Publicação
Designing and implementing a go-to-market strategy for international wholesale suppliers entering the Saudi Arabian retail market
| Resumo: | This dissertation examines how international wholesale suppliers can design and implement an effective Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy to enter the Saudi Arabian retail market. Characterized by rapid growth, rising price sensitivity, regulatory complexity, and an emerging shift toward value-for-money products and private label development, the Saudi retail sector presents both significant opportunities and structural challenges for foreign suppliers. Adopting an applied research approach, the study integrates internationalization theories - namely the Uppsala Model, Network Theory, and the Resource-Based View - with practitioner-oriented Go-to-Market frameworks. The analysis is based on secondary data drawn from academic literature, institutional publications, and industry reports, enabling the evaluation of alternative entry modes and the identification of market-specific factors shaping supplier–retailer relationships. The findings indicate that direct exporting is the most appropriate initial entry mode for international wholesale suppliers, as it supports incremental learning, relationship development, and operational control while limiting early-stage risk. The study further highlights the strategic importance of cost competitiveness, regulatory compliance capabilities, private label production, and relationship-based selling for achieving sustainable market entry. By translating theoretical insights into structured GTM decisions, the dissertation provides actionable recommendations tailored to the Saudi retail context. |
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| Autores principais: | Pinho, Rodrigo do Mar Brás |
| Assunto: | Go-to-market strategy International market entry Saudi Arabian retail market Wholesale suppliers Internationalization theories Entry modes Estratégia go-to-market Entrada em mercados internacionais Mercado retalhista da Arábia Saudita Fornecedores grossistas Modos de entrada Retalho orientado para o valor |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Resumo: | This dissertation examines how international wholesale suppliers can design and implement an effective Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy to enter the Saudi Arabian retail market. Characterized by rapid growth, rising price sensitivity, regulatory complexity, and an emerging shift toward value-for-money products and private label development, the Saudi retail sector presents both significant opportunities and structural challenges for foreign suppliers. Adopting an applied research approach, the study integrates internationalization theories - namely the Uppsala Model, Network Theory, and the Resource-Based View - with practitioner-oriented Go-to-Market frameworks. The analysis is based on secondary data drawn from academic literature, institutional publications, and industry reports, enabling the evaluation of alternative entry modes and the identification of market-specific factors shaping supplier–retailer relationships. The findings indicate that direct exporting is the most appropriate initial entry mode for international wholesale suppliers, as it supports incremental learning, relationship development, and operational control while limiting early-stage risk. The study further highlights the strategic importance of cost competitiveness, regulatory compliance capabilities, private label production, and relationship-based selling for achieving sustainable market entry. By translating theoretical insights into structured GTM decisions, the dissertation provides actionable recommendations tailored to the Saudi retail context. |
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