Pricing and greening decision in e-commerce supply chain: a strategic analysis of exchange facility & refund policy under sustainable manufacturing
摘要
In response to the burgeoning environmental consciousness among consumers, an increasing number of manufacturers are embracing the development of eco-friendly products, often distributed via e-commerce platforms. However, the analysis of reverse logistics activities poses a significant challenge, as it entails managing complex and uncertain processes associated with multiple collection and return management systems. In this study, we investigate various incentive mechanisms to enhance eco-friendly products’ environmental sustainability within a closed-loop framework of an e-commerce supply chain. Specifically, we examine the impacts of replacement policies, return policies, and exchange facilities in a decentralized marketing environment. Our analysis incorporates factors such as price sensitivity and green elasticity to model market uncertainties. The manufacturer, assuming the role of the Stackelberg leader, determines the environmental attributes of the products, while the retailer, acting as the follower, is responsible for setting product prices. Through analytical and numerical analyses, we explore optimal strategies regarding sales prices, wholesale prices, green attributes, and supply chain profitability. Our findings indicate that the inclusion of exchange facilities tends to yield greater profitability compared to refund and replacement policies. Furthermore, in scenarios involving exchange facilities, manufacturers can offer eco-friendly products with higher environmental standards at lower sales prices. Finally, we conduct sensitivity analyses to assess the influence of key parameters on decision-making across different scenarios.