Use This Information for Questions That Refer to the World

question 250

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.
-If American Tennis Ball adds more wholesalers and more retail outlets, this is likely to

• A) create horizontal channel conflict.
• B) lead to vertical channel conflict.
• C) require that the largest wholesaler take over the channel captain role.
• D) increase trust and cooperation in the channel.
• E) prompt both vertical and horizontal channel conflict.

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Definitions:

Fixed-Weight Price Index

A method of calculating inflation or deflation that uses predetermined weights for different categories of goods and services, regardless of their current market importance.

Chain-Weighted System

An inflation measure that adjusts the weights from year to year in calculating a price index, thereby reducing the bias caused by a fixed-price weighting system.

Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The market value of all goods and services produced within a country in a given period, measured without adjusting for inflation.

Real GDP

The total value of all goods and services produced by a country in a year, adjusted for inflation, making it a measure of economic output that accounts for changes in the price level.