LIT. REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY FOR ORDER # 40033285

Lit. Review and methodology for order # 40033285

Literature Review and Methodology: 40033285

Literature Review

When we discuss the inbound logistics in the retail sector, we are talking about how fast-movingconsumer- goods (FMCG) like food products, apparel, footwear, jewellery and watches, hygiene and beauty care products, automotive consumables like engine oils, lubricants, etc., books, gifts, stationery items. are moved from manufacturing sites, the wholesale market, and distributors for access by the shopper.

The points of sale include encompass malls, specialty stores, convenience stores, discount stores, multibrand outlets, hypermarkets and supermarkets, pharmacies, liquor stores, etc. The proportions however, will vary from country to country, depending on the extent of economic development and affluence.

Transporting the products is one thing, and inventory management within the retail outlet (labeling shelves for easy access, tracking stock and order placement for replenishment, monitoring unsold products for expiry dates, waste handling, etc) is another.

Moving upstream, the warehousing component is either handled by distributors that function as independent entities; by 3PLs that are contracted by the retail sector to carry out their logistics operations; or by retail sector players that would rather manage their logistics operations themselves.

Retail logistics, then, is simply the movement, storage, monitoring and replenishment of products. Both organized retail and unorganized retail, it goes without saying, entails logistics operations - be it the small shopkeeper or the street-vendor personally transporting his wares from the wholesale market; or hypermarkets sub-contracting the services to a third-party logistics service provider. There is time, money and energy (vehicle fuel included) spent on moving materials to the 'spot of final sale'.

As a nation's GDP grows at a faster rate than its population, it gets richer - when affl uence is measured in terms of GDP per capita as it is generally done. Affl uence gives rise to consumerism, and that is exactly what is happening in many parts of Asia these days, giving a prop to the retail sector in many parts of the continent.

Retail business can be categorized broadly into organized and unorganized; the latter accounting for a lion's share of the retail sector in most Asian countries. Unorganized retail encompasses the small shopkeepers, street vendors and hawkers. It is not surprising that they account for sizable proportions of the total retail sector turnover, if you spend a week in a city in India or China for instance and observe shopping patterns ...