What comes to mind when you hear the word “monopoly”? Inclusivity and people with disabilities who become entrepreneurs. A distribution platform connecting independent retailers? Or the largest owner-managed retail system in Austria with 4,508 outlets? Probably not. In this week's guest lecture with Hannes Hofer and Helga Rom from MVG - Monopolverwaltung, we learned that Austrian tobacconists are all of these things at once.

The fascinating presentation covered the special market conditions that have to be considered when developing corporate and marketing strategies in a monopoly. After all, public health, youth protection, social and structural policy, and, last but not least, fiscal goals have to be taken into account.

Thank you very much for the exciting presentation and the book, in which we will learn even more about tobacco shops, culture, and monopolies.