Retailers and International Markets: Motives for Expansion

Multinational retail operations are becoming an increasingly important element in the modern retail environment. Until recently, multinational organisations have been limited in number, particularly because of the inhibiting cultural and organisational problems associated with international retail operations. The under‐researched issue of the motivations which lie behind multinational retail operations is addressed by discussing the findings of earlier relevant research and presenting the findings of a survey carried out among leading United Kingdom multinational retailers. An investigation is made of the motivating factors behind international expansion and the significance of problems encountered. The survey suggests retailers′ attitudes to international operations changed during the 1980s and this has important implications for future developments in multinational retailing.