Selfridges is the second-largest department store in Great Britain. It works with House of Frasier, one of its competitors, to reduce operating costs by sharing channels of distribution to ship goods from 1,500-plus suppliers. Selfridges and House of Frasier are engaged in:
a. vertical conflict
b. an integrated supply chain
c. a strategic channel alliance
d. an information-based distribution channel
e. a distribution cooperative
ANSWER: c