Interconnections between crisis management and antecedents of preferred customer status – a case study

As of now, little research has focused on the status of preferred customer status within buyer-supplier relationships. Buying organizations are often in competition in order to get preferential treatment and therefore competitive advantage. This case study further investigates the antecedents and the benefits of the preferred customer status while trying to find interconnections with crisis management. In order to do so, three firms were interviewed. The findings contribute to the existing literature by confirming and enhancing current benefits with respect to the current crisis caused by Covid-19. This study was conducted in the food-, manufacturing- and waste management industry, while the crisis was still ongoing. Further research after exact consequences are revealed might thus be required, especially in other industry segments.