His final job at American Express was senior vice president; he developed ways to market mutual funds, brokerage services and annuities through third-party distributors.

For example, it cut out third-party distributors that stood between the chain and drug manufacturers.

Globe International brands are also sold by third-party distributors around the world with a number of "Globe" branded retail stores in various territories.

The move comes as hotel companies seek to steer more traffic to their Web sites and away from third-party online distributors.

There are significant economies of skill and scale in these businesses," he said, referring to third-party distributors.

Mr. Hondros said that of Fidelity's $450 billion in assets under management, $100 billion has been sold through third-party distributors.

We had to figure out how to supply them, and our arrangement with a third-party distributor turned into a nightmare.

Walt Disney permits third-party distributors to sell to Redbox but has so far shunned a direct relationship.

Once digitized, any type of entertainment could easily be sent to subscribers' homes without paying a third-party distributor.

These agencies are slowly retiring the American versions but some have been refurbished and rebuilt by third-party distributors.