“50 million nanostores: researching mom-and-pops in emerging economies”
by Jan C. Farnsoo
Kuehne Logistic University
Abstract:
Virtually all research on retail operations has been focused on organized retail: retail chains or online retail brands that operate a more or less centrally controlled and operated network of outlets. In most countries of the world, however, the majority of retail sales is realized in independent, family operated stores. While there is a large variety of these stores, we denote these stores by the generic name nanostores. In this talk, I will outline the major characteristics of nanostores, their store and supply chain operations, and their specific institutional context which leads to very different research questions and operational challenges. I will illustrate some of the research work we have conducted over the past years in this domain using formal modeling, qualitative analysis, and field experimentation. I will conclude by discussing some recent developments, in particular related to the entry of new technologies and new hard-discount formats entering into this traditional channel.
About the speaker:
Jan C. Fransoo is Professor of Operations Management & Logistics at Kuehne Logistics University in Hamburg, Germany. He also serves as the University’s Dean of Research and Member of the Executive Board. He joined KLU in 2018 following a tenure of 22 years at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, where he still holds a courtesy professorship in its School of Industrial Engineering. Fransoo holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Operations Management and Logistics, both from Eindhoven University of Technology. Professor Fransoo’s research studies operations, logistics, and supply chain management decision making in the retail, chemical, food, pharmaceutical and transport industries. His current research focuses in particular on retail distribution and channel management in developing markets, on intermodal container transport, and on sustainability and social responsibility in supply chains. His recent co-edited books include “Reaching 50 Million Nanostores: Retail Distribution in Emerging Megacities” and “Sustainable Supply Chains: A Research-Based Textbook on Operations and Strategy”. Fransoo has published both modeling and empirical research in over 120 academic journal articles and book chapters, in journals such as Management Science, Production and Operations Management, Operations Research, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, European Journal of Operational Research, and Journal of Operations Management. He is Associate Editor of multiple journals, including Operations Research, Production and Operations Management, and Decision Sciences Journal. More details, including a full publication list and his blogposts, can be found on https://www.janfransoo.com/
