Extended supply chain and small and medium retail enterprises in Serbian garment industry

Abstract

Some recent researches reveal that the garment industry is among those with a high rate of returned goods. Therefore exploring and understanding extended supply chains, which cover both direct and reverse good flows, is of particular importance. Yet research on extended supply chains in the garment industry is almost neglected in literature. The objective of this paper is to gain an insight into the nature of reverse flows within the extended supply chain in the garment industry. The aim is to emphasise their significance and complexity. Empirical results presented were obtained by a survey conducted in Novi Sad, the second largest city in the Republic of Serbia. It was found that giving more attention to reverse flows in research and practice is necessary. Due to the complexity of the problem, the focus is on retailers and small and medium enterprises, which are considered as drivers for economic recovery and development.