Internet Retail Operations : Integrating Theory and Practice for Managers

The rise of the Internet as the first choice for retail shoppers presents new challenges for retailers and suppliers. This book details how information technology evolved to play such a role in retail supply chain networks, how this has impacted supply chain networks, and how this has changed service operations. The first part of the text addresses information technology in relation to service and retail industries. The second part covers how the new supply chain dynamics impacts traditional service and retail delivery, the costs involved, the impacts on customer service, and customer expectations. The third part presents case studies of how different retailers meet challenges.

The increasing popularity of online shopping makes Internet retailing a megatrend that cannot be ignored. The collaboration of two co-authors bringing academic rigor and broad consulting experience into the mix, Internet Retail Operations: Integrating Theory and Practice for Managers offers enduring insights on operational issues and principles for the management of internet supply chains.

Covering a range of emerging issues supported by a variety of case studies, the book details the evolution of information technology’s role in retail supply chain networks, its impact on supply chain networks, and how this has changed service operations. It addresses information technology in relation to service and retail industries, then explores how supply chain dynamics impact traditional service and retail delivery, the costs involved, and customer satisfaction and loyalty. It includes tables, vignettes, and graphs that make the content practical and relevant.

As you will learn, many attempts at internet retail do not succeed, some because they fail to appreciate the fundamentals, others may have simply been ahead of their time. Many years of experimentation and growth lie ahead. Drawing equally on theory, research results, and real-world experience, the book provides strategies for overcoming the challenges of building operations capability in the evolving world of Internet retailing.