Merge-In-Transit Retailing: A Micro-Business Perspective

This paper suggests links between postponement, mass customization and rapid fulfilment in
the light of merge-in-transit retailing (MIT). The paper asserts that the value offered by MIT
implementation can be exploited only if these operational strategies are well understood. An
extension of this concept is explored to critically consider whether MIT is a feasible strategy
in the context of micro-businesses (MBs). MBs are usually treated as if they were big corporations that mainly follow economic-based drivers. However, the owners of MBs operate
based on additional motivations such as family orientation, heritage, lifestyle, and prestige.
So far, limited work has been published on MIT and strategies for operational support in the
context of MBs.
This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the logistics of internet retailing, making its impact promising. Its orientation towards MBs provides an original review of a
sector that is often neglected. Managers and those in charge of the design and operations
of logistics systems supporting internet retailing may find this paper of interest, since the
four linked concepts have not previously been discussed together. The paper may be of
particular interest to MB owners