Remanufacturing through a marketing lens: an interaction approach to OEM-customer relationships and future research directions

Purpose – Using the interaction approach, the purpose of this study is to identify what is known about Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)-customer relationships in the context of remanufactured products (REMAN) and to create a future agenda for industrial marketing research.

Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was conducted to analyse articles addressing REMAN in business fields. The interaction approach was used to systematise the articles and analyse the supplier-customer relationship.

Findings – The REMAN context requires the return of end-of-life (EOL) and end-of-use (EOU) products which is not encompassed by the interaction approach. Further areas of research are highlighted including understanding buyers’ barriers to using REMAN, determining how to encourage the purchase of REMAN by examining the influence of the various exchanges of the interaction process, determining how the exchanges and relationship atmosphere interact and the effect of environmental influences such as government legislation.

Practical implications – This study offers B2B academics an outline of areas where research in REMAN is required.

Originality/value – The supplier-buyer relationship in REMAN is examined through a review of the existing literature utilising the interaction approach as a framework. The framework was used to identify key areas for future research and to propose an actionable research agenda to advance the current understanding of remanufacturing through an industrial marketing lens.