The Retail Value Chain analyses the changes in the retail industry such as internationalization and consolidation and looks at the strategic options open to companies. It covers retail structures, efficient consumer response, partnerships in retail value chains, demand management, store operations, IT trends, loyalty programmes, shopper information sharing and more. In addition to providing useful insights into why retail operates the way it does, The Retail Value Chain describes the key concepts of Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) and provides several illustrative cases to demonstrate the results. As such, it is essential reading for both retail practitioners and students of retail and channel marketing.

Customer satisfaction is a pivotal component to any business that provides goods or services to the public. By effectively managing the flow of products, business can adapt to the growing demands of consumers and deliver successful customer service. The Handbook of Research on Strategic Supply Chain Management in the Retail Industry is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on properly managing business processes in order to satisfy end-user requirements and increase competitive advantage in the retail marketplace. Highlighting concepts relating to field applications, customer relationships, and current trends in logistics management, this book is ideally designed for business professionals, managers, upper-level students, and researchers interested in innovative strategies and best practices in modern supply chains.

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.

Preface. CHAPTER 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT. The Evolution of the Supply Chain. How the Supply Chain Works. The Evolving Structure of Supply Chains. Participants in the Supply Chain. Aligning the Supply Chain with Business Strategy. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. CHAPTER 2: THE RETAIL DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL. Participants in the Distribution Channel. Types of Channels. Channel Relationships. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. CHAPTER 3: SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS: PLANNING. Five Links in the Chain. Demand Forecasting. Product Pricing. Inventory Management. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. CHAPTER 4: SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS: SOURCING MATERIALS AND MAKING PRODUCTS. Procurement. Credit and Collections. Product Design. Production Scheduling. Facility Management. Chapter Summary. Discussion Questions. CHAPTER 5: SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS: DELIVERIES AND RETURNS. Order Management. Delivery Scheduling. The Reality of Returns. Outsourcing Supply Chain Operations.

In today's retail environment, characterized by product proliferation, price competition, expectations of service quality, and advances in technology, many organizations are struggling to maintain profitability. Rigorous analytical methods have emerged as the most promising solution to many of these complex problems. Indeed, the retail industry has emerged as a fascinating choice for researchers in the field of supply chain management. In Retail Supply Chain Management, leading researchers provide a detailed review of cutting-edge methodologies that address the complex array of these problems. A critical resource for researchers and practitioners in the field of retailing, chapters in this book focus on three key areas: (1) empirical studies of retail supply chain practices, (2) assortment and inventory planning, and (3) integrating price optimization into retail supply chain decisions.

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.