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Managing Innovation in a Global and Digital World pp 145–157Cite as

The role of retailers as generators and mediators of new product ideas

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Abstract

Research on open and user innovation has not addressed the role of retailers as a source of innovation. This paper investigates the activities of retailer employees to develop own ideas for product innovations (retailer as innovator) and explores the retailers’ efforts to obtain new product ideas from their customers (retailer as gatekeeper). We develop a model on potential facilitators that explain how active the retailers are with respect to both activities. Using data collected on 106 mangers of stationary sports equipment stores the analysis shows that a substantial fraction of the surveyed retailers develops new ideas, concepts, or prototype solutions for the products they sell in their stores. The findings also indicate that retailers, although they are the primary contact for end users of sport equipment, rarely receive substantial innovation-related input from their customers. Findings may help product manufacturers to select appropriate retailers for cooperation in new product development.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Innovationsmarketing, Technische Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Christian Lüthje

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  1. Christian Lüthje
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Correspondence to Christian Lüthje .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Technology and Innovation Management, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Rajnish Tiwari

  2. Institute for Technology and Innovation Management, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany

    Stephan Buse

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Lüthje, C. (2020). The role of retailers as generators and mediators of new product ideas. In: Tiwari, R., Buse, S. (eds) Managing Innovation in a Global and Digital World. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27241-8_11

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