Abstract
Retailers act as go-betweens for consumers and the producers who supply their goods. Their efficient operation is essential for ensuring that customers have access to the widest possible selection of items at the most competitive rates and that they receive service that is customised to their individual tastes. Structural and strategic barriers to entry are likely cause of the incapability of small independent retailers to compete and their eventual exit from the grocery retail market. The main purpose of the paper is understanding the barriers to entry in the retail grocery sector for the independent grocery stores and the role of voluntary trading associations in assisting the independent retailers to compete.