a topic that qualified as a retail paradox, “supply chain collaboration” is it. Retailers and manufacturers have held starkly different views of each other’s value in the extended retail ecosystem. Both have argued endlessly about who is “in control”.

When RSR undertook this study, we wanted to avoid merely highlighting conflicting objectives – “he said/she said” is not illuminating, particularly when the retailer-manufacturer relationship is already relatively contentious. What we hoped would be illuminating, however, is examining the areas and opportunities for common ground, looking at what the standouts – “winners” – are doing among both retailers and manufacturers to find the places where collaboration can be initiated. Although these may not be the highest priority things for either party, we wanted to uncover what both sides agree can be undertaken collaboratively in order to achieve the common goal: provide an excellent customer experience. For collaboration, that’s as good a place to start as any.