Intermediary Customer Purchasing from the Product Producer

Obtain Steps: The Obtain steps include all activities preceding the selling of the product. These activities include the costs of identifying potential suppliers and stocking the product.

B.
Resources: Reduce resources required for the use of the product

2. Time – Reduce the time the customer must spend with the product

a.
Reduce steps the customer must use with the product

No.	SIC	Year	Note
1	2086	2002	At the request of Wal-Mart and Canadian customer LobLaw, Cott is expanding into the bottled water market. In this market it formed alliances with JD Iroquois Enterprises and Iroquois Water, two Canadian bottlers to boost production capacity.
2	2731	1989	Publishers finally recognizing that distribution is "a much more vital part of the whole publishing process." 80% of Harper & Row's orders will have been sent from sales reps using electronic terminals by end of year. Gets books to customers faster.
3	3861	2000	Concord Camera Corporation, an 18 year old company, became stodgy by making outdated cameras and relying totally on the retailers to distribute its product. To turn around, the company started making digital and one-time-use cameras.
4	4832	1991	A radio station has employed a "time brokering method." In these arrangements, a struggling station sells virtually all of its airtime to another station in the same market or in a market next door. The station that sells its time becomes what amounts to a robot transmitter. "Our sponsors love it, because they get more coverage." For its part, the selling station eliminates almost all of its regular operating expenses and receives payment for its airtime.
5	5311	2002	Amazon has cooked up imaginative ways to cut shipping fees by consolidating orders. And it has a lucrative new business selling new and used goods online on behalf of other merchants.
6	6141	1999	Ace's check cashing chain plans to add 146 stores in fiscal 1999 with another 100 in 2000 and yet another 100 in 2001. Ace now has 1,000 stores. In 1999 Ace began testing teller machines in Texas. The company is adding more in other local Texas locations.
7	7374	2005	Euronet stands out for its willingness to invest in newer markets early. It operates payment networks in about 65 countries.

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