The Role of Logistics Leverage in Marketing Strategy

In today's environment-where changes in price, promotion, and product often are quickly imitated-the way to sustain competitive advantage may lie in changes to ancillary services, such as logistics. By leveraging excellent and superior logistics services, intricately linked with marketing strategy, firms can potentially create and maintain competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to begin the theoretical development process by understanding the implications of l ogistics leverage on marketing strategy. Two sources of antecedent justification, application of extant literature and observation of the phenomenon through case studies, are employed to develop the theoretical model. Conclusions, with implications for managers and suggestions for future research, are also provided. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: Website: D 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]