Logistics network structure and design for a closed-loop supply chain in e-commerce

Product recovery is increasingly being recognised with the awareness of environment protection and sustainable development. In the past, many researchers paid more attention to reverse logistics only. In e-commerce, a noticeable ratio of product enters the reverse supply chain. It is urgent to design a closed-loop supply chain by integrating the forward supply chain and reverse supply chain. After having an optimal closed-loop supply chain, enterprises can hold strong adaptability to compete in the changing market. This paper introduces an "extended continuous approximation" method to help design a logistics network in a closed-loop supply chain as a unique strategy for enterprises to gain a competitive advantage.