Looking Back to Move Forward: A Review of the Evolution of Research in International Marketing Channels

•International marketing channels focus on heterogeneity in the macro-environment.•Literature has experienced tremendous growth; 60 percent were published from 2005 to 2014.•Nine different data collection methods used; surveys account for the majority (59.5 percent).•Sixty-five countries have been examined; more developed countries (74.9 percent) than developing countries (25.1 percent).•Culture is the most influential theme connecting international channels research.

Over the past fifty years, the scope of research on international marketing channels has significantly evolved. From an early focus on factors influencing the expansion of marketing channels internationally, the literature now investigates a myriad of topics related to the challenges of selecting channel structures and managing channel relationships. This article investigates the evolution of international marketing channels research by reviewing 353 international channels-related articles published from 1965 to 2014 under a periodization approach. The assessment of the state and evolution of the literature is used as a foundation for the identification of emerging themes that will move the field of international marketing channels forward.

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