Retailers’ coalition and quantity discounts under demand uncertainty

Coalition of retailers is a nowadays phenomenon in retailing channels (RCs) that makes it possible for the retailers to enhance their business performance and respond to the consumers' needs more effectively. This paper discusses the retailers' coalition advantages and challenges in a two-echelon retailing channel consist of one wholesaler and two non-competing retailers who serve the consumers. The model is developed under a classic newsvendor problem where an all-unit quantity discount is offered by the wholesaler. Our investigations are conducted for both homogeneous/heterogeneous retailers under three different scenarios. In the developed models, the retailers start to make a coalition and make a joint order in order to gain more from the offered discount by the wholesaler, and then using a heuristic procedure they allocate the received order to serve their individual markets. The main objective of this study is to analyze and resolve challenges of the retailers' coalition when a quantity discount is offered in order to make them capable to meet consumers' needs in the best possible manner. Three models are developed: (1) no-coalition decentralized scheme, (2) decentralized coalition where the retailers coalesce, and (3) centralized coalition where not only the retailers but the wholesaler participate in the coalition scheme. Our paper contributes to the RC management literature by analyzing the benefits of the retail coalition in taking most advantage from an offered quantity discount. Results demonstrate that the optimal configuration of the retailers' coalition increases profits of both the retailers and the RC in comparison with the no-coalition scenario. Our findings help procurement managers to rethink their ordering policy toward forming coalition to gain more profits and enhance their service level to meet consumers’ needs.     

Incentives for sales agents after the advent of the internet

E-commerce has siphoned sales away from bricks-and-mortar channels in many industries. Taking a principal-agent perspective, this article analyzes how the increasing volume of e-sales influences offline incentive schemes and firm profitability. According to the proposed model, moderate channel cannibalization can be a blessing in disguise if it decreases incentive intensity and lowers expected wage payments. Whether a larger volume of e-sales is blessing or curse depends (among other things) on the relative magnitude of cannibalization versus market enlargement and the degree to which the increase changes the composition of offline customers’ types with respect to service costs.

Quantity Discounts, Manufacturer and Channel Profit Maximization: Impact of Retailer Heterogeneity

In this paper, we investigate if a manufacturer can simultaneously maximize own and channel profit with any quantity-based pricing policy, including a quantity-discount policy, when selling through heterogeneous retailers. We show that the manufacturer's best possible pricing policy, when retailers self-select quantities, is a quantity discount. However, this policy does not maximize channel profit. Driven by the manufacturer's inclination to reduce the quantity sold through a high-cost or low-demand retailer, this result holds whether or not retailers compete. We discuss implications of our analysis for the manufacturer.     

Frontline employees׳ attitudes towards self-service technologies: Threats or opportunity for job performance?

Increasing diffusion of self-service technologies (SSTs) on the points of sale impacts on traditional retailing from several perspectives. For instance, SSTs have direct effect on front-line employees. Indeed, they may cause a potential reduction in personal contacts with clients, reduction of workers, modifying the job conditions and so on. To date, the effect of SSTs on the points of sale has been mainly investigated from a consumers׳ perspective, by mainly focusing on consumers׳ acceptance and usage of these systems. The aim of this paper is to make employees׳ point of view clearly emerge, through a qualitative approach focusing on the investigation of employees׳ perception of the consequences of these technologies on job performance. The content analysis based on exploratory in-depth interviews involves 250 frontline employees. Authors examine the success of technology from employee׳s standpoint by evaluating their attitude and considering the impact on their job performance perception. In this way, the analysis allows defining new variables which are not previously investigated, such as the perception of speed for task completion, which emerged as the most important factor for employees׳ self-evaluation. Hence, this study offers support for evaluating job performance considering the specific case of SSTs in the frontline employees as initial insights rather than definitive understandings.     

How does the retailing industry decide the best replenishment strategy by utilizing technological support through blockchain?

Practitioners face two significant issues: product inaccuracy and transparency in supply chain management. Blockchain is a highly secure and trustworthy means of storing data. Radio frequency identification incorporation is essential if reliability is at a low level. Incorporating radio frequency identification can improve supply chain management in terms of product's visibility for the best replenishment strategy. A production and replenishment coordination via mathematical modeling is visualized through a three-echelon supply chain with a non-reliable production process, and the retailer deals with misplacement issues. The manufacturer handles the inventory flowing reversely and is responsible for proper end-of-life treatment, either repairing or remanufacturing. Repairs are sold in bulk on the secondary market, and remanufactured items are used to prevent retailers' shortages. In this model, radio frequency identification technology on the physical surface is combined with a blockchain on the cyber surface, containing all the information about the product, including its location and attributes. A comparative study is provided for the traditional supply chain with misplacement versus a blockchain-based supply chain with radio frequency identification. An analytical approach is used to arrive at the optimum policy for the practitioners, and numerical analysis illustrates the problem. Numerical experiments indicate that the technology is highly profitable for supply chain management. Radio frequency identification technology can increase profit by up to 61%. After discrepancy, holding cost is the second most sensitive parameter for the profit function. If the holding cost is higher, profit can be increased by 40% using radio frequency identification and blockchain. The negative effect of misplacement is reduced with an increasing demand rate, but the reduction rate is very slow. The choice of not adopting radio frequency identification can only be successful if demand is so high that it can reduce the effect of misplacement.     

基于新限速抽样的超宽带通信系统信道时延估计

提出了利用新限速抽样率理论解决信道估计问题,建立了既可用于宽带也可用于窄带信道估计的框架,此框架的抽样率低于奈奎斯特速率。通过实例展示了利用奈奎斯特速率抽样而工作在低于奈奎斯特抽样率的算法性能,减少了功耗,也降低了算法的复杂性。     

基于粒子群优化的数字波束形成算法

波束形成的加权系数求解是一个优化过程,现有算法大多经过多次迭代,计算量大,实现复杂。为降低波束形成算法复杂度,将粒子群优化原理应用于数字波束形成中,提出了基于粒子群优化的自适应数字波束形成算法。该算法将每一组权值作为一个粒子,将阵列加权和的输出信号与干扰噪声比(SINR)作为适应度函数,通过比较各个粒子的适应度值,进行迭代搜索得到最优解。该算法可使天线阵在主波束对准有用信号,同时能有效抑制两个以上的干扰,且对阵列通道误差有较好的稳健性。计算机仿真验证了算法的有效性。     

应对TBT 一个全新的挑战

贸易技术壁垒对世界贸易产生重大影响。它对中国的出口贸易也是一个严峻的挑战。为跨越贸易技术壁垒,我们必须充分利用WTO/TBT协议的有利条款,建成基础标准体系,建立质量认证制度以及提高自己的技术水平。     

What drives customers’ post-purchase price search intention in the context of online price matching guarantees

Using a research model based on customer value theory, this study investigates the determinants of customer post-purchase price comparison searches in the context of online price-matching guarantees (PMG). Data collected from 222 eligible respondents are tested against the proposed research model using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate two PMG characteristics, refund length and refund scope, influence utilitarian benefit (i.e., refund depth) and hedonic benefit (i.e., playfulness). These two benefits subsequently contribute to customer perceived value, which leads to price search intentions. This study pioneers the exploration of online PMGs and the determinants of customer post-purchase price search intentions. Several important theoretical and practical implications can be drawn from the findings to guide online retailers’ PMG strategies.