Final answer:
Hart Schaffner & Marx uses forward integration to control the distribution and retail of their men's suits and sports coats, distinguishing it from other strategies like dual distribution, horizontal integration, and strategic alliances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hart Schaffner & Marx, a producer of men's suits and sports coats that operates 100 menswear stores, uses forward integration to distribute its products. Forward integration is a business strategy where a company controls the distribution and retail of its products. This is different from backward integration where a company might acquire control over its suppliers, or horizontal integration where it might acquire competing businesses in the same industry. Dual distribution may also be used when a company utilizes more than one channel to sell its products, but in this context of single company-owned stores, forward integration is the correct answer.
The term strategic alliance refers to a partnership between two or more companies to pursue a set of agreed-upon goals while remaining independent organizations.Hart Schaffner & Marx uses backward integration to distribute its suits and sports coats. Backward integration is a strategy where a company vertically integrates by acquiring or merging with suppliers or providers, in this case, the company directly owns and operates its own stores.