The Anatomy of Retail Sourcing Processes
P.J. Jakovljevic - August 15, 2007

The potential benefits of global sourcing and supplier management that have been discussed for retailers in this series so far are not that easily achieved across the board. To recap, these benefits can be seen both at the top line and at the bottom line. At the top line, benefits include growth of private label business, faster time-to-market, better product availability and fewer stockouts, more competitive offerings and improved customer value, and broader access to global sources and growth of direct imports. At the bottom line, decreased costs of goods sold (COGS) and improved margins, improved efficiencies and reduced operating costs, reduced inventory and tied-up cash, better regulatory compliance, and better ability to manage risks can all be seen...