Revealing a slide of ferocious Arctic wolves, Tim Clifford, Group Buying Director, Dixons Stores Group joked: "I would like you to meet our buying team."  The quip met with uneasy laughter from suppliers at this year’s Routes To Market Association retail conference -  Building Powerful and Profitable Relationships with Retailers.

Scratch the surface and many suppliers still regard major retailers with feelings of angry, cynical impotence.  They assume, in the words of Clifford, that retail buyers will "rip the value out of their brands and products."  They also feel powerless to do anything about it.

Large retailers are often portrayed as margin-grabbing ogres. But, if they are to increase customer loyalty, expand internationally and maintain profits, they need closer ties with big suppliers more than ever. Increasingly, both suppliers and retailers are recognising this.

Michael White, director at management consultancy VIA International, argues that both supplier and retailer have more to gain by working together to ensure that the consumer has a unique experience. He sees a move away from confrontational short-term transactions, based on price, towards a model where retailer and supplier work together to create and fulfil consumer demand.