Prof. Drago Pupavac, PhD
Polytechnic of Rijeka
Vukovarska 58, Rijeka, Croatia
Phone: +385 51 353 737; Fax: +385 51 673 529
E-mail: drago.pupavac@veleri.hr

Marija Baburić
Polytechnic Nikola Tesla, Gospić
Ban Ivan Karlović Square 16, Gospić, Croatia
Phone: +385 536 763 221; Fax: +385 535 730 76
E-mail: mbaburic@net.hr

Ivica Baković
Polytechnic Nikola Tesla, Gospić
Ban Ivan Karlović Square 16, Gospić, Croatia
Phone: +385 536 763 221; Fax: +385 535 730 76
E-mail: ivica.bakovic@gmail.com

Scientific paper

Abstract

In order to impact national, regional and global markets trading companies should establish logistic distribution centres. Their number, size, equipment, location, traffic and infrastructure connectivity, economic growth and the rise of consumer power on national, regional and global markets affects the development of logistic network and exploitation of trading company synergies. Special attention should be payed to positioning of logistic distribution centres, because market coverage depends on their strategic planning, and by that, the possibility of optimizing the logistic network and rapid response to consumer demands. To prove the hypothesis about logistic distribution centres as a decisive factor of business success of trading companies, methods of analysis and synthesis were applied, as were the mathematical and comparative method. The findings are based on analysis of a hypothetical example of optimizing the logistic network of a trading company by establishing a logistic distribution centre, but also on the analysis of several practical examples of establishing (national) logistic distribution centres of trading companies in Croatia. A particular object of research is the establishment of Lidl’s logistic distribution centre in Perušić.

Key words:trading companies, logistic distribution centres, logistic network

Last Update: August 23, 2016