Article: Sustainability of retail store processes: an analytic model for economic and environmental evaluation Journal: International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling (IJSPM) 2019 Vol.14 No.2 pp.105 - 119 Abstract: This study proposes a model to evaluate the economic and environmental sustainability of retail stores. The model was developed under Microsoft Excel™ and reproduces the main retail store processes (i.e., product receiving, backroom storage, sales area management and return management) in quantitative terms. As input, the model takes several data about these processes; as output, it provides an evaluation of the total cost and CO<SUB align="right"><SMALL>2</SMALL></SUB> emissions of the store. The application of the model to a real case, referring to a large-scale retail store of Italy, and the discussion of the key results obtained is presented for all the processes considered. The outcomes show that the most relevant environmental impact and the highest total cost are generated by the sales area management process. Conversely, the return management process contributes to the total cost to a limited extent. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to highlight the key aspect managers should focus on to improve the sustainability of the retail store. The results obtained provide useful guidelines for store managers to optimise the sustainability of their internal processes. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Sustainability of retail store processes: an analytic model for economic and environmental evaluation

Authors: Eleonora Bottani; Giorgia Casella; Simona Arabia

Addresses: Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, viale delle Scienze, 181/A, 43124 Parma, Italy ' Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, viale delle Scienze, 181/A, 43124 Parma, Italy ' All Glass S.r.l., Via Cesare Sarti 20, 43029 Traversetolo Parma, Italy

Abstract: This study proposes a model to evaluate the economic and environmental sustainability of retail stores. The model was developed under Microsoft Excel™ and reproduces the main retail store processes (i.e., product receiving, backroom storage, sales area management and return management) in quantitative terms. As input, the model takes several data about these processes; as output, it provides an evaluation of the total cost and CO₂ emissions of the store. The application of the model to a real case, referring to a large-scale retail store of Italy, and the discussion of the key results obtained is presented for all the processes considered. The outcomes show that the most relevant environmental impact and the highest total cost are generated by the sales area management process. Conversely, the return management process contributes to the total cost to a limited extent. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to highlight the key aspect managers should focus on to improve the sustainability of the retail store. The results obtained provide useful guidelines for store managers to optimise the sustainability of their internal processes.

Keywords: sustainability; large-scale retail store; case study; economic and environmental assessment; analytic model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPM.2019.099902

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling, 2019 Vol.14 No.2, pp.105 - 119

Received: 10 Apr 2018
Accepted: 27 Aug 2018
Published online: 27 May 2019 *

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Title: Sustainability of retail store processes: an analytic model for economic and environmental evaluation

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