1. Why would companies choose to use an intermediary
like FedEx instead of taking on distribution responsi-
bilities themselves?

There is a small, family-owned store that sells food and household goods in a small town. the owners have good relations with the community, especially with local farmers who supply much of the food. the farmers aren't organized into a cooperative or union, and the store deals with each individually. suppose the store wanted to buy some farms to control the supply of certain vegetables. how would you classify this strategic move? select one: a. horizontal integration b. forward integration c. backward integration d. concentric integration