3 Fresh Food Retail Logistics

i Retailing Logistics & Fresh Food Packaging ii This page intentionally left blank iii Retailing Logistics & Fresh Food Packaging Managing Change in the Supply Chain Kerstin Gustafsson, Gunilla Joönson, David Smith & Leigh Sparks London and Philadelphia iv Publisher’s note Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and authors cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the authors. First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2006 by Kogan Page Limited Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses: 120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241 London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147 United Kingdom USA www.kogan-page.co.uk © Kerstin Gustafsson, Gunilla Jönson, David Smith and Leigh Sparks, 2006 The right of Kerstin Gustafsson, Gunilla Jönson, David Smith and Leigh Sparks to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ISBN 0 7494 4645 5 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Retailing logistics and fresh food packaging : managing change in the supply chain / Kerstin Gustafsson … [et al.]. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-7494-4645-5 1. Produce trade—Management. 2. Farm produce—Packaging. 3. Business logistics— Management. 4. Retail trade—Management. I. Gustafsson, Kerstin, 1956– . II. Title. HD9000.5.R38 2006 381Ј.410685—dc22 2006008270 Typeset by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby Printed and bound in the United States by Thomson-Shore, Inc. v Contents Preface vii 1: Packaging logistics and fresh food retailing: an introduction 1 Logistics: why bother with what goes on behind the scenes? 2 Packaging: how am I supposed to know there is a missing link? 4 Change management: life is too busy to waste time thinking! 6 The structure of the book 10 Summary 15 2: Retail leadership in fresh food channels 17 Culture and retail consumers 18 Retail locations and outlets 23 Shopkeepers and retail managers 26 Product sourcing and distribution 28 Business relationships 30 Merchandising and selling 31 Change in food retailing: summary 35 3: Fresh food retail logistics 39 The logistics task 40 Retail logistics transformation 43 Temperature controlled supply chains 51 Retailers’ leadership of logistics 66 4: Packaging and fresh food 69 The purposes of packaging 70 vi Contents The packaging industry: structure and dynamics 73 Returnable packaging 82 General packaging principles 91 Retail logistics packaging 97 Fresh foods applications 100 Conclusions 102 5: Packaging logistics decision matrix: change management 105 Retailing, logistics and packaging change 107 Managing organization change in the supply chain 109 Packaging logistics decision matrix: change management 114 The implementation stage 118 Summary 120 6: Major case studies 121 Implementing the second-generation tray in Tesco’s supply chain 121 The development of a multi-party nationwide pool system in Sweden 138 Summary and conclusions 146 7: Application case studies 149 Case A: Kisten-Pool, Austria 150 Case B: Versfust Project, Netherlands 152 Case C: Tine Milk, Norway 156 Case D: Packaging development in FMCG, Sweden 158 Case E: Packaging and display, Sweden 162 Case F: Fresh fruit salad packaging for airfreight, South Africa 167 and UK Case G: Packaging for air cargo, South Africa and UK 169 Case H: Mercadona, Spain 173 Case I: Sainsbury – from cans to cartons, UK 177 Case J: Reusable plastic containers, California 179 Conclusions 181 8: Change drivers in packaging logistics 185 The evaluation and action planning process 189 Lists of drivers, critical success factors, barriers and solutions 190 Conclusions 193 Appendix: Evaluation and action planning tables 194 9: Conclusions 203 Packaging logistics in fresh food retailing 204 Future perspectives 205 Concluding remarks 214 References 217 Index 223 vii Preface We rely on fresh food to live. Its quality and freshness have a direct effect on our health and diet. Food retailers compete strongly in the area of fresh food as well as in a myriad of other products. Consumers want to see the best products on display at appropriate prices so they can identify value in the retail food offer. For retailers, making sure the stores and shelves are stocked is a fundamental component of modern retailing. This fact has increasingly compelled retailers to think about how they structure, control and amend supply chains to ensure they are effective and efficient. With changes in production, logistics, retailing and consumer tastes, combined with increasingly technological capabil- ities and global sourcing reach, this task has become ever more complex. More and more difficult choices have to be made. How can the organizations involved in supply chains make sense of the sometimes conflicting tensions and pressures? What are the ‘right’ decisions and appropriate solutions? This book has its origins in research work being undertaken for higher degrees by two of the authors from two different countries. From an initial meeting at a seminar, a series of discussions and conversations have taken place, broadened to include the research supervisors. From different perspectives and backgrounds, a common cause has been identified. The concept of packaging logistics embodies this set of beliefs about the future of the food retail supply chain. The viii Preface search for a reduction in complexity and an increase in common handling systems has marked out this field, often in the form of a variety of returnable transit or retailing packaging units. Such a view is at the heart of this book. This volume identifies the changes occurring in fresh food retail supply chains through the lens of packaging logistics. It tries to support organizations in developing their understanding of the changes and opportunities involved. We hope that academics and business managers will find useful elements here. One thing is certain: the pressure to get retail supply chains ‘right’ throughout the supply chain is not going to diminish. Packaging logistics is one way of cutting through what needs to be done. Kerstin Gustafsson, Gunilla Jönson, David Smith and Leigh Sparks 1 Packaging 1 Logistics and Fresh Food Retailing: An Introduction It cannot escape even the casual consumer’s notice that the way in which fresh food is sold has changed. It is fair to say that there has been a transformation of fresh food retailing. This is evident across Europe, both in the changing formats of food retailing and in the way in which fresh food is presented and retailed within the shop system. Dramatic transfor- mations of the retail structure in many countries have also altered the supply system, as retailers have gained power and control from manufacturers, producers and wholesalers. Some logistics changes have been driven by legal requirements on the safe and healthy handling and supply of food products. Others come about from alterations to consumer demands and requirements and the development of new products and new product categories by manufacturers and retailers. Substantial change has also been aided by a realization that supply chains, particularly in fresh food, can be simplified and reorganized so 2 Retailing Logistics and Fresh Food Packaging as to become more efficient and effective. In particular the scope for improvements in packaging logistics to produce better solutions for timely and appropriate handling and supply has been considerable. The packaging, handling and movement of products has become of vital concern for retailers and suppliers, including producers, manufacturers, logistics services providers and of course handling system suppliers. These concerns and the implications of the solutions are felt from the point of production through the supply chain to the point of purchase and even consumption. This chapter introduces the three key themes of this book: retail logistics, packaging and change management. We use these three themes as exploratory tools to help readers consider the ‘why and how’ behind the development of high-quality handling systems for trans- porting fresh food along temperature controlled supply chains from producer to retail store. We take each theme in turn and set out some of the general challenges businesses face in finding appropriate solutions in the area of fresh food retailing and packaging logistics. The aim in this chapter is to outline our approach to the subjects, lay out the structure of this book and suggest how this book could assist businesses and students alike. LOGISTICS: WHY BOTHER WITH WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES? It is quite natural, even in today’s business environment, to believe that it is only production or selling that matters in a successful business plan. The emphasis is often on manufacturing or retailing. How the product actually makes the journey from producer to consumer is of increasing concern, though attention still lags behind the consideration given to producing and selling. This goes hand in hand with a belief that what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ does not really matter to the success of a business and certainly does not justify major business resource or thought from the top of the company.

Load more