Dimensions Underlying Retail Logistics and Their Relationship to Supplier Evaluation Criteria

Abstract

Logistics is becoming an increasingly important part of overall retail strategy because it provides opportunities for enhanced profit, market growth and sustainable competitive advantage. This research examines the underlying factors which impact retail logistics. The factors found are warehousing/transportation, supplier performance/communications, internal information systems, activity levelling and inventory/cost reduction. The extent to which many supplier evaluation criteria are used is shown to vary with some of these five underlying operational dimensions.