Retail Mix Competitive Advantages Under the VRIO Perspective: A Case Study in an Independent Supermarket

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the competitive advantages based on the retail mix in an independent supermarket, from the perspective of model Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organization (VRIO) proposed by Barney and Hesterly (2007) and of the literature on retail mix, on competitive advantage and on the Resource-Based View (RBV). This research is characterized as a case study with a qualitative approach, carried out through semi-structured interviews with customers and the owner of the supermarket, as well as a non-participant observation script. Based on the data collected content analysis, it was possible to identify that the retail mix variables - location, store atmosphere, intended audience and attendance - are strategies of differentiation and considered as a competitive advantage when compared with the competition.