Strategies and practices to reduce the ecological impact of product returns: An environmental sustainability framework for multichannel retail
Strategies and practices to reduce the ecological impact of product returns: An environmental sustainability framework for multichannel retail
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DOI：
10.1002/bse.3385
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发表时间：
2023-02
影响因子：
13.4
通讯作者：
Danningzhai Zhang;Regina Frei;Gary B. Wills;E. Gerding;S. Bayer;Prince Kwame Senyo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Danningzhai Zhang;Regina Frei;Gary B. Wills;E. Gerding;S. Bayer;Prince Kwame Senyo
零售业的产品退货本质上是浪费，并对环境产生相当大的负面影响。除了货币成本外，它们还导致运输、包装和加工的增加，而且退回的物品往往被丢弃。我们提出了零售商可以采用的策略和实践，以减少对环境的影响的方式管理他们的产品退货。随着电子商务的蓬勃发展，产品回报大幅增加。虽然在线销售最高，但它们对所有渠道都是一个挑战。越来越多的文献表明，在业务和供应链中发展可持续性管理的重要性，但在以环境上更可持续的方式管理产品退货方面存在差距。为了解决这一差距，我们采访了在英国和北美经营的多渠道零售商、零售专家和退货服务提供商。研究结果表明，虽然零售商已经开始关注退货的财务影响，但对环境影响的规模却知之甚少。此外，零售商缺乏一个全面的方法来解决产品退货对环境的影响。基于我们的研究结果，我们（1）解开阻碍零售商在退货管理中制定环境可持续性计划的障碍，（2）为零售商提供一套策略，以减少退货对环境的影响，（3）制定退货管理中的环境可持续性框架。我们的研究结果和建议的框架对解决产品退货对环境的影响的研究和实践有影响。
Product returns in retail are inherently wasteful and have considerable negative environmental impacts. Besides the monetary costs, they lead to increased transportation, packaging and processing, and the returned items are often discarded. We present strategies and practices retailers can adopt to manage their product returns in a way that reduces environmental impacts. With eCommerce flourishing, product returns have increased significantly. Whilst highest for online sales, they are a challenge across all channels. The importance of developing sustainability management in operations and supply chains is evident from the growing body of literature, but there is a gap regarding the management of product returns in a more environmentally sustainable manner. To address this gap, we interviewed multichannel retailers, retail experts and return service providers operating in the UK and North America. The findings reveal that although retailers have started paying attention to the financial impact of returns, there is little awareness of the scale of environmental impacts. In addition, retailers lack a comprehensive approach to addressing the environmental impact of product returns. Based on our findings, we (1) unpack the barriers inhibiting retailers from developing environmental sustainability plans in returns management, (2) present a set of strategies for retailers to reduce the environmental impact of returns and (3) develop a framework for environmental sustainability in returns management. Our findings and proposed framework have implications for research and practice on addressing the environmental impact of product returns.