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The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the logistical transformation of British retailing over the last three decades and to discuss likely challenges that face logistics managers in the future.

Reviews the key works on retail logistics, including the research undertaken by the authors over the last 20 years.

Illustrates how retailers have control of the supply chain in the UK, drawing upon examples from both the grocery and fashion sectors. Challenges for the future include macro‐environment issues such as climate change and recession in addition to improvements in existing in operations with regard to e‐fulfilment and implementation of technologies such as RFID.

This paper provides one of the few contributions to appraise the research undertaken on retail logistics in the UK over the last 20‐30 years.

Wal‐Mart is the world’s largest retailer with ambitious plans to increase its international sales. Europe is a logical target for Wal‐Mart to consolidate and build upon acquisitions in Germany and the UK. This paper assesses the opportunities for Wal‐Mart in these markets and in France, which has the highest level of sales through food retailers in Europe. While Wal‐Mart has made an impact in both Germany and the UK, it has not been as successful as originally envisaged. Moreover, its growth aspirations have been frustrated by the difficulty in making further acquisitions in Germany and France because of the nature of ownership of targeted companies.

This research note discusses the difficulty which factory outlet operators are experiencing in finding suitable sites in the UK and, using the example of Freeport Leisure’s acquisition of United Norwest hypermarket in Stoke and other converted “failed” shopping formats, shows how redeveloped sites with low acquisition costs are a likely option for future factory outlet developers. The acquisition has been successful because of the selection of product type for sale (ceramics which lend themselves to discount prices) and location (at the heart of the Potteries).

The aim of this paper is to develop an understanding of the retail marketing, merchandising, and logistical practices in the Japanese grocery supermarket sector. Most of the literature in English has focused on the structure of the sector with little detailed research on the Japanese consumer and the corporate response to retail change. This paper highlights the case of Summit Inc., which has established a niche position in the Japanese grocery market through its operational excellence.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/EUM0000000000643. When citing the article, please cite: John Fernie, (1992), “Distribution Strategies of European Retailers”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 26 Iss: 8/9, pp. 35 - 47.

This paper examines the growth strategies adopted by fashion design houses which have undergone significant transformation in the past decade from being privately owned, niche market companies to stock‐market‐listed businesses selling fashion and other lifestyle products to a lucrative and international middle retailing market. In order to illustrate this transition, the paper will focus upon the entry of American fashion design houses into central London. The expansion activities of these firms are identified and the resultant impact of their strategies upon central London fashion retailing is considered, providing invaluable insights to the impact of fashion retailer internationalisation and strategic growth at the micro environmental level.

This research examines recent changes in retail distribution and the implications of such changes on the logistical support to stores in Scotland. As increasing volumes of stock are channelled through warehouses controlled by retailers, stock is being centralised in large regional distribution centres (RDCs) serving wide geographical markets. Scotland is geographically marginal to the mainstream operations of most British retailers; the research therefore focused upon the current pattern of retail distribution facilities in Scotland and the future demand for sites by retailers and third party contractors acting on their behalf. Data were collected by personal interview and postal questionnaire from a total of 63 multiple retailers and 23 distribution companies. Most retail multiples supply their Scottish outlets from RDCs in England, either by a direct trunk haul or via intervening transhipment or demountable points. There has been a tendency for both manufacturers and retailers to withdraw stockholding from Scotland and serve the Scottish market from warehouses in England. Many of these companies, however, continue to require a break‐bulk operation north of the border. While the main phase of RDC development appears to be over, particularly in the grocery trade, it is likely that significant new investment in distribution facilities in Scotland will occur in the near future. Seventeen of the retailers in the survey expected to undertake some form of distribution development by 1995, eight of them anticipated setting up an RDC. In aggregate terms this translates into warehouse demand for around 80,000 square metres and approximately 20‐25 hectares of land. Although this and past investment has created thousands of jobs, job losses have also occurred through various displacement effects, most notably the rationalisation of retailers′ supply systems, the decimation of manufacturers′ depot networks and the closure of contractors′ common user depots.