Guest editorial

摘要

The logistics function has always been central to retail firms' performance because it co-ordinates the product and information flows from suppliers and manufacturers to retailers and, finally, to consumers (Bourlakis, 1998). However, over the few years we have witnessed a major transformation in retail logistics, driven by changes in demand and stimulated by technologies such as e-commerce, mobile commerce, tracking and tracing, and data analytics. These changes have led to the development of multi-channel and omni-channel offerings (Rao et at, 2009), which are altering business models and forcing retailers and manufacturers to rethink the way they reach customers. Similarly, we have seen the rise of ethical customers who are putting pressure on retailers to improve their environmental and social credentials (Mena et al., 2011; Spence and Bourlakis, 2009).