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.