Cadbury and the rise of the supermarket: innovation in marketing 1953-1975

Abstract

This paper uses company archival data, supported by evidence from the trade press, to examine the development of the manufacturer-retailer relationship in the case of Cadbury and the supermarket retailers distributing its products in the period 1953-1975. It reveals the influence upon Cadbury’s marketing strategies and practices of the increasing importance of supermarket retailing in relation to the confectionery as well as the grocery goods trades. It also provides new insight into the significance of these changes for Cadbury’s relationships with other manufacturers, and with small-scale retailers typified by confectioners, tobacconists and newsagents.