Pre‐Orders for New To‐be‐Released Products Considering Consumer Loss Aversion

Advance selling through pre‐orders is a strategy to transfer inventory risk from a retailer to consumers. A newsvendor retailer can have three strategies to choose from: no advance selling allowed (NAS), moderate advance selling with a moderate discount for pre‐orders (MAS), and deep advance selling with a deep discount for pre‐orders (DAS). This research studies how a retailer could design an advance selling strategy to maximize her own profits. We find some interesting results. For example, there exist two thresholds for the selling season profit margin and two thresholds for consumer's expected valuation. For products with higher profit margin than the high threshold on profit margin, a retailer should always use DAS. For products with medium profit margin within the two thresholds, a retailer should adopt MAS if consumer's expected valuation is lower than the high threshold and use DAS otherwise. For products with lower profit margin than the low threshold, a retailer should use NAS, DAS, or MAS, respectively, if consumer's expected valuation is lower than the low threshold, higher than the high threshold, or between the two thresholds, respectively. Through sensitivity analyses, we also show the effects of multiple consumer characteristics on a retailer's optimal advance selling strategy.     

Stimulating Early Adoption of New Products through Channel Disintegration

Conventional wisdom holds that adding layers to a distribution channel is detrimental to the interests of consumers and the channel that serves them. In contrast, our study indicates that a disintegrated channel structure can be desirable in some instances. When consumers have valuation uncertainty prior to consuming a product, having an independent retailer may boost both channel profits and consumer surplus relative to direct selling by an integrated firm. The quandary in selling such products is that after early adopters make their purchase decisions, the seller may alter prices in such a way that makes early adopters' decisions appear suboptimal in hindsight. Since the seller cannot credibly commit to future prices, customers are reluctant to adopt early, choosing instead to delay their purchase decisions. This delay is certainly detrimental to the interest of the distribution channel, but the rejection of the early adoption discount can equally reduce consumer surplus. This problem can be mitigated by introducing an independent retailer. The familiar double marginalization “problem” from channel disintegration can credibly assure customers of unfavorable future prices for late adoption. This assurance attracts more customers to seek early adoption, leading to lower overall retail prices, increased supply, and higher consumer and producer surpluses.     

两种激励条件下三级供应链产品质量控制策略研究

本文基于四阶段Stackelberg博弈分析,研究了在三级供应链中如何进行产品质量控制策略问题。构建了由制造商、零售商与最终顾客组成的三级供应链博弈模型,制造商进行产品质量决策,即生产高质量产品或者低质量产品,零售商进行产品采购决策和零售定价决策,最终顾客根据两种产品质量水平和零售价格的差异,决定产品的购买数量;当零售商采购高质量产品时,制造商将会向其提供价格折扣策略;当零售商采购低质量产品时,制造商将会向其提供延迟付款策略。运用最优化原理,求解了制造商的产品质量水平、价格折扣、延迟付款期限和零售商的零售价格、最终顾客的购买数量,及期望收益函数。进行了算例分析,结果表明:高质量产品零售价格关于价格折扣下降幅度更大,而低质量产品零售价格关于延迟付款期限下降幅度更大;制造商提供的价格折扣越大、延迟付款期限越长,其期望收益将会减少,此时零售商的期望收益将会增加,最终顾客产品需求量将会增加;制造商的总期望收益函数将呈现"倒U"型,求解了期望收益的最大值及各契约参数的值,结果证明所提出的产品质量控制策略是可行的。     

Inventory Record Inaccuracy,Double Marginalization,and RFID Adoption

Most retailers suffer from substantial discrepancies between inventory quantities recorded in the system and stocks truly available to customers. Promising full inventory transparency, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has often been suggested as a remedy to the problem. We consider inventory record inaccuracy in a supply chain model, where a Stackelberg manufacturer sets the wholesale price and a retailer determines how much to stock for sale to customers. We first analyze the impact of inventory record inaccuracy on optimal stocking decisions and profits. By contrasting optimal decisions in a decentralized supply chain with those in an integrated supply chain, we find that inventory record inaccuracy exacerbates the inefficiencies resulting from double marginalization in decentralized supply chains. Assuming RFID technology can eliminate the problem of inventory record inaccuracy, we determine the cost thresholds at which RFID adoption becomes profitable. We show that a decentralized supply chain benefits more from RFID technology, such that RFID adoption improves supply chain coordination.     

电子商务产品定价与返利策略优化及协调研究

在电子商务背景下,网络零售商以两种模式向消费者提供产品,一种是常规的网络直销模式,另一种是通过有第三方返利平台参与的返利模式.当两种模式同时存在时,利用消费者效用理论,分别研究了网络零售商的最优定价策略与第三方返利平台的最优返利策略.结果表明,网络零售商是否引入返利模式,与返利产品的满足率、消费者购买返利产品花费的额外成本及返利兑现率密切相关.相对于集中式决策,分散式决策下网络零售商的最优零售价格会降低,同时第三方返利平台返还给消费者的返利会减少,这会加剧两种模式之间的冲突而导致系统低效率.为此,设计了一种改进的收益共享合同来协调两种销售模式,不仅使系统效率达到最优,并且使渠道成员实现"共赢".最后结合数值算例验证了该合同的有效性.     

具广告效应的闭环供应链协调性能研究

构建了一个具广告效应的闭环供应链博弈模型,研究广告效应对闭环供应链节点企业决策,以及闭环供应链协调性能的影响。首先,在集中决策、分散决策和广告合作决策三种决策模式下,分别探讨了节点企业的广告投入量、回收率和广告分担率决策,然后,分析了广告效应对各决策变量和利润的影响,最后,运用数值方法,从渠道效率和制造商/零售商收益分配比两方面考察了广告合作对闭环供应链的协调性能。主要结论为:1)广告合作可以增加广告投入量、回收率和节点企业的利润,从而实现闭环供应链的协调;2)节点企业的最优广告投入量、广告分担率、回收率和利润均与广告效应正相关;3)广告合作策略极大地提升了闭环供应链的渠道运作效率,降低了制造商/零售商的收益分配比。随着广告效应的增大,渠道运作效率会逐渐降低,而制造商/和零售商的收益分配比会逐渐升高。     

供应商保鲜努力的生鲜农产品双渠道供应链协调决策研究

在互联网迅猛发展的时代,生鲜农产品双渠道营销模式是供应商的最佳选择,如何发挥双渠道优势,实现渠道共赢是目前研究的热点。以供应商主导的双渠道供应链为研究对象,考虑新鲜度衰减且扰动需求和供应商保鲜努力,对比分析集中和分散决策模型,论证构建协调模型的必要性。从渠道合作和利润最大化的角度出发,设计两部定价契约、批发价协调契约和由成本分担与补偿策略构成的混合协调契约,三种契约均能在一定范围内有效实现供应链协调,提高各成员的利润。最后,对比分析所设计协调契约以认识其本质,并通过数值分析验证其有效性。     

Reducing Packaging Waste and Cost via Consumer Price Discounts

Low‐waste packaging may imply an inconvenience to consumers and cause firms to offer a compensating price discount. For example, Starbucks’ “Take the Mug Pledge” campaign provides a 10‐cent discount for customers who purchase coffee without a standard cup (i.e., customers provide their own cup). Understanding how such a discount drives demand and profit is the focus of this article. We consider a monopolist that can offer a reduced‐packaging option for its product at a variable cost savings. That option implies a transactional “inconvenience” cost for consumers. While that transactional cost is generally positive, our model also permits some consumers to associate convenience with reduced packaging. We derive the optimal price and discount that maximize profits. We show the optimal discount is bounded by the magnitude of the variable cost savings associated with the packaging reduction. We explore when the optimal discount is negative (a price premium), which requires a specific proportion of consumers to associate convenience with reduced packaging. We also derive conditions under which the firm should price to eliminate demand for the standard product, rather than segment the market, to leverage the variable cost savings of reduced packaging. When the variable cost savings are low (e.g., as is true for Starbucks), we show the profit curve for the segmenting policy is relatively flat for a discount up to several multiples of the cost differential. Finally, we demonstrate the potential for the reduced packaging option, with optimal discounting, to simultaneously increase profit and consumer surplus while reducing waste.     

考虑跨渠道退货的双渠道供应链最优策略

基于零售商线上线下销售与消费者退货并存的双渠道供应链,构建考虑退货的双渠道供应链定价模型以及考虑跨渠道退货策略的双渠道供应链定价决策模型。通过理论分析和数值实验对比,研究集中决策与分散决策下的零售商最优定价策略以及总利润的变化情况,同时分析在不同退货策略下顾客偏好以及退货率对零售商定价和收益的影响。结果表明：零售商渠道的最优价格设置与顾客对渠道的偏好成正比,与退货率成正比。当顾客对某一渠道偏好程度高时,分散决策下的利润要高于集中决策,并且随着该渠道退货率的提高,这种利润差距会进一步扩大,因此零售商应实施分散决策的渠道策略,鼓励线上线下两个渠道进行竞争,从而获得更大的收益。从仿真结果可以看出,对于一般的服装产品,提供跨渠道退货服务的零售商总利润更高,在一定条件下跨渠道服务水平的投入会增加零售商的收入,但这种投入应该控制在一个合理的水平上,并保持服务与顾客回报之间的正相关关系。     

基于期权的易逝品订购预售联合策略研究

由需求不确定所引起的库存过剩或产品脱销通常会给企业的正常运营带来极大风险，本文考虑一种运输时间影响损耗率的易逝品，在消费者估值不确定的情况下，从集成的角度出发，针对零售商的订购与预售联合策略展开研究。需求端零售商可通过批发价订购方式或组合订购方式采购易逝品，销售端可提供折扣预售和期权预售两种策略。通过模型构建详细分析了几种不同的订购预售联合策略，求解了不同策略下的最优订购量和最优预售价格以及不同策略的适用情形。研究发现柔性采购（组合订购方式）和期权预售联合决策可以有效降低需求波动带来的库存积压和产品短缺风险，且期权预售策略比折扣预售策略的应用范围更广。     

A Probabilistic Dealing Strategy

A probabilistic dealing strategy is proposed which allows all premium brands in an established market to earn nonnegative profits without cooperation. Following the strategy, brands take turns attracting deal-responsive customers. Relative to a reactive competitive strategy, the proposed strategy improves the positions of all premium brands. With use of the strategy, average deal sizes are positively related to a brand's market share, the proportion of quality conscious customers, the proportion of informed customers, the span of regular prices in a market, and the range of customers' acceptable prices.     

政府奖励机制下闭环供应链的利他关切性决策

考虑政府奖励机制的影响,文章对闭环供应链中的利他关切性决策进行研究。文章首先构建了制造商是否利他关切的两种分散决策和集中决策模型,并求解给出最优回收决策和政府最优奖励决策;然后,对各模型的最优决策进行比较分析,讨论制造商的利他关切对决策的影响。在此基础上,设计“数量折扣联合固定费用-成本共担”契约,对闭环供应链系统进行协调。最后,通过数值算例验证模型结论。研究表明：(1)政府奖励强度的设置存在阈值。只有当奖励强度大于阈值时,奖励机制才有效,才能促进废旧品的回收。(2)制造商的利他关切行为有利于系统获利,但不利于制造商利润的增长,但是这种利他行为扩大了制造商和零售商的谈判空间,有利于协调机制的实施;(3)政府最优奖励强度与WEEE回收价格和价格敏感系数正相关,与利他系数正相关。并且,政府奖励强度的增加有利于“数量折扣联合固定费用-成本共担”契约协调机制的达成。     

Discount Pricing Policies and the Coordination of Decentralized Distribution Systems*

A challenge of supply chain management is to align the objectives, and hence coordinate the activities, of independent supply chain members. In this study, we approach this problem in a simple way by extending traditional quantity discounts that are based solely on buyers' individual order size to discount policies that are based on both buyers' individual order size and their annual volume. We show that discount policies are able to achieve nearly optimal system profit and, hence, provide effective coordination, for a decentralized two‐echelon distribution system, whereby a supplier sells a product to a group of heterogeneous and independent retailers each facing a downward‐sloping demand curve of its retail price. When buyers are heterogeneous, a critical issue of coordination is to motivate different customers to increase their demand and lot size according to their potential so as to improve profits. We show that market heterogeneity presents an effective discriminating factor for the supplier to segment customers in the design of a coordination mechanism.     

需求不确定情况下绿色产品消费过程中政府的最优补贴

从化解绿色技术创新的环境外部效应出发，对绿色产品消费过程中政府如何给购买者提供补贴问题进行了研究。假定绿色产品的市场需求存在不确定性，讨论了需求函数分别为加法形式与乘积形式时，企业如何确定产品的价格和销量，以及政府如何选择补贴方式的策略问题。研究认为：给定需求函数的具体形式，政府提供的最优补贴或者价格折扣、企业最优产量以及政府实际补贴支出随着政府期望实现销售目标的提高而增加，随着市场风险的增加而增加。从政府补贴支出最小化角度来看，固定额度补贴方式为政府的最优选择。给定政府补贴支出，从实现企业产量最大化角度来看，价格折扣方式为政府的最优选择。对消费者来讲，政府应用价格折扣方式能够降低消费者的购买支出，提高消费者获得的福利剩余。     

引入自有产品对零售商主导的供应链成员决策的影响

随着零售市场竞争的日益激烈,越来越多的零售商采用自有产品营销战略。在零售商处于主导地位的供应链中,本文首先假设消费者对品牌产品的估值服从均匀分布,分别在一体化、分散式和协调式供应链系统下给出了零售商引入自有产品的条件,分析了其对双方决策和利润的影响。随后,本文假设消费者对品牌产品的估值服从正态分布,通过算例分析了引入自有产品对双方决策和利润的影响。研究表明,零售商提供自有产品作为一种策略,迫使制造商降低品牌产品的批发价格,削弱因双方独立决策而导致的“双重边际效应”,使得他在分散式供应链和协调式供应链中都能获利,但对制造商总是不利。在正态分布的情形下,引入自有产品在分散式供应链中对制造商有利,但在协调式供应链系统中,对制造商不利。     

考虑产能约束的新产品与旧产品预售策略研究

预售商品种类繁多，可分为从未上市过的新产品和已经上市过旧产品。面对不同类型的产品，根据消费者效用理论，消费者可能做出不同的决策。研究在产能约束的前提下，零售商销售不同类型产品的最优预售策略问题。结果表明，新产品的最优预售策略取决于正常销售价格，旧产品的最优预售策略受正常销售价格与消费者构成的共同影响，且前者的影响作用大于后者。较低的正常销售价格或较大的高估值消费者比例增大了消费者在正常销售期购买的缺货风险，零售商应采取溢价预售策略，否则应采取折价预售策略。此外将新产品和旧产品的最优预售策略对比发现，利用消费者对产品估值的不确定性，新产品预售比旧产品预售更具优势。     

网络购物平台最优价格促销策略：价格折扣还是现金券？

平台价格促销已成为平台营销中的重要问题，不同于传统模式下商家决定商品的价格促销，平台价格促销是以平台作为价格促销的决策者。本文建立了平台价格折扣和现金券两种由平台作为决策者的价格促销模型，探讨平台的最优价格促销策略，并在原有模型的基础上考虑商家广告投资决策并构建了扩展模型。研究结果表明，(1)只有当商品的基本需求、消费者价格敏感度和商品价格满足一定条件时，平台价格促销才能提升平台利润。(2)在两种价格促销都能提升平台利润情况下，平台的交易费率较高且商品价格较低则平台实施现金券策略的利润高于价格折扣策略；其他情况下平台实施价格折扣策略的利润高于现金券策略。(3)在平台交易费率较低的情况下，价格折扣策略下消费者能得到更多优惠；否则现金券策略下消费者得到更多优惠。(4)增加商家广告投资能够提高平台促销活动的利润，但是平台的价格优惠降低，且平台实施价格促销活动的条件区间减小。     

具有网络外部性的双寡头市场的动态定价策略

本文通过将消费者对网络大小的预期引入消费者的效用函数,刻画了消费者预期如何影响市场潜量。然后,通过微分对策,分析了在垄断竞争的市场结构中的厂商如何在考虑到消费者对今后的预期时,如何动态的决定自己的价格和相应的策略。结果表明,随着消费者对网络增长预期的增大,将导致更大的网络规模和更低的初始价格。寡头的利润受消费者对其产量的预期的影响。     

需求扰动下生产规模不经济闭环供应链的应急渠道决策

针对生产规模不经济闭环供应链，在突发事件干扰其产品的市场需求发生扰动的情况下，比较研究了各类回收渠道分散式决策系统和集中式决策系统的应急均衡决策及契约协调问题。结果表明：当需求的扰动程度不大时，各类系统正常运营环境下新产品的订购量和废旧品的回收量等均衡决策均具鲁棒性，当需求的扰动程度较大时，各类系统均应按其扰动方向调整正常运营环境下制定的均衡决策；制造商回收渠道分散式决策系统中其获得的利润和系统的总利润均高于零售商回收渠道分散式决策系统的，且制造商会利用更高比例的废旧品生产再造品，因此其应直接回收废旧品；各企业的利润和系统的总利润均随生产规模不经济弹性系数的增加而降低；设计的应急收益费用共享契约可协调解决各类回收渠道分散式决策系统中存在的"双重边际效应"问题，且各企业可通过讨价还价确定收益费用共享比例的取值来获得帕累托改进的利润。     

供应链配送中的提前期模型研究

提出缩短提前期在快速反应中的重要性,分别研究供需双方在集中决策和分散决策情形下的最优提前期模型,最后研究供需双方在分散决策下的合作博弈模型,提出基于提前期折扣的配送协调策略。