Exploring drivers of and obstacles to retail business model innovation : a regional study of the Vestfold retail service system

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the role of value propositions in business model innovation (BMI), with particular focus on retail business model innovation (RBMI). As the literature on RBMI lacks a systemic approach, this thesis offers valuable theoretical contributions as well as managerial implications.

This thesis documents the results of a six-case empirical study of drivers of and obstacles to retail business model innovation. Based on empirical findings from a comparative study on coinciding and unsynchronized value propositions, I explore the emerging field of retail business model innovation. A service-dominant logic (SDL) in the understanding of the value proposition is applied, indicating that the value propositions should be dynamic, co-created and coinciding between the actors in the retail service system. Analytically, I present a conceptual framework in a multilevel perspective (MLP), and propose a midrange theory on interactions between actors in the Vestfold retail service system. This application assesses drivers of and obstacles to retail business model innovation, through highlighting a systemic approach to innovation in retailing.