Impact of Sustainable Practices on Retail Supply Chain Management: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Retail supply chains are increasingly required to deliver operational efficiency while meeting sustainability goals, positioning sustainable practices as critical levers for performance improvement. This systematic literature review examines the impact of sustainable practices on retail supply chain management. A Scopus-based search and screening process was structured using PICOCT components and reported following the PRISMA protocol, resulting in 54 articles and conference papers with available full text. The findings indicate that implementation is mainly constrained by (i) technological–organizational limitations, (ii) operational–cultural deficiencies, and (iii) economic–contractual barriers. The most frequently reported practices were food waste management (35.2%), sustainable packaging (25.9%), and digital circular models (18.5%). Across the included evidence, these practices were associated with waste reductions of 20–40%, a 24.2% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, and profitability improvements of approximately 15%, supporting measurable positive effects on operational, economic, and environmental performance in retail. Future research should strengthen the integration of sustainable practices with Industry 4.0 technologies to improve scalability, traceability, and impact measurement