A Multilevel Approach to Retail Management Education: Integrating Customer and Supply Chain Perspectives

Abstract

Retailers today compete not only firm to firm, bu t also supply chain to supply chain. Thus, a new approach to teaching retailing from an inter-firm relationships perspective, allowing for the coverage of both consumer and supply chain issues, is needed to address fundamental changes in 21st century retailing. In this article, we build a conceptual model of retailer to consumer and retailer to supply chain partner interactions impacting satisfaction and performance. We then connect additional supply and demand conceptual issues to the consumer and supply chain management perspectives in retailing and draw a potential outline for instructors interested in an updated, more holistic approach to retail education.