A survey of apparel retailer's satisfaction

Abstract

Manufacturers have to identify pros and cons in all aspects of their relationship with retailers who are basically their customers in the supply chain context, if they intend to stay competitive in the market. Retailers are also in direct contact with consumers who are the most important part of the supply-chain system, so having an effective interaction with retailers is the crucial part of the whole system. This study conducts a survey specifically in apparel retail industry to find the retailers expectations and evaluations of current performance of the manufacturers and help supply chain professionals gain a better understanding of how lean can be applied to their operations. The results of performed T-test and regression analyses indicate retailers' dissatisfaction with four factors of quality, delivery, cost, and retailer-manufacturer relationship.