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1 – 5 of 5Johannes Wollenburg, Alexander Hübner, Heinrich Kuhn and Alexander Trautrims
The advent of grocery sales through online channels necessitates that bricks-and-mortar retailers redefine their logistics networks if they want to compete online. Because the…
Abstract
Purpose
The advent of grocery sales through online channels necessitates that bricks-and-mortar retailers redefine their logistics networks if they want to compete online. Because the general understanding of such bricks-and-clicks logistics systems for grocery is still limited, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the internal logistics networks used to serve customers across channels by means of an exploratory study with retailers from different contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 12 case companies from six European countries participated in this exploratory study. Face-to-face interviews with managers were the primary source for data collection. The heterogeneity of the sample enabled the authors to build a typology of logistics networks in grocery retailing on multiple channels and to understand the advantages of different warehousing, picking, internal transportation and last-mile delivery systems.
Findings
Bricks-and-mortar grocery retailers are leveraging their existing logistics structures to fulfill online orders. Logistics networks are mostly determined by the question of where to split case packs into customer units. In non-food logistics, channel integration is mostly seen as beneficial, but in grocery retailing, this depends heavily on product, market and retailer specifics. The data from the heterogeneous sample reveal six distinct types for cross-channel order fulfillment.
Practical implications
The qualitative analysis of different design options can serve as a decision support for retailers developing logistics networks to serve customers across channels.
Originality/value
The paper shows the internal and external factors that drive the decision-making for omni-channel (OC) logistics networks for previously store-based grocery retailers. Thereby, it makes a step toward building a contingency and configuration theory of retail networks design. It discusses in particular the differences between grocery and non-food OC retailing, last-mile delivery systems and market characteristics in the decision-making of retail networks design.
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Alexander Hermann Hübner, Heinrich Kuhn and Johannes Wollenburg
For traditional grocery retailers, the growing importance of online sales means creating new logistics models for omni-channel (OC) management. Due to these transformational…
Abstract
Purpose
For traditional grocery retailers, the growing importance of online sales means creating new logistics models for omni-channel (OC) management. Due to these transformational changes, retail research and practice are lacking a comprehensive view on integrated fulfilment and distribution concepts for home and store deliveries as they have evolved recently. This paper develops a planning framework for last mile order fulfilment in OC grocery retailing and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different design concepts.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings were developed and evaluated by means of explorative interviews with grocery retail and logistics experts. Additionally, key literature on last mile order fulfilment and retail supply chain management was reviewed to supplement the integrated OC grocery operations planning framework.
Findings
OC logistics planning can be structured into back-end fulfilment (e.g. warehouse and in-store picking) and last mile distribution concepts (e.g. attended and unattended home delivery). The design choices depend on country specifics (e.g. population density), retailer specifics (e.g. capability for cross-channel process integration) and customer behaviour (e.g. possibility of unattended home delivery). The application areas and their contextual factors are discussed for each design parameter.
Practical implications
The last mile fulfilment options identified can be applied to pinpoint the necessary steps for further optimizing OC integration. Grocers can gain insights into current fulfilment concepts used in different contexts. This architecture also forms the foundation for further research on decision support systems.
Originality/value
The coherent planning framework summarizes the general design options for last mile order fulfilment arising from new requirements for OC fulfilment.
Alexander Hübner, Johannes Wollenburg and Andreas Holzapfel
Online retailing changes all retail systems significantly. The growing importance of online sales requires the creation of new fulfillment models. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Online retailing changes all retail systems significantly. The growing importance of online sales requires the creation of new fulfillment models. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how retailers develop from separate multi-channel (MC) to integrated omni-channel (OC) fulfillment. OC retailing has an integrated perspective, with seamless interactions between online and bricks-and-mortar channels.
Design/methodology/approach
More than 60 internationally active retailers and experts from Germany participated in an exploratory survey. With a response rate of 40 percent the authors achieved the goal to adequately depict the German MC and OC retail market. It is currently the largest empirical study of MC and OC fulfillment.
Findings
It is the first study to comprehensively analyze the logistical development options open to retailers for integrated fulfillment. The authors discuss the conceptual development options and formulate propositions for an advanced OC fulfillment approach. OC retailers aim to pool their organizational units for fulfillment via different channels. Retailers with multiple channels develop their warehouse systems toward channel-integrated inventory enabling flexible and demand-driven inventory allocation. Retailers with channel-integrated inventory also organize their picking procedures in one common zone. The higher the outlet density, the more it becomes beneficial for retailers to introduce pick-up services.
Research limitations/implications
The research is based on insights from retailers and experts from companies based in Germany.
Practical implications
The findings provide an insight into designing OC fulfillment and distribution structures. The concepts themselves, archetypes, challenges and development paths are analyzed. Identified logistics levers can be adjusted to pinpoint the steps required to advance integration.
Originality/value
The authors contribute by deriving propositions and a framework for transitioning from basic MC to integrated, extended OC logistics. Because this research area is still comparatively young, the authors take a more comprehensive, exploratory view of OC fulfillment.
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Erdem Galipoglu, Herbert Kotzab, Christoph Teller, Isik Özge Yumurtaci Hüseyinoglu and Jens Pöppelbuß
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify, evaluate and structure the research that focusses on omni-channel retailing from the perspective of logistics and supply chain…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify, evaluate and structure the research that focusses on omni-channel retailing from the perspective of logistics and supply chain management; and to reveal the intellectual foundation of omni-channel retailing research.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper applies a multi-method approach by conducting a content-analysis-based literature review of 70 academic papers. Based on the reference lists of these papers, the authors performed a citation and co-citation analysis based on the 34 most frequently cited papers. This analysis included multidimensional scaling, a cluster analysis and factor analysis.
Findings
The study reveals the limited consideration of logistics and supply chain management literature in the foundation of the omni-channel retailing research. Further, the authors see a dominance of empirical research as compared to conceptual and analytical research. Overall, there is a focus on the Western retail context in this research field. The intellectual foundation is embedded in the marketing discipline and can be characterised as lacking a robust theoretical foundation.
Originality/value
The contribution of this research is identifying, evaluating and structuring the literature of omni-channel research and providing an overview of the state of the art of this research area considering its interdisciplinary nature. This paper thus supports researchers looking to holistically comprehend, prioritise and use the underpinning literature central to the phenomena of omni-channel retailing. For practitioners and academics alike, the findings can trigger and support future research and an evolving understanding of omni-channel retailing.
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Giada Salvietti, Cristina Ziliani, Christoph Teller, Marco Ieva and Silvia Ranfagni
The study aims to propose a comprehensive overview of the Omnichannel phenomenon by identifying its theoretical foundations as well as future research directions.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to propose a comprehensive overview of the Omnichannel phenomenon by identifying its theoretical foundations as well as future research directions.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to systematize Omnichannel-centered contributions and identify future research directions for post-Covid-19, this study adopted a mixed-method study, combining a systematic literature review, a bibliometric co-citation analysis and a panel discussion by field experts.
Findings
In Study 1, the authors traced extant literature on Omnichannel back to its theoretical foundations, which led to the identification of four research areas in which the concept of Omnichannel is rooted. Contributions pertaining to the aforesaid research areas were discussed and submitted to a panel of experts (Study 2) after the lockdown periods. The experts gave various insights into both the past and future of Omnichannel research. Finally, a framework synthesizing theoretical foundations of Omnichannel, literature gaps and opportunities for future research is provided.
Originality/value
To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to combine mixed methods study in Omnichannel research and to involve a panel of experts in order to discuss the findings of a literature review and evaluate future research directions. This choice allowed us to investigate both incumbent academic and managerial challenges raised by Omnichannel and to provide guidance for the post-pandemic recovery.
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