%0 Research article
%T Logistic services as a competitive means – segmenting the retail market for softwood lumber
%A Gustafsson, Åsa
%D 2003
%J Silva Fennica
%V 37
%N 4
%R doi:10.14214/sf.487
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/487
%X Softwood lumber has been considered traditionally as commodity.  Subsequently brand names and trademarks were of subordinate value and  competition was based on price. Recently, retailers have grown  substantially and are forcing their suppliers to improve the production  and delivery of products. As retailers are getting more diverse and  powerful, suppliers are forced to adapt to the retailers’ service  requirements. The new situation also brings opportunities for the  sawmills to develop their competitive advantage. The retail industry is  continuously changing, and in order for sawmills to develop and offer  what retailers are asking for, it is necessary that they understand and  interpret retailers’ requirements correctly. One way for sawmills to be  successful is to develop accurate service elements and to use the  service elements as a segmentation base in order to structure their  customer base. This study shows that retailers place considerable  emphasis on delivery and value-added logistical services. It generates  three hypotheses concerning the following potential retail segments;  turnover, category, and customer base.