Millions of small, family operated nanostores are the main source of consumer packaged goods in many neighborhoods of large cities across the developing world. In many of these countries, well over half of consumer goods are sold via the nanostore channel. Understanding this channel is critical for anyone selling or intending to sell into these large and fast growing markets. Tackling the logistics complexities of serving millions of nanostores is a challenge that many face, yet few master. In this book, we discuss logistics distribution and commercial route-to-market concepts for this channel and present best practices from Latin America, Asia, and North Africa. The book serves to inspire managers in marketing, sales, supply chain, distribution, logistics, and general management to develop their understanding and their business success in these growing markets. This book includes a unique set of case studies focusing on companies that have successfully created forward-looking approaches to retail operations over the world. The case studies included provide readers with a range of best practices, useful insights, and commercial and logistics strategies for serving diverse distribution channels. The authors (with extensive experience within these markets) and editors (from premier research institutions in Europe and the US) have done extensive field research over multiple years to develop the insights that are shared in this book. With the growth of convenience stores in the developed world, the insights also serve as an inspiration for those in Europe and North America that are confronted with a rapid proliferation of retail outlets as proximity shopping is becoming the norm. In the final chapter, the editors reflect on recent developments, particularly in China, where electronic commerce and nanostores are partnering to become a strong rival for the organized retail channel. "As the world population tends to concentrate more and more in urban environments, the two fastest growing channels for consumer goods distribution are online sales and convenient, proximal nanostores. Remarkably, this trend applies to both the most and the least developed economies. This book is a valuable resource that covers the realities and the challenges of serving nanostores, a subject much less widely covered than the "sexier" online e-commerce channel, but equally important for understanding the evolution of the world's fast moving consumer goods markets." - Sergio Barbarino, P&G Research Fellow and Chairman of The European Technology Platform for Logistic Innovation, ALICE

This new edition focuses on three crucial areas of retail supply chain management: (1) empirical studies of retail supply chain practices, (2) assortment and inventory planning and (3) integrating price optimization into retail supply chain decisions. The book has been fully updated, expanding on the distinguishing features of the original, while offering three new chapters on recent topics which reflect areas of great interest and relevance to the academic and professional communities alike - inventory management in the presence of data inaccuracies, retail workforce management, and fast fashion retail strategies. The innovations, lessons for practice, and new technological solutions for managing retail supply chains are important not just in retailing, but offer crucial insights and strategies for the ultimate effective management of supply chains in other industries as well. The retail industry has emerged as a fascinating choice for researchers in the field of supply chain management. It presents a vast array of stimulating challenges that have long provided the context of much of the research in the area of operations research and inventory management. However, in recent years, advances in computing capabilities and information technologies, hyper-competition in the retail industry, emergence of multiple retail formats and distribution channels, an ever increasing trend towards a globally dispersed retail network, and a better understanding of the importance of collaboration in the extended supply chain have led to a surge in academic research on topics in retail supply chain management. Many supply chain innovations (e.g., vendor managed inventory) were first conceived and successfully validated in this industry, and have since been adopted in others. Conversely, many retailers have been quick to adopt cutting edge practices that first originated in other industries. Retail Supply Chain Management: Quantitative Models and Empirical Studies, 2nd Ed. is an attempt to summarize the state of the art in this research, as well as offer a perspective on what new applications may lie ahead.

Retail supply chain consists of multiple segments from sales to distribution to finance. Retail manufacturers rely on a complicated web of suppliers. Customer demand and market competition today requires extreme efficiency from end to end. This book offers the retail supply chain executive with the tools needed for full strategic advantage. The new edition gives special attention to recent challenges, such as vast technological change, higher levels of customer personalization, and more global supply chains.