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question 43

Multiple Choice

Use this information for questions that refer to the World Tennis Ball (WTB) Company case.
World Tennis Ball Co. (WTB) makes tennis balls and sells them only in the U.S. Raul Fernandez, the firm's marketing manager, is comparing his firm's distribution with two major competitors.
1) WTB sells its products through four regional distributors who then sell to 22 sporting goods wholesalers. The wholesalers sell to a total of 7,000 retail outlets. From its website, WTB also sells directly to any customer who will purchase a minimum quantity of 24 tennis balls. WTB cooperates with members of its channel, but maintains some control through its economic power and leadership. It helps to direct the activities of the whole channel and tries to avoid or resolve channel conflicts.
2) American Tennis Ball (ATB) is a competitor that sells through two distributors - each with half the country. The distributors then sell through 6 sporting goods wholesalers, and they, in turn, sell to 1,000 retail outlets (split between two national sporting goods chains and two general merchandise stores) . ATB and its channel make little effort to work together. However, because of a relatively low level of competition between the distributors, the wholesalers, or the retail stores, each member of the channel gives the product special attention.
3) National Tennis Ball (NTB) sells its products through only three tennis specialty wholesalers that sell only to tennis clubs. NTB actually owns the wholesale firms that handle its products. NTB's balls are only available at certain tennis clubs and NTB limits coverage to only one club in a particular geographic area.
-Which tennis ball manufacturer is involved in direct distribution?

Definitions:

RFP Process

Stands for "Request For Proposal," a process where a company solicits proposals from potential suppliers or contractors for a specific project or purchase.

Organizational Buying Center Cultures

The collective decision-making process and cultural norms within organizations, governing how business purchases are made.

Buying Center Concept

A collective decision-making process in organizations involving multiple individuals with different roles and responsibilities in the purchase of goods and services.

Vendor's Performance

An assessment of a supplier's ability to meet contractual agreements, including quality, delivery, and compliance.