In this paper, the focus is on relationship management and its implications for Small‐Medium Enterprise suppliers (SMEs). Specific insights are provided into retailer‐supplier relationships in the UK fresh produce (fruit and vegetable) market. This sector faces a process of concentration in...

Traditionally, research into supply chain management has focused on increasing the availability of products and reducing the cost of doing so by concentrating on coordination between supply chain members. Significant improvements have been made in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of...

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...

With all the hype around efficient consumer response (ECR) and the brave new world of technologies, one would believe that retail out‐of‐stocks have gone down over the last ten years. That is wrong. Retailers have been struggling with considerable out‐of‐stocks for decades – with...

This paper compares and contrasts forward and reverse logistics in a retail environment, with the focus on the reverse flow of product. Many differences between forward and reverse flows of logistics systems are presented. The impact of these factors depends to some extent on the supply chain...

Considers the concept of vendor‐managed inventory (VMI). Reviews its success since it was first implemented by Wal‐Mart and K‐Mart. Asserts that although a number of factors make the efficient operation of VMI difficult, the process is still relevant to supply chain management. The...

The Irish food industry is of significant importance to the Irish economy. Given its dependence on UK multiple retailers, their supply chain management practices have considerable implications for the whole of the Irish economy. Retailers’ attempts at improving efficiency at their regional...