Since the end of the 1980s, logistics in French mass distribution has undergone a progressive vertical disintegration, with contractors taking a greater role in physical distribution. While food retailers state in the professional press that this disintegration has the inevitable consequence of...

Purpose When a company simultaneously manages several distribution channels, there are important issues regarding the sharing of marketing and logistical resources. This paper aims to discuss the integration of sales staff, communication and logistical operations to improve service delivery to...

Academic research in retail logistics frequently emphasizes the importance of the logistics customer service for large retailers wishing to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. This research paper questions the validity of this reasoning, implying an evolution toward an indispensable...

Examines the reasons driving French food retailers to build major speculative inventories through forward buying from their suppliers. First analyses the origin of the phenomenon and its strategic basis. Then, using the model of postponement‐speculation proposed by Louis Bucklin in the...

Global sourcing is undoubtedly one of the major symbols of current worldwide strategies. Although much has been written on manufacturers’ ploys in searching for more competitive and/or reactive foreign suppliers, this is not the case for retailers, surely because retail buyers do not wish to...

Purpose – The paper attempts to determine whether decision‐makers in the manufacturing and retailing industry really wish to implement cooperative logistical relationships in the long term. Design/methodology/approach – In order to answer the question, the authors have resorted to studying...