Reverse logistics in the e-commerce: A case study

Abstract

Reverse logistics has gained increasing importance among researchers and supply chain professionals not only for being one of the tools for sustainability, but also for its strategic role in many economic sectors. Several studies have shown how an efficient reverse logistics can reduce costs and provide competitive advantage to companies. Likewise, there has been a significant growth of electronic commerce in many countries, which has much higher return rates than those of traditional trade. Nevertheless, despite the importance of reverse logistics in electronic commerce, there are no studies addressing this topic in the literature. The aim of this paper is to describe the reverse logistics process of the largest online retailer in the Brazilian market by showing its development, analyzing its performance, and identifying its major deficiencies. Some suggestions for the improvement and implementation of a more efficient system are made.