A Three-Echelon Retailer-Led Closed Loop Supply Chain with Substitutable Products Coordination: Real-World Beverage Industry Application

Document Type : Review Paper

Authors

Prague University of Economics and Business, Faculty of Informatics and Statistics, Department of Econometrics, nam. W. Churchilla 1938/4, 130 67 Praha 3

Abstract

In this paper, we consider a real-world retailer-led three-echelon CLSC with substitutable products in a beverage industry consisting of a manufacturer, a distributor, and a retailer. The manufacturer produces the same product in two different types of packaging, one being a returnable glass bottle (RGB) and the other being a disposable bottle (OW) and the consumer chooses depending on their preference. The RGB is then returned via the specialized distributor, who must ensure the sorting of the returned bottles and their reverse logistics back to the manufacturer. We analyse the CLSC with the dominant role of the retailer and compare the Stackelberg equilibrium with the Nash equilibrium where all CLSC members are equally strong. We prove that the CLSC can make higher profits if the product mix is skewed towards the RGB product. Our analysis also shows that a retailer-led CLSC can be coordinated with an RS contract to achieve a fair share of a double increase in total profits for all partners if the retailer manages its leadership position and maximises its bargaining power. From a game theoretic perspective, we show that our Stackelberg equilibrium is also acceptable in the pure vertical Nash game. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis explains why it is so difficult to negotiate and coordinate a real CLSC in a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, because it is unlikely that the dominant retailer would participate in the coordination negotiations and give up its margins for the benefit of all CLSCs, which is necessary to ensure the effect of reducing prices for the final consumer. This is all set in the real beverage CLSC using actual cost parameters thus providing valuable managerial insights.

Keywords


Aazami, A., & Saidi-Mehrabad, M. (2021). A production and distribution planning of perishable products with a fixed lifetime under vertical competition in the seller-buyer systems: A real-world application. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 58, 223–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmsy.2020.12.001
Abbasi, S. (2022). The Sustainable Supply Chain of CO2 Emissions During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic.
Abbasi, S., & Ahmadi Choukolaei, H. (2023). A systematic review of green supply chain network design literature focusing on carbon policy. Decision Analytics Journal, 6, 100189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dajour.2023.100189
Abbasi, S., & Erdebilli, B. (2023). Green Closed-Loop Supply Chain Networks’ Response to Various Carbon Policies during COVID-19. Sustainability, 15, 3677. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043677
Abbasi, S., Khalili, H., Mehraban, M., & Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M. (2022). Performance Measurement of the Sustainable Supply Chain During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A real-life case study. Foundations of Computing and Decision Sciences, 47, 327–358. https://doi.org/10.2478/fcds-2022-0018
Abbasi, S., Mehraban, M., & Kanafi, A. (2022a). Designing Sustainable Recovery Network of End-of-Life Product during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Real and Applied Case Study. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6967088
Abbasi, S., Mehraban, M., & Kanafi, A. (2022b). Green Closed-Loop Supply Chain Network Design During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Case Study in the Iranian Automotive Industry. Environmental Modeling & Assessment, 28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-022-09863-0
Al-Refaie, A., Jarrar, Y., & Lepkova, N. (2021). Sustainable Design of a Multi-Echelon Closed Loop Supply Chain under Uncertainty for Durable Products. Sustainability, 13, 11126. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911126
Cachon, G. P., & Lariviere, M. A. (2005). Supply chain coordination with revenue-sharing contracts: Strengths and limitations. Management Science, 51(1), 30–44. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1040.0215
Chakroborty, A., Maiti, T., & Giri, B. (2020). Consignment stock policy in a closed-loop supply chain. RAIRO - Operations Research, 55. https://doi.org/10.1051/ro/2020064
De Giovanni, P. (2014). Environmental collaboration in a closed-loop supply chain with a reverse revenue sharing contract. Annals of Operations Research, 220(1), 135–157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-011-0912-5
De Giovanni, P. (2017). Closed-loop supply chain coordination through incentives with asymmetric information. Annals of Operations Research, 253(1), 133–167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10479-016-2334-x
De Giovanni, P., & Zaccour, G. (2013). Cost–Revenue Sharing in a Closed-Loop Supply Chain. Annals of the International Society of Dynamic Games, 12, 395–421. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-8176-8355-9_20
De Giovanni, P., & Zaccour, G. (2019). A Selective Survey of Game-Theoretic Models of Closed-Loop Supply Chains. 4OR: A Quarterly Journal of Operations Research, 17(1), 1–44.
Dey, B., Park, J., & Seok, H. (2022). Carbon-emission and waste reduction of a manufacturing-remanufacturing system using green technology and autonomated inspection. RAIRO - Operations Research, 56, 2801–2831. https://doi.org/10.1051/ro/2022138
Dey, B., Sarkar, B., & Seok, H. (2021). Cost-effective smart autonomation policy for a hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 162, 107758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2021.107758
Dey, B., Sarkar, M., Chaudhuri, K., & Sarkar, B. (2023). Do you think that the home delivery is good for retailing? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 72, 103237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103237
Dey, B., & Seok, H. (2022). Intelligent inventory management with autonomation and service strategy. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-022-02046-4
Dosdogru, A., Boru İpek, A., Gosken, M., & Ozceylan, E. (2022). Simulation optimization approach for dynamic and stochastic closed loop supply chain network. Scientia Iranica. https://doi.org/10.24200/sci.2022.58224.5626
Erhun, F., & Keskinocak, P. (2003). Game Theory in Business Applications. 65.
Ferguson, M. E., & Toktay, L. B. (2006). The Effect of Competition on Recovery Strategies. Production and Operations Management, 15(3), 351–368.
Fiala, P. (2005). Information Sharing in Supply Chains. Omega, 33, 419–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2004.07.006
Fiala, P. (2016). Profit allocation games in supply chains. Central European Journal of Operations Research: CEJOR, 24(2), 267–281. https://10.1007/s10100-015-0423-6
Garai, A., Chowdhury, S., Sarkar, B., & Roy, T. (2020). Cost-effective subsidy policy for growers and biofuels-plants in closed-loop supply chain of herbs and herbal medicines: An interactive bi-objective optimization in T-environment. Applied Soft Computing, 100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2020.106949
Garai, A., & Sarkar, B. (2021). Economically independent reverse logistics of customer-centric closed-loop supply chain for herbal medicines and biofuel. Journal of Cleaner Production, 334, 129977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129977
Gharibi, K., & Abdollahzadeh, S. (2021). A mixed-integer linear programming approach for circular economy-led closed-loop supply chains in green reverse logistics network design under uncertainty. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-11-2020-0472
Giannoccaro, I., & Pontrandolfo, P. (2004). Supply chain coordination by revenue sharing contracts. International Journal of Production Economics, 89(2), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-5273(03)00047-1
Giri, B., Chakroborty, A., & Maiti, T. (2017). Effectiveness of consignment stock policy in a three-level supply chain. Operational Research, 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12351-015-0215-8
Hou, Y., Wei, F., Li, S. X., Huang, Z., & Ashley, A. (2017). Coordination and performance analysis for a three-echelon supply chain with a revenue sharing contract. International Journal of Production Research, 55(1), 202–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2016.1201601
Hou, Y., Wei, F., Tian, X., & Liu, X. (2015). Two Revenue Sharing Contracts in a Three-echelon Supply Chain with a Risk-neutral or a Risk-averse Retailer. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management-Jiem, 8(5), 1428–1474. https://doi.org/10.3926/jiem.1556
Huang, R., & Yao, X. (2020). An analysis of sustainability and channel coordination in a three-echelon supply chain. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-12-2019-0413
Kennedy, A., Sethi, S., Siu, C. C., Chi, S., & Yam, P. (2021). Co-op advertising in a dynamic three-echelon supply chain. Production and Operations Management, 30. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13487
Mondal, A., Pareek, S., Chaudhuri, K., Bera, A., Bachar, R. K., & Sarkar, B. (2022). Technology license sharing strategy for remanufacturing industries under a closer-loop supply chain management bonding. RAIRO - Operations Research, 56. https://doi.org/10.1051/ro/2022058
Örsdemir, A., Kemahlıoğlu‐Ziya, E., & Parlaktürk, A. K. (2014). Competitive Quality Choice and Remanufacturing. Production & Operations Management, 23(1), 48–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12040
Padiyar, S., Gupta, V., Singh, S. R., Singh, D., Sarkar, M., Dey, B., & Sarkar, B. (2022). Three-Echelon Supply Chain Management with Deteriorated Products under the Effect of Inflation. Mathematics, 11, 104. https://doi.org/10.3390/math11010104
Pang, Q., Chen, Y., & Hu, Y. (2014a). Coordinating Three-Level Supply Chain by Revenue-Sharing Contract with Sales Effort Dependent Demand. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2014, 561081. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/561081
Pang, Q., Chen, Y., & Hu, Y. (2014b). Three-Level Supply Chain Coordination under Disruptions Based on Revenue-Sharing Contract with Price Dependent Demand. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2014, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/464612
Pang, Q. H., Wu, X. Y., Tan, M. L., & Cao, X. Y. (2015). Supply Chain Coordination Using Revenue-Sharing Contract with Distributor’s Effort Dependent Demand. International Journal of Simulation Modelling, 14(2), 335–348. https://doi.org/10.2507/IJSIMM14(2)CO8
Sarkar, B., Tayyab, M., Kim, N., & Habib, S. (2019). Optimal production delivery policies for supplier and manufacturer in a constrained closed-loop supply chain for returnable transport packaging through metaheuristic approach. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2019.05.035
Sarkar, B., Ullah, M., & Kim, N. (2017). Environmental and economic assessment of closed-loop supply chain with remanufacturing and returnable transport items. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2017.07.003
Sarkar, M., Dey, B., Ganguly, B., Saxena, N., Yadav, D., & Sarkar, B. (2023). The impact of information sharing and bullwhip effects on improving consumer services in dual-channel retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103307
Shekarian, E., & Flapper, S. D. (2021). Analyzing the Structure of Closed-Loop Supply Chains: A Game Theory Perspective. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 13(1397), 32. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su13031397
Taleizadeh, A. A., Govindan, K., & Ebrahimi, N. (2020). The effect of promotional cost sharing on the decisions of two-level supply chain with uncertain demand. Annals of Operations Research, 290(1–2), 747–781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-018-3062-1
Taleizadeh, A. A., Moshtagh, M. S., Vahedi-Nouri, B., & Sarkar, B. (2023). New products or remanufactured products: Which is consumer-friendly under a closed-loop multi-level supply chain? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103295
Taleizadeh, A., & Moshtagh, M. S. (2018). A consignment stock scheme for closed loop supply chain with imperfect manufacturing processes, lost sales, and quality dependent return: Multi Levels Structure. International Journal of Production Economics, 217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2018.04.010
Taleizadeh, A., Moshtagh, M. S., & Moon, I. (2017). Optimal decisions of price, quality, effort level and return policy in a three-level closed-loop supply chain based on different game theory approaches. European J. of Industrial Engineering, 11, 486.
Taleizadeh, A., Soleymanfar, V. R., & Choi, T.-M. (2017). Optimal Pricing and Alliance Strategy in a Retailer-Led Supply Chain with the Return Policy: A Game-Theoretic Analysis. Information Sciences, 420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ins.2017.08.054
Ullah, M., Asghar, I., Zahid, M., Omair, M., Alarjani, A., & Sarkar, B. (2021). Ramification of remanufacturing in a sustainable three-echelon closed-loop supply chain management for returnable products. Journal of Cleaner Production, 290, 125609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125609
Xie, J., Liang, L., Liu, L., & Ieromonachou, P. (2016). Coordination Contracts of Dual-channel with Cooperation Advertising in Closed-loop Supply Chains. International Journal of Production Economics, 183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2016.07.026
Xie, J., Zhang, W., Liang, L., Xia, Y., Yin, J., & Yang, G. (2018). The revenue and cost sharing contract of pricing and servicing policies in a dual-channel closed-loop supply chain. Journal of Cleaner Production, 191, 361–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.223
Zeng, T., & Yang, T. (2022). Unfair and Risky? Profit Allocation in Closed-Loop Supply Chains by Cooperative Game Approaches. Applied Sciences, 12, 6245. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12126245
Zheng, X.-X., Liu, Z., Li, K. W., Huang, J., & Chen, J. (2019). Cooperative game approaches to coordinating a three-echelon closed-loop supply chain with fairness concerns. International Journal of Production Economics, 212, 92–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.01.011
Zhong, F., Zhou, Z., & Leng, M. (2021). Negotiation-Sequence, Pricing, and Ordering Decisions in a Three-Echelon Supply Chain: A Coopetitive-Game Analysis. European Journal of Operational Research, 294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2021.02.020
Zhou, Y., Xiong, Y., Li, G., Xiong, Z., & Beck, M. (2013). The bright side of manufacturing–remanufacturing conflict in a decentralised closed-loop supply chain. International Journal of Production Research, 51(9), 2639–2651. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2012.737956