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.

Gut feel and past numbers. All too often these are the foundations upon which suppliers construct their routes to market plans. We look at future drivers - a way of developing a clear, objective view of the potential of different channels and different partners.