%0 Journal Article
%T Configuring the Last
%A Matthias Winkenbach
%A Stanley Frederick W. T. Lim
%J California Management Review
%@ 2162-8564
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0008125618805094
%X Fulfillment strategies that offer consumers a consistent shopping experience across different channels and devices through a variety of last-mile delivery options have emerged as a powerful engine for growth in the retail sector. To thrive in this new environment, retailers need to (re)configure their last-mile supply networks to achieve better alignment between delivery responsiveness, product variety, and convenience. This article reviews multiple case studies of leading retailers across geographical regions, maps these retailers¡¯ network configurations, and conducts consumer surveys to examine how retailers operate their last-mile distribution to cope with omnichannel demands. This study develops a typology consisting of four ideal forms of last-mile supply networks differentiated by the speed of delivery responsiveness and level of product variety. It proposes a set of prescriptive guidelines for retailers to undertake reconfiguration of their last-mile distribution
%K business-to-consumer
%K competitive strategy
%K electronic commerce
%K logistics
%K retailing
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0008125618805094