Chapter 24: Retail Logistics

There was a logistical revolution in retailing in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. During this period, supply chain management rose in status in company boardrooms because of the impact which the application of supply chain techniques can have on a company's competitive position and profitability. The phenomenal success of British grocery retailers in the late 1980s and early 1990s could be attributed to the transformation of the grocery supply chain at that time. Similarly, in the fashion market the success of Benetton and The Limited was partly due to reducing time to market. By contrast, the slow demise of Laura Ashley is a sad reflection of a company which failed to manage its own inventory.