| direct investment | The investment and ownership by a retail firm or a division or subsidiary that builds and operates stores in a foreign country. |
| diversification opportunity | A strategic investment opportunity that involves an entirely new retail format directed toward a market segment not presently being served. |
| joint venture | An entity formed when the entering retailer pools its resources with a local retailer to form a new company in which ownership, control, and profits are shared. |
| market attractiveness/competitive position matrix | A method for analyzing opportunities that explicitly considers the capabilities of the retailer and the attractiveness of retail markets. |
| market expansion opportunity | A strategic investment opportunity that employs the existing retailing format in new market segments. |
| market penetration opportunity | An investment opportunity strategy that focuses on increasing sales to present customers using the present retailing format. |
| mission statement | A broad description of the scope of activities a business plans to undertake. |
| positioning | The design and implementation of a retail mix to create in the customer’s mind an image of the retailer relative to its competitors. Also called brand building. |
| private-label brands | Products developed and marketed by a retailer and only available for sale by that retailer. Also called store brands. |
| related diversification opportunity | A diversification opportunity strategy in which the retailer’s present offering and market share something in common with the market and format being considered. |
| retail format | The retailers’ type of retail mix (nature of merchandise and services offered, pricing policy, advertising and promotion program, approach to store design and visual merchandising, and typical location). |
| retail format development opportunity | An investment opportunity strategy in which a retailer offers a new retail format — a format involving a different retail mix — to the same target market. |