Customer-supplier relationships in the UK trade of rice

Deals with some issues associated with relationship-forming patterns within the UK trade of rice. In particular examines the importance of 16 variables, through a telephone survey, at three levels of the distribution chain, millers/ importers, manufacturers and retailers. The results indicate an overall uniformity in the importance of the variables between the channel intermediaries. In relative terms, finds soft/ personal variables to be perceived as less important than hard/product-related variables. Furthermore, consistent with existing literature, identifies the following relationship-forming groups of variables: interpersonal or intanintegrative criteria, relationship monitoring criteria, price criteria and product criteria.