The internationalisation of activities has become a top priority strategic objective for a large number of distributors. The strategies adopted by retail groups are multiple and may appear to be contradictory. This paradoxical logic is seen especially in four areas: the choice of geographical market (focus on a limited number of countries or presence in a large number of markets), the pace of international expansion (country-by-country development or simultaneous conquest of several markets), the choice of mode of entry (setting up retail outlets from scratch or cooperative operations) and the degree of standardisation or adaptation of activities. The aim of this chapter is to explain these four paradoxes in order to contribute to a better understanding of the choices made by retail groups.
