Introduction

DOCFRADIS is the Working Papers series of Cátedra Fundación Ramón Areces de Distribución Comercial, and it aims to foster basic and applied research which is committed both to Spanish and international economic background, with the participation of prestigious researchers from different areas. Their contribution should become the basis for the development of strategies and policies in distribution.

One of the main purposes of the Cátedra, as founded in 2008 between Fundación Ramón Areces and Universidad de Oviedo is to do research on distribution, marketing channels and the managing of retailing companies. With this spirit, DOCFRADIS Working Paper series was started as collection in 2011 in a similar way to some of the best known working papers series from universities or research institutes.

The two main purposes of the DOCFRADIS Working Papers series is therefore:

1. Offer to academics and professionals state of the art theories, methodologies and conclussions from research projects from the field of Marketing and Commercial Distribution and, specifically:

• Commercial structure and distribution strategy.
• Design and ion of distribution channels.
• Analysis of relationship marketing in distribution channels.
• Antitrust policies and commercial distribution.
• Logistics.
• Consumer behaviour and commercial distribution.
• Internet and online retailing.
• Retailers´ location.
• Assortment and brand value.
• Innovation in services and implications in commercial distribution strategies.
• Private brand strategies and policies.
• Price strategies and policies in commercial distribution companies.
• Merchandising.
• Promotional efficiency for retailers.
• Service quality and management of customer service.
• Satisfaction, WOM, complaint management.
• Loyalty programs and relationship marketing.
• IT impact in the management of marketing channels.
• Strategies and policies in commercial distribution in different industries.
• Legal and antitrust issues in commercial distribution.
• Ethics and Societal issues in commercial distribution.

2. Promote the debate about research conclusions allowing to improve the research. This is why, research published in the DOCFRADIS Working Papers Series are revised in double-blind peer review with reviewers belonging to the same field as the working paper topic. Each working paper will also be included in databases and subject to national and international indexing, including author information to promote a direct connection between readers and authors. Currently, documents are indexed by RePeC (Research Papers in Economics).