Walmart between

One development is that many bricks-and-mortar retailers are adding their own online channels (Tessler 2000). So a manufacturer that chooses to distribute only through, say, Walmart may yet obtain an Internet sales presence (albeit still an intermediated one) through Walmart.com. Here any channel conflict would be between Walmart s stores and online divisions. More generally, a modem manufacturer may simultaneously manage a variety of its own channels (e.g., online and company stores), sell through independent bricks-and-mortar retailers that also have online channels (e.g., Walmart, Macy s, Costco, etc.), and also sell through independent online retailers (e.g., Amazon.com). 

Give arguments to support the statement that Walmart has achieved good strategic fit between its competitive and supply... 

Every forecast supports decisions that are based on it, so an important first step is to identify these decisions clearly. Examples of such decisions include how much of a particular product to make, how much to inventory, and how much to order. All parties affected by a supply chain decision should be aware of the link between the decision and the forecast. For example, Walmart s plans to discount detergent during the month of July must be shared with the manufacturer, the transporter, and others involved in filhng demand, as they all must make decisions that are affected by the forecast of demand. All parties should come up with a common forecast for the promotion and a shared plan of action based on the forecast. Failure to make these decisions jointly may result in either too much or too httle product in various stages of the supply chain. 

In this section, we focus on products such as detergent that are ordered repeatedly by a retail store such as Walmart. Walmart uses safety inventory to increase the level of availability and decrease the probability of stocking out between successive deliveries. If detergent is left over in a replenishment cycle, it can be sold in the next cycle. It does not have to be disposed of at a lower cost. However, a holding cost is incurred as the product is carried from one cycle to the next. The manager at Walmart is faced with the issue of deciding the CSL to aim for. 

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