Comparison of Cross-Border Reverse Logistics of a Fast Fashion Brand in China

• Published in: Operations and Supply Chain Management
• Main Author: Wahab S.N.; Tan A.; Roche O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Operations and Supply Chain Management Forum 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85163498123&doi=10.31387%2foscm0520370&partnerID=40&md5=ab8880da43a939307063ac829d5b7ef3

With the advent of "Industry 4.0" and the associated disruption caused by such rapid digital transformation, the logistics industry was able to develop cross-border delivery and increase demand for any given product. However, the risks associated with Cross-Border Reverse Logistics (CBRL) remain largely unexplored, and there is a paucity of research in this area. Hence, this study's objective is to investigate the e-commerce delivery system and CBRL model of a major fashion brand. The study is based on a case study approach comparing the CBRL processes of the Zara official site with one of their main channel partners, Alibaba. Data was collected through archival records, a secondary data bank and interviews with Zara representatives for a deeper analysis. The analysis reveals that both Zara and Alibaba's official sites currently have issues with their CBRL operations. The development of cross-border logistics represents a great opportunity to improve current Zara's and Alibaba's e-commerce platforms business model. In a very competitive market, a lack of a cross-border logistics system could represent a potential loss. Compared to local reverse logistics, cross-border remains at a relatively primitive stage. However, local reverse logistics can provide insights to Zara and Alibaba towards developing and improving CBRL. The case findings lay the foundation for a better understanding of CBRL e-commerce's challenges and support the need to optimize these systems to improve customer service in China. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.