Consider this excerpt from the Ace Hardware website:

Founded in $1924$ by a small group of Chicago hardware store owners, Ace changed the retail landscape by allowing individual stores to purchase merchandise in bulk to save money and buy at the lowest possible price. This partnership enabled even the smaller stores to compete effectively at retail despite larger stores in their market. And to this very day, Ace Hardware Corporation is still owned solely and exclusively by the local Ace retail entrepreneurs.

Those original Ace Hardware stores, pooling their resources together in $1924$ to buy merchandise in bulk, is an example of a$($n$)$

$q,$

$($A$)$ retailer cooperative

$($B$)$ wholesaler$-$sponsored voluntary chain

$($C$)$ specialty store

$($D$)$ franchise

corporate vertical marketing channel

Consider this excerpt from the Ace Hardware website:

Founded in $1924$ by a small group of Chicago hardware store owners, Ace changed the retail landscape by allowing individual stores to purchase merchandise in bulk to save money and buy at the lowest possible price. This partnership enabled even the smaller stores to compete effectively at retail despite larger stores in their market. And to this very day, Ace Hardware Corporation is still owned solely and exclusively by the local Ace retail entrepreneurs.

Those original Ace Hardware stores, pooling their resources together in $1924$ to buy merchandise in bulk, is an example of a$($n$)$

$q,$

$($A$)$ retailer cooperative

$($B$)$ wholesaler$-$sponsored voluntary chain

$($C$)$ specialty store

$($D$)$ franchise

corporate vertical marketing channel

Consider this excerpt from the Ace Hardware website:

Founded in $1924$ by a small group of Chicago hardware store owners, Ace changed the retail landscape by allowing individual stores to purchase merchandise in bulk to save money and buy at the lowest possible price. This partnership enabled even the smaller stores to compete effectively at retail despite larger stores in their market. And to this very day, Ace Hardware Corporation is still owned solely and exclusively by the local Ace retail entrepreneurs.

Those original Ace Hardware stores, pooling their resources together in $1924$ to buy merchandise in bulk, is an example of a$($n$)$

$q,$

$($A$)$ retailer cooperative

$($B$)$ wholesaler$-$sponsored voluntary chain

$($C$)$ specialty store

$($D$)$ franchise

corporate vertical marketing channel

Consider this excerpt from the Ace Hardware website:

Founded in $1924$ by a small group of Chicago hardware store owners, Ace changed the retail landscape by allowing individual stores to purchase merchandise in bulk to save money and buy at the lowest possible price. This partnership enabled even the smaller stores to compete effectively at retail despite larger stores in their market. And to this very day, Ace Hardware Corporation is still owned solely and exclusively by the local Ace retail entrepreneurs.

Those original Ace Hardware stores, pooling their resources together in $1924$ to buy merchandise in bulk, is an example of a$($n$)$

$q,$

$($A$)$ retailer cooperative

$($B$)$ wholesaler$-$sponsored voluntary chain

$($C$)$ specialty store

$($D$)$ franchise

corporate vertical marketing channel