Buyer-supplier relationships have received considerable attention in both the purchasing and the marketing literature. This paper assesses the literature by describing a number of key articles and the research approach taken in the articles. The research approaches taken in the marketing literature, the purchasing literature and by the International Marketing and Purchasing Group (IMP Group) are compared, and advantages and disadvantages of these approaches are described. Gaps in the research are identified leading to suggestions for future research. Closer cooperation between researchers in the purchasing and the marketing field is suggested to capitalize on the relative strengths of each discipline.