IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v52y2006i1p1-14.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reverse Channel Design: The Case of Competing Retailers

Author

Listed:
  • R. Canan Savaskan

    (Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2001 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208)

  • Luk N. Van Wassenhove

    (Technology Management, INSEAD, Boulevard de Constance, 77305 Fontainebleau Cedex, France)

Abstract

The economical and environmental benefits of product remanufacturing have been widely recognized in the literature and in practice. In this paper, we focus on the interaction between a manufacturer's reverse channel choice to collect postconsumer goods and the strategic product pricing decisions in the forward channel when retailing is competitive. To this end, we model a direct product collection system, in which the manufacturer collects used products directly from the consumers (e.g., print and copy cartridges) and an indirect product collection system, in which the retailers act as product return points (e.g., single-use cameras, cellular phones). We first examine how the allocation of product collection to retailers impacts their strategic behavior in the product market, and we discuss the economic trade-offs the manufacturer faces while choosing an optimal reverse channel structure. When a direct collection system is used, channel profits are driven by the impact of scale of returns on collection effort, whereas in the indirect reverse channel, supply chain profits are driven by the competitive interaction between the retailers. Subsequently, we show that the buy-back payments transfered to the retailers for postconsumer goods provide a wholesale pricing flexibility that can be used to price discriminate between retailers of different profitability.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Canan Savaskan & Luk N. Van Wassenhove, 2006. "Reverse Channel Design: The Case of Competing Retailers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(1), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:52:y:2006:i:1:p:1-14
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1050.0454
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1050.0454
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.1050.0454?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fernando Bernstein & Awi Federgruen, 2005. "Decentralized Supply Chains with Competing Retailers Under Demand Uncertainty," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(1), pages 18-29, January.
    2. Hamilton Emmons & Stephen M. Gilbert, 1998. "Note. The Role of Returns Policies in Pricing and Inventory Decisions for Catalogue Goods," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(2), pages 276-283, February.
    3. Lode Li, 2002. "Information Sharing in a Supply Chain with Horizontal Competition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(9), pages 1196-1212, September.
    4. Nicholas C. Petruzzi & Maqbool Dada, 1999. "Pricing and the Newsvendor Problem: A Review with Extensions," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 183-194, April.
    5. Karen L. Donohue, 2000. "Efficient Supply Contracts for Fashion Goods with Forecast Updating and Two Production Modes," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(11), pages 1397-1411, November.
    6. Timothy W. McGuire & Richard Staelin, 1983. "An Industry Equilibrium Analysis of Downstream Vertical Integration," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(2), pages 161-191.
    7. Charles H. Fine & Evan L. Porteus, 1989. "Dynamic Process Improvement," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 37(4), pages 580-591, August.
    8. R. Canan Savaskan & Shantanu Bhattacharya & Luk N. Van Wassenhove, 2004. "Closed-Loop Supply Chain Models with Product Remanufacturing," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 239-252, February.
    9. Eunkyu Lee & Richard Staelin, 1997. "Vertical Strategic Interaction: Implications for Channel Pricing Strategy," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(3), pages 185-207.
    10. Fangruo Chen & Awi Federgruen & Yu-Sheng Zheng, 2001. "Coordination Mechanisms for a Distribution System with One Supplier and Multiple Retailers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(5), pages 693-708, May.
    11. Sudheer Gupta & Richard Loulou, 1998. "Process Innovation, Product Differentiation, and Channel Structure: Strategic Incentives in a Duopoly," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(4), pages 301-316.
    12. Charles A. Ingene & Mark E. Parry, 1995. "Channel Coordination When Retailers Compete," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 360-377.
    13. Charles J. Corbett & Xavier de Groote, 2000. "A Supplier's Optimal Quantity Discount Policy Under Asymmetric Information," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(3), pages 444-450, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. R. Canan Savaskan & Shantanu Bhattacharya & Luk N. Van Wassenhove, 2004. "Closed-Loop Supply Chain Models with Product Remanufacturing," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 239-252, February.
    2. Chuan He & Johan Marklund & Thomas Vossen, 2008. "—Vertical Information Sharing in a Volatile Market," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 513-530, 05-06.
    3. Ghosh, Debabrata & Shah, Janat, 2015. "Supply chain analysis under green sensitive consumer demand and cost sharing contract," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 319-329.
    4. Chen, Kebing & Xiao, Tiaojun, 2011. "Ordering policy and coordination of a supply chain with two-period demand uncertainty," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 215(2), pages 347-357, December.
    5. Ghosh, Debabrata & Shah, Janat, 2012. "A comparative analysis of greening policies across supply chain structures," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(2), pages 568-583.
    6. Syed Asif Raza, 2022. "A bibliometric analysis of pricing models in supply chain," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(2), pages 228-251, April.
    7. Wu, Cheng-Han & Chen, Chieh-Wan & Hsieh, Chung-Chi, 2012. "Competitive pricing decisions in a two-echelon supply chain with horizontal and vertical competition," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(1), pages 265-274.
    8. Gérard P. Cachon & A. Gürhan Kök, 2010. "Competing Manufacturers in a Retail Supply Chain: On Contractual Form and Coordination," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(3), pages 571-589, March.
    9. Wang, Yulan & Zipkin, Paul, 2009. "Agents' incentives under buy-back contracts in a two-stage supply chain," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 525-539, August.
    10. Li, Bai-Xun & Zhou, Yong-Wu & Li, Ji-zi & Zhou, Shi-ping, 2013. "Contract choice game of supply chain competition at both manufacturer and retailer levels," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 188-197.
    11. Wang, Charles X. & Qian, Zhuang & Zhao, Yabing, 2018. "Impact of manufacturer and retailer's market pricing power on customer satisfaction incentives in supply chains," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 98-112.
    12. Haresh Gurnani & Murat Erkoc, 2008. "Supply contracts in manufacturer‐retailer interactions with manufacturer‐quality and retailer effort‐induced demand," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(3), pages 200-217, April.
    13. Sudheer Gupta, 2008. "Research Note—Channel Structure with Knowledge Spillovers," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(2), pages 247-261, 03-04.
    14. Lin Jiang & Yong Wang & Xiaoming Yan & Wei Dai, 2014. "Coordinating a three-stage supply chain with competing manufacturers," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 22(1), pages 53-72, March.
    15. Stephen M. Gilbert & Gang Yu & Yusen Xia, 2007. "The strategic effects of a merger upon supplier interactions," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(2), pages 162-175, March.
    16. Chen, Jing & Bell, Peter C., 2011. "Coordinating a decentralized supply chain with customer returns and price-dependent stochastic demand using a buyback policy," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 212(2), pages 293-300, July.
    17. Tang, Christopher S., 2006. "Perspectives in supply chain risk management," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(2), pages 451-488, October.
    18. Xuanming Su, 2009. "Consumer Returns Policies and Supply Chain Performance," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 11(4), pages 595-612, March.
    19. Canan Savaskan, 2001. "Channel Choice and Coordination in a Remanufacturing Environment," Discussion Papers 1328, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    20. Chen, Haoya & Chen, Youhua (Frank) & Chiu, Chun-Hung & Choi, Tsan-Ming & Sethi, Suresh, 2010. "Coordination mechanism for the supply chain with leadtime consideration and price-dependent demand," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 203(1), pages 70-80, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:52:y:2006:i:1:p:1-14. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.