A conceptual framework to understand retailers’ logistics and transport organization – illustrated for groceries’ goods movements in France and Germany

摘要

The article proposes a conceptual framework for analyzing the key drivers for retailers’ transportdemand more systematically. Certainly, a better understanding of the reasons behind the growth intransport demand is crucial in formulating effective measures to manage and reduce emissions. Regardingto retailer-led supply chains, analyzing the retailers’ transport demand and its key drivers seems to beindispensable. This issue is even more important on an urban scale as retailers have a high share of urbanfreight transport.The authors’ main assumption is that retailers’ transport strategies are dependent to nontransport-related context, both internally to the non-transport strategies and also externally to thecompany’s environment. A classification of the context in three layers is suggested:1. The macro-context represents retailers’ upstream context which includes thecompetitive and regulatory framework of retail industry, as well as consumers’consumption patterns.2. The meso context refers to the retailer’s sectorial dynamic. It includes aspectssuch as the vertical integration of wholesale stage or new relationships withsuppliers e.g. through the development of own-brand products3. The micro context is related to the strategy of the individual retailer andencompasses economic strategies (type of retail format, marketing area etc.).Furthermore, the paper illustrates the chains of interdependencies between differentlayers of context and their consequences for logistics and transport organization, using theexample of food retailers in France and Germany. As one result, the influence of retailers’ salesrelated strategies on logistics and transport can be demonstrated.