An inquiry into the supplier selection decision from the business-to-consumer (B2C) perspective

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into what selection criteria consumers find critical when making the supplier selection decision. Much research exists on the business-to-business (B2B) perspective, so this research seeks to investigate the business-to-consumer (B2C) viewpoint. Design/methodology/approach A survey is used to identify the areas that consumers find to be important when seeking suppliers. Factor analysis is used to identify selection criteria that are important to consumers. Findings The results suggest that consumers value several factors quite highly, including delivery, price and quality. Service, flexibility and relationship are also rated relatively high, while consumer concern with technology and the environment seemed to be lower. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to a group of consumers represented by university students. Additional research methods may provide additional detail to supplement these results. Practical implications The consistency the authors found between firm and consumer preferences should make it a relatively simple process for firms to consider the desires of customers when dealing with their own B2B relationships. Originality/value The B2C perspective on the supplier selection decision has seen limited research coverage. The B2C collaboration perspective considers the contributions consumers can make in supply chain decisions, which may lead to new supply chain management strategies.

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