An Empirical Study of Ordering Behavior of Retail Stores

This paper presents an empirical study of the ordering behavior of retail stores in a supermarket chain. Metrics to measure various aspects of ordering behavior are constructed using orders and shipments data, and POS sales data for 8884 items in three stores. Using these metrics, the impact of logistical and product characteristics on ordering behavior is examined. Moreover, differences in stores' ordering behavior, and from the automated ordering system installed at each store are described and analyzed.