Return handling: an exploratory study with nine retailer warehouses
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management
ISSN: 0959-0552
Article publication date: 1 August 2002
Abstract
Already for a long time retailers have taken back products. In this paper we explore the factors contributing to the decision of combining vs separating inbound and outbound flows during the return handling process. We do so through a comparative analysis of the operations in nine retailer warehouses, which can be divided into three groups: food retailers, non‐food store chains and mail order companies. We identify both aggravating factors and facilitating actions for return handling. Furthermore, we bring about recommendations for practice. At the end we put forward propositions that are useful in feeding studies on return handling efficiency. In particular, we conjecture over the impact that return volume and product diversity have on the decision for combining vs separating the reverse and forward flows.
Keywords
Citation
de Koster Marisa P. de Brito, R.B.M. and van de Vendel, M.A. (2002), "Return handling: an exploratory study with nine retailer warehouses", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 30 No. 8, pp. 407-421. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590550210435291
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited