Cooperative Advertising and Pricing in a Dynamic Stochastic Supply Chain: Feedback Stackelberg Strategies

Cooperative (co‐op) advertising is an important instrument for aligning manufacturer and retailer decisions in supply chains. In this, the manufacturer announces a co‐op advertising policy, i.e., a participation rate that specifies the percentage of the retailer's advertising expenditure that it will provide. In addition, it also announces the wholesale price. In response, the retailer chooses its optimal advertising and pricing policies. We model this supply chain problem as a stochastic Stackelberg differential game whose dynamics follows Sethi's stochastic sales‐advertising model. We obtain the condition when offering co‐op advertising is optimal for the manufacturer. We provide in feedback form the optimal advertising and pricing policies for the manufacturer and the retailer. We contrast the results with the advertising and price decisions of the vertically integrated channel, and suggest a method for coordinating the channel.     

预测信息分享对制造商开通直销渠道的影响

研究了零售商预测信息分享对制造商渠道结构选择的影响.运用不完全信息动态博弈分别建立了单渠道和双渠道供应链决策模型,得到了贝叶斯均衡的渠道价格和各方最优期望利润.研究发现当零售商的需求预测精度比较低时,制造商应当开通直销渠道.零售商没有动机将预测信息与制造商分享.设计了一个信息分享补偿机制使得零售商能自愿分享其私有信息.在信息分享补偿机制下,虽然制造商为获取零售商预测信息付出了成本,但是依然有动机开通直销渠道.     

不同价格模式下的双渠道供应链决策研究

针对由直销渠道和传统零售渠道组成的供应链,考虑需求同时受价格和广告投入影响的情况下供应链的最优决策问题。分别讨论由零售商决定渠道价格的价格一致模式和制造商与零售商分别决定渠道价格的价格非一致模式下的Stackelberg博弈模型,并研究在价格非一致模式下合作广告对决策的影响。最后算例分析将两种价格模式与集中决策模式下的最优决策值及供应链总收益进行比较。分析结果表明,对于制造商和整个双渠道供应链而言,采用价格非一致模式优于价格一致的模式。对于零售商而言,在一定条件下价格一致模式对自己有利。     

Dynamic Pricing,Production, and Channel Coordination with Stochastic Learning

We consider a decentralized two‐period supply chain in which a manufacturer produces a product with benefits of cost learning, and sells it through a retailer facing a price‐dependent demand. The manufacturer's second‐period production cost declines linearly in the first‐period production, but with a random learning rate. The manufacturer may or may not have the inventory carryover option. We formulate the resulting problems as two‐period Stackelberg games and obtain their feedback equilibrium solutions explicitly. We then examine the impact of mean learning rate and learning rate variability on the pricing strategies of the channel members, on the manufacturer's production decisions, and on the retailer's procurement decisions. We show that as the mean learning rate or the learning rate variability increases, the traditional double marginalization problem becomes more severe, leading to greater efficiency loss in the channel. We obtain revenue sharing contracts that can coordinate the dynamic supply chain. In particular, when the manufacturer may hold inventory, we identify two major drivers for inventory carryover: market growth and learning rate variability. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness of our results by examining a model in which cost learning takes place continuously.     

不同渠道权力结构和信息结构下供应链定价和销售努力决策

本文针对零售商销售努力和销售价格影响需求情况下的制造商-零售商两级供应链,研究不同渠道权力结构和信息结构下供应链的分散决策。基于博弈理论和建模方法,对几种权力结构和信息结构情景建立相应模型,通过理论与数值分析对不同博弈均衡进行比较。研究表明,随着零售商势力逐步增强制造商利润会逐步恶化;但零售商势力增强能否带来更多利润,取决于需求对价格和销售努力的敏感度、销售努力成本以及信息结构。占优一方可以通过获取对方更多信息来改善自己处境。若占优零售商不得不依赖于对制造商成本先验分布进行决策,当估计的均值大于真实成本时,适度的方差对零售商更有利。最后,讨论了销售努力成本分担的合作机制,针对非合作博弈给出了帕累托改进的合约区间和 Nash讨价还价均衡。     

中小制造企业在线直销与传统分销双渠道定价决策研究

针对传统渠道中处于非主导地位的中小制造企业开展双渠道销售时存在的价格冲突问题,考虑产品数字属性对渠道需求的影响,构建了制造商与零售商独立决策和制造商占非主导地位两种情况下的双渠道定价决策模型,给出了两种情况下的双渠道最优定价,并分别考察了产品数字属性变化以及决策权利结构不同对最优定价的影响。研究结果表明,处于非主导地位的中小制造企业应采用依从强势零售商的定价策略,该策略有利于制造商和零售商以及渠道整体收益的增加;随着产品数字属性的增大,制造商的最优定价相应地提高,而零售商的最优定价则相应地降低;制造商占非主导地位时的双渠道最优定价高于制造商与零售商独立决策时的双渠道最优定价。     

不对称信息下线上零售商定价与O2O渠道策略研究

针对由制造商和线上零售商组成的供应链，考虑消费者退货行为以及产品退货会给企业造成退货损失，且线上零售商退货损失为其私有信息，研究不对称信息下的供应链定价、O2O渠道策略以及合同设计问题，分析线上零售商引入O2O渠道的可行条件及其对供应双方最优决策和消费者剩余的影响，考察不对称信息对各个企业、供应链系统利润的影响。研究表明，线上零售商引入O2O渠道存在可行条件，取决于退货损失的大小；当线上零售商引入O2O渠道时，制造商和供应链系统的期望利润水平均能得到有效提升；O2O渠道策略有利于提高消费者剩余，但到体验店体验产品的消费者不一定能够得到更高的消费者剩余；如果满足一定条件，则线上零售商会选择信息共享谈判与制造商共享其私有信息，进而实现"双赢"。     

非对称信息下双渠道供应链的定价决策

探讨在零售商的风险规避度分别为完全信息和私有信息2种情况下的供应链决策问题,比较2种情况下的最优决策值发现：制造商的直销渠道价格不受风险规避度是否信息私有的影响。制造商的最优批发价格和零售商的最优零售渠道价格随制造商掌握的风险规避度均值的变化而变化。数值算例验证了该结论,并计算存在直销渠道价格不能小于批发价格约束时的最优决策值。通过对无约束和有约束情况下最优决策值的比较表明：虽然2种情况下产品的市场销售总量不变,但约束条件的存在能够减弱直销渠道对传统零售渠道的影响。     

不同双渠道结构下制造商的定价决策与渠道选择

根据网上渠道不同销售模式的特征将其划分为网上直销双渠道、网上分销双渠道和网上代销双渠道。分析在制造商主导的双渠道供应链中，三种不同双渠道结构下价格竞争系数、网上直销成本和佣金比例系数对其他经济变量的影响，以及制造商的最优定价决策与渠道选择问题。研究表明：制造商在保证一定网上直销单位成本和佣金比例系数条件下，网上代销双渠道和网上直销双渠道中获取的利润高于网上分销双渠道；在网络代销双渠道中，制造商利润随着佣金比例系数增加而减少，而传统零售商和网络零售商的利润会随着佣金比例系数增加而增加。     

Strategic Motive for Introducing Internet Channels in a Supply Chain

Rapid advances of information technology in recent years have enabled both the manufacturers and the retailers to operate their own Internet channels. In this study, we investigate the interaction between the capabilities of introducing the Internet channels, the pricing strategies, and the channel structure. We classify consumers into two segments: grocery shoppers attach a higher utility from purchasing through the physical channel, whereas a priori Internet shoppers prefer purchasing online. We find that when the Internet shoppers are either highly profitable or fairly unimportant, the manufacturer prefers to facilitate the channel separation either through his own Internet channel or the retailer's. In the intermediate region, however, the manufacturer encroaches the grocery shoppers and steals the demand from the retailer's physical channel. With horizontal competition between retailers, a priori symmetric retailers may adopt different channel strategies as a stable market equilibrium. The manufacturer may willingly give up his Internet channel and leverage on the retailer competition. When the manufacturer sells through an online e‐tailer, Internet shoppers may be induced to purchase through the physical channel. This reverse encroachment strategy emerges because selling through the e‐tailer leads to a more severe double marginalization problem.     

面向网络零售平台的合作广告策略研究

制造商通过第三方网络零售平台开展直销渠道已经成为普遍模式。除价格策略外，广告宣传是企业获得消费者最常用的策略之一，已有研究表明，合作广告策略可有效协调供应链冲突和优化绩效，但在新零售模式中，传统渠道和网络渠道的特点使得网络零售平台和传统零售商的广告宣传对不同销售渠道的影响更加复杂和有趣，因此本文研究网络零售平台的参与对制造商合作广告策略的影响。在文中通过数学建模的方法比较制造商的四种不同策略：不合作策略、制造商仅与传统零售商合作的策略、制造商仅与网络零售平台合作的策略和制造商与两者均合作的策略，通过对不同策略中渠道成员的利润进行比较，可得以下结论：1）制造商的最佳策略为同时与传统零售商和网络零售平台合作；2）当两渠道的广告存在相互"搭便车"行为时，渠道成员之间最优策略一致；3）当网络、传统渠道的广告宣传为竞争关系时，渠道成员的最优策略不一致，但存在"相对"最优策略：传统零售商和网络零售平台同时与制造商合作，该策略下传统零售商、网络零售平台的利润可能会降低，但降低比例为最小。     

展厅现象下的双渠道供应链定价策略

针对双渠道供应链中展厅现象将加剧传统渠道与电子渠道的价格竞争问题，利用消费者效用理论，以存在展厅现象的差异化定价策略为基准，分别设计能够消除展厅现象的一致性定价策略和限价策略。研究结果显示相比差异化定价策略，一致性定价策略可以减轻传统渠道与电子渠道的价格竞争，并总是对零售商有利，但当顾客到传统渠道麻烦成本较高和批发价格较低时，也将有利于制造商；此外，双渠道供应链成员是否选择限价策略，依赖于传统渠道与电子渠道的价差，随着价差的降低制造商与零售商的利润都将提高，特别当两个渠道的价差较小时，限价策略可以有效降低价格竞争，从而促进双渠道供应链成员达到双赢状态。     

The Interplay between Information Acquisition and Quality Disclosure

This study investigates the interactions between a manufacturer's information acquisition and quality disclosure strategies in a supply chain setting in which the manufacturer privately knows his product quality but is uncertain about consumer preferences. We argue that the manufacturer should treat his information acquisition and quality disclosure decisions as an integrated process because these decisions can significantly influence a retailer's rational inferences about product quality and can have conflicting effects on his own profitability. Although information acquisition helps a manufacturer subsequently craft better pricing and quality disclosure strategies, it also leaks certain product information to the retailer, thus helping the retailer better estimate product quality. Therefore, in equilibrium, a manufacturer may choose not to acquire any consumer information, even when such acquisition is costless. Moreover, we find that this adverse effect of acquisition is highly dependent on the cost of disclosure and consumers’ preference differentiation. Increased consumer preference differentiation may have a non‐monotonic relationship with the manufacturer's profit, and information acquisition can become detrimental to the manufacturer once the disclosure cost is sufficiently high.     

零售商价格领导权结构下的双渠道定价策略研究

针对零售商处于价格领导权的渠道结构,本文在考虑不同渠道分销效率和产品的在线渠道接受度的基础上,探讨了制造商引入在线渠道时采用不同的定价策略对渠道所产生的效应。研究表明,在线渠道相对传统渠道的分销效率足够低的情况下,传统渠道的销售量肯定会由于在线渠道的引入而增加;如果采用批发价格保持不变的定价策略,当产品在线渠道的客户接受度较低、直接在线渠道相对传统零售渠道效率足够低的条件下,在线渠道的导入对制造商、零售商和渠道整体均是有利的,引入在线渠道会取得成功;而其他情况,在线渠道引入会有利于制造商和整体渠道,而不利于零售商,易于产生渠道冲突。     

基于制造商网络渠道选择的双渠道供应链定价 与服务决策研究

本文考虑由线下零售商实体销售与制造商网络销售构成的网络直销,以及由线下零售商实体销售与线上零售商网络销售构成的网络分销两种制造商双渠道模式,研究“搭便车”行为下制造商模式选择和供应链最优定价与服务决策。研究发现:制造商的渠道选择策略与“搭便车”行为程度、消费者偏好网络渠道程度、价格敏感系数等有关。尤其当消费者受到的服务且对价格的敏感性相同时,制造商会选择网络直销双渠道模式。进一步分析消费者“搭便车”行为和网络渠道偏好对制造商渠道选择和定价决策影响发现,制造商在消费者偏好网络渠道程度比较低时应选择网络分销双渠道模式,而当消费者网络渠道偏好和“搭便车”行为程度都比较高时,制造商应选择网络直销双渠道模式。消费者网络渠道偏好或“搭便车”行为程度越大,两种模式下批发价格应设置的更低。网络直销渠道模式下“搭便车”行为程度越大,网络渠道销售价格应设置的更低,而消费者网络渠道偏好程度越大,网络渠道销售价格应设置得更高。     

零售商信息禀赋优势下制造商电商直销渠道决策

在供应链中由于零售商相比制造商掌握更多消费者信息,能够对市场需求进行预测,因此制造商在建立直销渠道决策时往往面临着市场需求信息的不对称。本文考虑一个由单个制造商和单个零售商组成的供应链,其中零售商向制造商订购产品并销售给终端市场,制造商可能建立直销渠道将产品直接销售给消费者。通过构建制造商无入侵、对称信息下和不对称信息下制造商入侵三种情形下的博弈模型,本文分析了制造商建立直销渠道决策和零售商的订货决策。研究发现,尽管零售商具有信息禀赋优势,制造商建立直销渠道总是能够获得更多的利润,并且在信息不对称情况下制造商建立直销渠道获得的利润大于在信息对称情况下获得的利润。而零售商与之相反,在制造商掌握市场预测信息的情况下零售商的收益更高,供应链总收益在对称信息的情况下最高。进一步考虑制造商按照自身信息禀赋进行备货量决策的情况,可以得到按照自身信息禀赋与零售商同时决策时制造商建立直销渠道的利润大于信息对称和信息不对称两种情况下的利润。     

地区差异化背景下制造商双渠道定价策略研究

由于制造商对不同的地区出售的相同产品进行差别定价,当其引入网络渠道时,不仅会引起网络销售渠道和传统销售渠道之间的冲突,还会造成传统销售渠道之间的间接竞争,同时也会对制造商的地区差异化定价策略提出挑战.首先指出在传统零售渠道中,制造商实施地区差异化定价可以获得更大的利润,并给与证明.在此基础上,主要研究了网络渠道的引入对制造商定价策略的影响,并分别讨论了双渠道背景下的制造商的四种定价策略.最后,通过数值模拟和仿真对各个参数对不同的定价策略进行了比较分析,给出了相关结论.     

Pricing Policy in a Supply Chain: Negotiation or Posted Pricing

This article examines the choice of pricing policy (posted pricing or negotiation) toward end customers in a supply chain. Many retailers actively decide whether or not to encourage negotiation on the shop floor. Of course, the retailer's pricing policy influences not only the retailer's profit, but also the profits of the manufacturers who sell through the retailer. However, little is known about the forces that shape the pricing policy when two self‐interested parties interact in a supply chain. We consider two alternative models depending on who has the power to decide the pricing policy: the manufacturer or the retailer. We find that an increase in the wholesale price weakens the retailer's ability to price discriminate through negotiation. Therefore, the retailer prefers negotiation at lower wholesale prices and posted pricing at higher wholesale prices. We also find that whenever the retailer prefers negotiation, the manufacturer does too. Therefore, the retailer's discretion over the pricing policy causes friction only when the retailer wants to use posted pricing, while the manufacturer wishes the retailer to use negotiation. We show that such friction arises only when product availability or the cost of negotiation is moderate. In this case, we show that the manufacturer may offer a substantial discount to persuade the retailer to negotiate. Surprisingly, in this region of friction, a decrease in the supply chain's capacity or an increase in negotiation costs (both of which are typically considered as worsening the retailer's business environment) translates into higher profit for the retailer.     

不同权力结构和联盟策略下风险规避型闭环供应链决策

本文旨在探讨不同渠道权力结构和联盟策略下风险规避型闭环供应链的决策问题。考虑到产品需求和废旧产品回收的不确定性及决策者的风险规避特性,在制造商主导、零售商主导及制造商和零售商势力均衡三种情形下,分别构建了制造商和零售商联盟与不联盟时的闭环供应链博弈模型,获得了六个博弈模型下的均衡解,对比分析了不同模型下产品定价、废旧产品的最优回收价格和供应链及其成员的期望收益。研究结果表明,在制造商和零售商不联盟的情形下,决策者的风险规避程度增加能够缓解双重边际效应,供应链期望收益与风险规避程度正相关,而在制造商和零售商联盟的情形下,供应链期望收益与风险规避程度负相关;制造商和零售商不联盟时,制造商和零售商势力均衡的渠道权力结构对消费者最有利,而制造商和零售商联盟时,制造商和零售商势力均衡的渠道权力结构对消费者最不利;制造商和零售商权力结构不对等时最优价格决策之间的关系与制造商和零售商的风险规避程度有关;供应链期望收益在制造商和零售商势力均衡下最大,制造商期望收益在制造商主导的渠道权力结构下最大,零售商期望收益在零售商主导的渠道权力结构下最大。     

电子商务环境下双渠道供应链协调的补偿策略研究

构建了电子商务环境下由一个制造商与一个零售商组成的双渠道供应链模型,分析、比较了集中式决策与分散式决策下双渠道供应链的最优价格,从电子渠道与传统渠道合作的角度出发,研究了双渠道供应链协调的补偿策略,论证了这种补偿策略能够实现双渠道供应链协调,且在一定范围内可以保证双渠道供应链成员的双赢.最后通过算例分析,进一步检验了所设计的补偿策略对双渠道供应链协调的有效性.