Porter, 2008 - Five Forces Framework - The Power of Buyers

4 important questions on Porter, 2008 - Five Forces Framework - The Power of Buyers

How can powerful buyers, the flip side of powerful suppliers, capture more value?

By forcing down prices, demanding better quality or service (driving up costs) and playing industry participants off against one another (all at the expense of industry profitability).

When do buyers have power?

If they have negotiating leverage relative to industry participants, pressuring price reductions.

When does a customer group have negotiating leverage? List the 4 if's

  • There are few buyers, or each purchases in volumes large relative to size of vendor
  • Industry's products are standardised or undifferentiated
  • Buyers face few switching costs
  • Buyers can threaten to integrate backward and produce the industry's product themselves (packaging in soft drink industry)
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Most sources of buyer power apply equally to consumers and to B2B customers, but then there are also intermediate customers. Who are they?

They are customers who purchase the product but are not the end user (e.g. Distribution channels).

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

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