Sustainability Challenges in Omni-channel Retailing: A Systematic Review

The consideration of sustainability aspects in omni-channel retail research has increased in recent years. Nevertheless, the literature lacks structured reviews that provide a holistic view on the various challenges in this research field. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and structure the current sustainability challenges in omni-channel retailing. This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement guidelines and examined publications from 2012 to 2022. The bibliographic databases ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight and Scopus were used for the review. The examination of 10 publications from 663 records revealed a diversity of sustainability challenges in omni-channel retailing covering all three dimensions of sustainability. However, the review indicated an uneven weighting in favour of economic challenges, followed by environmental, while social aspects were of minor interest. Along the value chain, challenges in transport and logistics were especially in the spotlight in omni-channel research. This review is the first to highlight sustainability challenges documented the academic literature on omni-channel retailing and attempts to offer a comprehensive, and structured overview as a starting point for future research or for development of managerial implications in business practice.