This paper studies the influence of the oil price on the
structure of logistic networks through the impact of transport
costs on overall logistic costs. Furthermore, it quantifies
the indirect effect of the oil price on the network
ecological footprint through the amount of CO2 emissions.
Therefore, a representative distribution network for a
European retailer is modeled, and several network scenarios
are studied.
Retail distribution networks can serve customers in a
variety of configurations. The total number of transshipment
facilities or warehouses and their regional distribution
define the degree of centralization of a distribution network.
Centralized networks with few warehouses enable lower
overall stocks than decentralized ones, while decentralized
networks can provide shorter lead-time to the customers