Purpose

Regarding the retail internal supply chain (SC), both retailers and research are currently focused on reactive food waste reduction options in stores (e.g. discounting or donations). These options reduce waste after a surplus has emerged but do not prevent an emerging surplus in the first place. This paper aims to reveal how retailers can proactively prevent waste along the SC and why the options identified are impactful but, at the same time, often complex to implement.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors follow an exploratory approach for a nascent topic to obtain insights into measures taken in practice. Interviews with experts from retail build the main data source.

Findings

The authors identify and analyze 21 inbound, warehousing, distribution and store-related options applied in grocery retail. Despite the expected high overall impact on waste, prevention measures in inbound logistics and distribution and warehousing have not been intensively applied to date.

Practical implications

The authors provide a structured approach to mitigate waste within retailers' operations and categorize the types of barriers that need to be addressed.

Originality/value

This research provides a better understanding of prevention options in retail operations, which has not yet been empirically explored. Furthermore, this study conceptualizes prevention and reduction options and reveals implementation patterns.

中文翻译：

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杂货零售供应链中主动预防食物浪费——一项探索性研究

目的

关于零售内部供应链（SC），零售商和研究人员目前都关注商店中反应性食物浪费减少方案（例如折扣或捐赠）。这些选择在出现盈余后减少了浪费，但并不能从一开始就阻止出现盈余。本文旨在揭示零售商如何主动防止 SC 沿线的浪费，以及为什么所确定的选项具有影响力，但同时实施起来往往很复杂。

设计/方法论/途径

作者对一个新兴主题采用探索性方法，以深入了解实践中采取的措施。对零售业专家的采访构成了主要数据来源。

发现

作者确定并分析了杂货零售中应用的 21 种入库、仓储、配送和商店相关选项。尽管预计对废物产生的总体影响很大，但迄今为止，入境物流、配送和仓储方面的预防措施尚未得到集中实施。

实际影响

作者提供了一种结构化方法来减少零售商运营中的浪费，并对需要解决的障碍类型进行分类。

原创性/价值

这项研究让人们更好地了解零售业务中的预防方案，而这一点尚未经过实证探索。此外，本研究提出了预防和减少选项的概念，并揭示了实施模式。