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.

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.

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.

Fascinating insights into the changing supply chain industry in China, from leading international experts A fascinating look at the enormous changes taking place in China today as it evolves from global manufacturer to global consumer marketplace, The Shipping Point: The Rise of China and the Future of Retail Supply Chain Management explores how China's ascension will have a profound impact on the future of retail supply chain management. Bringing together the knowledge and expertise of leading supply chain and retail professionals from around the world to illuminate opportunities that are likely to develop over the next decade in China, the book is essential reading for anyone working with or looking to better understand how supply chains work. Focusing on cutting edge logistics programs, processes, and technologies that will drive supply chain innovation in the twenty-first century, the book highlights innovative logistics programs that link the Asia Pacific manufacturing base, with international retailers and end consumers. Providing real examples of supply chain innovation in the marketplace to clearly illustrate the ideas in action, the book explores multi-country consolidation in China, strategies for greening the supply chain, supply chain & logistics IT systems, contingency planning strategy, and much more. Explores the programs, processes, and technologies that will drive supply chain innovation in the years ahead, with a particular focus on China Incorporates case studies contributed by retail executives and logistics industry professionals from around the world Highlights innovative logistics programs that link the Asia Pacific manufacturing base with international retailers and end consumers In The Shipping Point, international transportation and logistics expert Peter Levesque and a team of contributing authors provide practical expertise and insights into present and future opportunities for consumer retail and supply chain management—and what it will take to turn those opportunities into reality.

Fashion Retail Supply Chain Management: A Systems Optimization Approach is a comprehensive reference source that provides the state-of-the-art findings on many important emerging research issues related to retail supply chain management and optimization problems. The book takes an explicit systems approach, and discusses retailled fashion supply ch

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.