International diffusion of a new tool: the case of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in the retailing sector

Abstract

This paper studies the diffusion of EDI in the retailing sector of a number of European countries. It contains a comparative analysis between these countries with respect to different aspects of this tool. It also sets out to demonstrate the relationship between the telecommunications sector, the retailing sector and the demand for information on the one hand, with the diffusion and the lag in the adoption of EDI in this sector on the other.