Instore operations - an intellectual foundation and research agenda

This study combines a systematic literature review and a co-citation analysis to identify the intellectual foundation and current research gaps in the field of instore operations and instore logistics. In the first phase, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, which aimed to provide an overview of the current state of research and prevalent topics in the field. In the second phase, a co-citation analysis was conducted that identified five main research clusters: Distribution Management & Shelf Replenishment, Instore Logistics, Shelf Management, Staff Optimisation and Retail Environment and Customer Experience. An analysis of the cocitation’s clusters showed an overlap with the findings of the systematic literature review, confirming the consistency and relevance of these identified clusters.
Following a thorough analysis of the findings from the most relevant and recent articles, a comprehensive future research agenda has been developed. This agenda has the primary goal of defining and precisely guiding the direction of research in the field of instore operations and instore logistics. The agenda focuses on highlighting existing knowledge gaps in the literature and identifying potential areas for more intensive research. By implementing it, it is expected that considerable progress can be made in theory and practice, which will significantly influence and further the research developments in instore operations and instore logistics.