The international marketer has a broad range of alternatives for developing
an economical, efficient, high-volume international distribution
system. To the uninitiated, however, the variety may be
overwhelming. Careful analysis of the functions performed suggests
more similarity than difference between international and
domestic distribution systems; in both cases the three primary
alternatives are using agent middlemen, merchant middlemen, or
government-affiliated middlemen. In many instances, all three
types of middlemen are employed on the international scene, and
channel structure may vary from nation to nation or from continent
to continent.
The neophyte company in international marketing can gain
strength from the knowledge that information and advice are available
relative to the structuring of international distribution systems
and that many well-developed and capable middleman firms exist
for the international distribution of goods. Although international
middlemen have become more numerous, more reliable, and more
sophisticated within the past decade, traditional channels are being
challenged by the Internet, which is rapidly becoming an important
alternative channel to many market segments. Such growth
and development offer an ever-wider range of possibilities for entering
foreign markets.
