Reducing Food Waste in future Retail. Trends and Implications for Operations Strategy

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Theoretical background & problem definition

3 Literature review: Retail food waste

3.1 Scale

3.2 Root causes

3.3 Solutions

3.3.1 Overarching concepts

3.3.2 Product & packaging

3.3.3 Logistics & supply chain efficiency

3.3.4 Marketing & consumer education

3.3.5 Redistribution & repurposing

3.4 Summary & outlook

4 Literature review: Future grocery retail operations

4.1 Overarching concepts

4.2 Trend 1: Omnichannel

4.3 Trend 2: Personalisation

4.4 Trend 3: Experience & technology in store

5 Conceptual model

6 Methodology

6.1 Research approach

6.2 Research design & process

7 Results

7.1 Omnichannel

7.1.1 Capacity

7.1.2 Supply Network

7.1.3 Process Technology

7.1.4 Development & Organisation

7.1.5 Other implications

7.1.6 Summary

7.2 Personalisation

7.2.1 Capacity

7.2.2 Supply Network

7.2.3 Process Technology

7.2.4 Development & Organisation

7.2.5 Summary

7.3 Experience & technology in store

7.3.1 Capacity

7.3.2 Supply Network

7.3.3 Process Technology

7.3.4 Development & Organisation

7.3.5 Summary

8 Discussion

8.1 Limitations & weaknesses

9 Conclusion & Outlook

Research Objectives and Themes

This dissertation examines the impact of future grocery retail trends on food waste, aiming to provide retailers with actionable insights for their operations strategy. The study explores how shifting retail models can be leveraged to mitigate food waste while maintaining business performance.

• Retail food waste: Root causes and mitigation strategies.
• Future retail trends: Omnichannel business models, personalisation, and in-store experience technology.
• Operations strategy: Using a conceptual model to align retail improvements with waste reduction.
• Sustainability and competitive advantage: Integrating environmental goals into core retail business operations.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1 Introduction: Defines the scope of the food waste problem and introduces the dissertation's focus on linking retail operations strategy with sustainability goals.

2 Theoretical background & problem definition: Establishes the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) and operations strategy as the theoretical framework for analyzing retail food waste.

3 Literature review: Retail food waste: Discusses the scale, causes, and existing solutions for food waste within the retail sector.

4 Literature review: Future grocery retail operations: Reviews key trends in retail, specifically omnichannel, personalisation, and in-store experience/technology.

5 Conceptual model: Outlines the strategic reconciliation model used to connect operations decisions with market requirements and waste mitigation.

6 Methodology: Describes the explorative, literature-based research approach and the design of the study.

7 Results: Evaluates the impact of identified trends on retail operations parameters and provides implications for food waste mitigation.

8 Discussion: Critically evaluates the research findings, identifying key limitations and discussing the broader implications for retail food waste.

9 Conclusion & Outlook: Summarizes key findings and suggests future research directions regarding the intersection of retail operations and waste management.

Keywords

Retail, Food waste, Operations strategy, Sustainability, Omnichannel, Personalisation, In-store technology, Supply chain, Demand forecasting, Shelf-life, Food loss, Retail management, Consumer behavior, Waste hierarchy, Business analytics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary objective of this research?

The research aims to explore how future retail trends, such as omnichannel models and personalisation, can be integrated into operations strategy to reduce food waste effectively.

What are the key themes addressed in the work?

The core themes include the scale and root causes of retail food waste, future grocery retail trends, and the strategic alignment of operations to mitigate waste.

How is the problem of retail food waste framed?

The work frames retail food waste as a systemic operations management issue caused by demand and supply mismatches, rather than just an environmental or ethical concern.

What methodology does the author employ?

The dissertation uses an explorative, qualitative research approach, synthesizing secondary data and literature to inform operations strategy decision areas.

What does the main body of the work focus on?

The main body examines three specific trends—omnichannel retailing, personalisation, and in-store technology—and analyzes their specific impacts on operational capacity, supply networks, and process technology.

Which concepts define this research?

The work is anchored by the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) of the firm and the operations strategy matrix by Slack and Lewis.

How does omnichannel retailing affect food waste?

Omnichannel models can reduce waste through better data integration and flexible fulfillment, but they risk shifting the food waste burden to consumers due to convenience and home-delivery packaging.

What is the role of personalization in waste reduction?

Personalization allows for targeted demand management, such as dynamic pricing and personalized recommendations for suboptimal products, which can significantly improve shelf-life management.