Here is my conceptual framework for my research work < The Five Main Literature Topics are:  


Product Returns Management
Supplier Collaboration in Product Returns Management
Challenges in Implementing Effective Returns Management
Impact of Organizational Policies and Procedures
Strategic Approaches to Enhance Collaboration

Conceptual Framework Overview
The conceptual framework will illustrate how these topics interact to influence effective product returns management in New Zealand’s grocery retail sector. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how these elements connect:


Product Returns Management is the central concept of the study. It represents the processes and practices involved in handling returned products efficiently.


Supplier Collaboration directly influences Product Returns Management by facilitating better coordination, information sharing, and joint problem-solving between retailers and suppliers.


Challenges in Implementing Effective Returns Management impact both Supplier Collaboration and Product Returns Management. These challenges can include operational costs, regulatory compliance, and logistical complexities.


Impact of Organizational Policies and Procedures affects how Supplier Collaboration is structured and how Product Returns Management is executed. Policies determine the flexibility, responsiveness, and efficiency of returns processes.


Strategic Approaches to Enhance Collaboration serve as solutions or interventions aimed at improving Supplier Collaboration and overcoming the identified challenges. These strategies can include adopting new technologies, fostering long-term partnerships, and aligning supply chain practices.


 



Explanation of the Framework


Challenges in Returns Management and Organizational Policies and Procedures are external and internal factors that impact both Supplier Collaboration and Product Returns Management directly. For instance:

Challenges such as high operational costs or stringent regulations can hinder effective collaboration and complicate returns processes.
Organizational Policies determine the flexibility and responsiveness of both collaboration efforts and returns management practices.



Supplier Collaboration acts as a mediator between the challenges/policies and the effectiveness of Product Returns Management. Effective collaboration can mitigate some challenges and align organizational policies with returns objectives.


Strategic Approaches to Enhance Collaboration are interventions designed to strengthen Supplier Collaboration and improve Product Returns Management. These strategies aim to:

Overcome existing challenges by fostering better communication and joint problem-solving.
Align organizational policies with collaborative practices to streamline returns processes.> Now I have to write a detailed and indepth literature review based on my proposal topic "Enhancing Supplier Collaboration for Effective Product Returns Management in New Zealand’s Grocery Retail Sector: Challenges, Policies, and Strategic Approaches 

1. Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Product returns management has evolved significantly as an integral component of supply chain management, particularly within industries that prioritize customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Dapiran and Kam (2017) have substantiated that historically the focus on reverse logistics and returns as wastage, which encompasses the broader scope of returning goods through the supply chain, has overshadowed the specialized competitive advantage offered through product returns management. Research by Niemann et al. (2017) emphasized the importance of functional integration within firms to optimize returns processes. However, the concept of supplier collaboration, specifically in managing returns, gained attention when Mollenkopf et al. (2010) and more recently scholars like Karlsson et al. (2023) documented the value co-creation opportunities offered by product returns management. 
In New Zealand's grocery retail sector, which is characterized by high volumes of perishable goods, effective returns management is not only essential for maintaining customer satisfaction but also for managing costs and sustaining supplier relationships (Tang & Kularatne, 2021). As highlighted by Dyason et al. (2022), the unique challenges posed by New Zealand’s market, including stringent food safety regulations and the predominance of imported goods, necessitate a close and collaborative relationship between retailers and suppliers. 
In the grocery retail landscape, product returns management entail a complex and costly challenges for grocery retailers Karlsson et al. (2023). Dapiran and Kam (2017) have presented their product returns management framework based on this multi-party interactions in a product return chain process and have hinted towards supplier collaboration framework as a key driver of value creation and appropriation in product returns management. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of supplier collaboration, existing literature, such as Karlsson et al. (2023), has primarily focused on supply chain misalignments in entire reverse logistic networks rather than singularly on the specific dynamics of product returns management within this context. In so far as the grocery retail industry entails a combination of product returns that mostly come in the form of perishable goods that may require processing within a short time. Therefore, the present research aims to explore the challenges, policies and strategic approaches in enhancing supplier collaboration for effective product returns management so as to develop effective product returns management strategies for grocery retailers. This research problem is rooted in theoretical framework of supply chain orientation (SCO) and supply chain alignment (SCA) with the premise that retailers can reap significant synergies through effective supplier-side collaboration policies that can aid them in product returns management as part of their return policy. Through an exclusive concentration on supplier-retailer collaboration for product returns management in New Zealand’s grocery retail sector the present study aims to identify the key challenges in current return policies and to explore strategic recommendation for retailers align supply chain practices for more effective returns management.
1.2 Motivation
The retail sector evolves rapidly across the globe. The management of product returns has become a major challenge, especially in the growing field of grocery retail business. With the rise in internet purchases, especially due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the rates of return have increased enormously putting immense pressure on logistics and supply chain management (IBIS NZ, 2023). Tang and Kularatne (2021) noted that while grocery retailers are under pressure to satisfy these growing demands in terms of return policies and speed of service, existing returns management processes may not be able to cater to the need. Most existing studies either address returns management from a broad operational perspective or concentrate on other industries, leaving a gap in understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within grocery retail. Additionally, there is a limited academic exploration of how organizational policies and the evolving market dynamics in regions like New Zealand impact the efficiency of returns management. This research is undertaken to fill these academic gaps by specifically examining how enhanced supplier collaboration can improve product returns management in New Zealand's grocery retail sector. By doing so, the aim of the study is to provide valuable contributions to the academic discourse, offering new insights that can bridge existing gaps in the literature and inform better practices within the industry.
The aim of this study is to explore how supplier collaboration can be enhanced to improve the product returns management process in New Zealand’s grocery retail sector through the identification of the key challenges, evaluation of the impact of current return policies, and to thereby recommend strategic approaches to align supply chain practices for more effective returns management in the grocery retail sector of New Zealand. 
1.3 Research Question
The main research question of this study is “How supplier collaboration enhances product returns management process in New Zealand's grocery retail sector?”
The study focuses on the following sub research questions to address the core research problem:
How do New Zealand grocery retailers currently collaborate with suppliers to manage and streamline product returns processes?
What challenges do New Zealand grocery retailers face in the implementation and management of product returns processes?
These research questions are designed to explore the existing collaboration mechanisms between New Zealand grocery retailers and suppliers, the challenges faced in implementing and managing product returns, and the impact of organizational policies on the efficiency of these processes. 
The current returns management processes are not properly integrated and impeded by higher handling costs per unit processed, longer time taken to process items, and resource wastage (Ahsan and Rahman, 2021; Karlsson et al., 2023). These inefficiencies have a substantial financial impact on grocery retail, given the context of thin margins and limited product shelf life. Grocery products require streamlined, cost-effective returns processes that are tailored to their specific challenges. In so far as the research on returns management strategy in grocery retail is scanty, especially for the industry of New Zealand, the research problem is crucial for improving the profitability of grocery retailers.
1.5 Context and Significance
The context of this research is situated within the broader field of product return management and supply chain management, with a specific focus on the grocery retail sector in New Zealand. The significance of this research lies in its potential to contribute to both academic understanding and industry practice. From an academic perspective, the study fills a gap in the literature by specifically addressing the challenges and opportunities related to supplier collaboration in the context of product returns—a topic that has been under-researched, particularly in the New Zealand market.
Practically, this research offers actionable insights that can lead to more efficient, cost-effective, and customer-friendly product returns processes. Effective management of product returns is crucial for cost reduction, as returns and associated logistics management can account for 20 to 25% of a retailer’s total cost (IBIS NZ, 2023). In an industry where margins are already thin, optimizing this process could lead to substantial cost savings.
Furthermore, returns management is integrated with the problem of customer satisfaction which is vital for customer retention. There are noticeable benefits of the integrated and efficient returns process that can ideally improve the brand reputation and organize access to customers. In the context of sustainability and the circular economy, the concept of optimizing returns processes is consistent with broader environmental objectives where products that are to be returned are returned and those which are not are recycled.
This study seeks to address the identified research questions to practical recommendations that be implemented across New Zealand’s grocery retailing sector. This research will also advance the body of knowledge on product return and supply chain management literature for scholars to improve the perspective of supplier involvement in improving retail service delivery.
2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction to Product Returns Management
Return management of products is the systematic handling of products that consumers return after purchase. Ambilkar et al. (2021) highlight that this stretches from the authorization of the returns through the further processes which can include repairing and reselling, recycling, or disposing of them. While reverse logistics encompasses a wider perspective on the cycle of the supply chain, product returns management embraces only that particular segment of the management of returned goods. This function is gradually being appreciated as being an important aspect of the overall supply chain, particularly in industries in which customer loyalty and organizational functionality are of great importance.
Tang and Kularatne (2021) posited the issue of product return is sensitive in New Zealand grocery retail since most of the items are perishable products; the country has sound legislation and customer expectations of quality goods and services. Dyason et al. (2022) stated that retailers face challenges in preventing high costs in return management while managing effective relations with suppliers as well as sustaining customer satisfaction. This balance is particularly important in the retail sector where first and most often the operative part of the processes dictates revenues and where consumers’ loyalty may depend significantly on the efficiency of the returns policy.
Based on these issues, this literature review examines how the increase in supplier collaboration might help to facilitate returns management in grocery retail in New Zealand. The review will only consider published research papers and articles, the barriers to implementation, the effect of extraneous variables, and a synopsis of partnership approaches.
2.2 Supplier Collaboration in Product Returns Management
The collaboration of suppliers is crucial in the management of product returns. Liu and De Giovanni (2019) highlighted that relations between retailers and suppliers entail the exchange of information, synchrony of several operations, and partnership in the effective management of the return process. In the research done by Robertson et al. (2020), the authors establish that value is co-created through effective management of resources and end consumers’ experiences. For instance, Niemann et al. (2017) suggest that the functional integration at the intra-firm and between firms can bring immense benefit in the management of returns by cutting costs and improving the quality of the returns process as supported by Liu and De Giovanni (2019).
Particularly in New Zealand, where most grocery retailers maintain a close relationship with their suppliers given the isolation of the country and the fact that most of their supply needs are imported goods, a good relationship is even more fundamental (Tang & Kularatne, 2021). However, for example, most of the existing literature including Karlsson et al. (2023), discuss reverse logistics instead of covering the detailed characteristics of product returns. This gap means that there is a need to engage researcher in coming up with more refined and specialized findings that show how the supplier collaboration can be attached to enhance returns management within the retail setting in New Zealand.
The implementation and management of product returns, along with the associated challenges, will be discussed in the following section. This discussion will help identify specific aspects of supplier relationships that could benefit from improvement to enhance the effectiveness of returns management in New Zealand's grocery retail sector.
2.3 Challenges in Implementing Effective Returns Management
Managing product returns in the grocery retail sector is associated with potential challenges.  A number of the challenges stated by Frei et al. (2020) are the operational cost of goods, and the management cost for returns. A firm ‘s retailers usually place a lot of emphasis on the minimization of these costs while little attention is paid to the potential of variable returns management as a source of value added. For example, Frei et al. (2020) have claimed that while firms are ready to cut down on the existing as well as the tapped costs of the products, they fail to notice the possibilities of generating more customer value through better returns processes.
One potential issue is the lack of incorporation between functions within companies. According to Frei et al., (2022), the issue of silo-thinking in organizations and lack of collaboration among different departments leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities in returns. The grocery retail industry’s lack of integration is especially challenging considering the nature of the fast-moving industry and the highly perishable products in New Zealand.
Also, as highlighted by Gustafsson et al. (2021), returns management is made even more challenging by the external environment characterized by regulations, and dynamics of market forces. For instance, New Zealand has complex food safety laws; returning foods to the retailer can lead to further costs and can inhibit the management of returns processes. In the same respect, the growing bargaining power of the large retailing chains may also lead to increased pressure being placed on suppliers for strict conditions with regard to the returns policy which of course puts pressure on their relations and collaboration.
All these issues reflect that improved relations between suppliers and retailers are essential in order to overcome the obstacles to managing returns. The subsequent part of the work will be devoted to the analysis of the organizational policies and procedures that affect the effectiveness of product returns in the grocery retail of New Zealand to pave the way for the discussion on the optimal strategies for collaboration.
2.4 Impact of Organizational Policies and Procedures
The formulation of the organizational policies of the firms, as well as the practices within firms, significantly influence the comprehensiveness of the management of the product returns. According to Rokonuzzaman et al. (2021), return policies and the process of return authorization, product recovery, and crediting activities can enhance or hinder returns management. For instance, rigid policies, which do not allow flexibility in handling returns such as a ‘No refund policy’ will be disadvantageous for grocery retail firms especially when they operate in a dynamic market environment.
Most retailers in New Zealand are in tight competition and bear low margins so these policies count for a lot. Other authors, including Rintamäki et al. (2021) also observe that a degree of flexibility and collaboration with regard to returns management frequently improves results. For instance, Rintamäki et al. (2021) identified that when retailers promote collaboration with suppliers to adopt common policies and standard procedures in handling returns, then this leads to less wastage and more customer’ satisfaction.
Confente et al. (2021) also show that policies in different organizations often do not converge, especially where organizations differ significantly in size, resources, and strategic plans. Evaluating the grocery retail sector in New Zealand Confente et al. (2021) conclude that the large-scale grocery retailers may overpower the local small-scale supplier in changing the returns policy to the suppliers’ disadvantage.
The following section will look at various management strategies for improving cooperation between retailers and suppliers and how the relationship can be optimized regarding product returns management.
2.5 Strategic Approaches to Enhance Collaboration
In order to improve supplier involvement in managing product returns, various strategic moves can be taken. According to Röllecke et al. (2018), the most helpful strategy is the implementation of the service-dominant logic (SDL) framework developed by Vargo and Lusch. This is an approach that puts the notion of co-creation where both retailers and suppliers will provide additional value to the customer. In the context of product returns, this could mean collaborate efforts to manage the returns system effectively including integrated information technology systems, integrated logistics, resources, and objectives.
As stated by Panigrahi et al., (2018), there is another significant aspect in the improvement of the suppliers’ relations, including the strategic partnerships. Long-term strategic partnerships mostly developed on the principles of trust, compatibility of goals, and motivation of partners’ incentives are more effective in managing returns. Other scholars including Malhotra et al. (2024) opine that the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Social Capital Theory explain the formation of these partnerships and argue that these can lead to the development of competitive advantages. For instance, a good relationship between retailers and suppliers through relational and cognitive social capital can reduce conflicts and increase coordination in the handling of returns.
For example, authors Karlsson et al. (2023) highlight the fact that large retail stores and local suppliers collaborate has increased the efficiency of the returns process as a result both partners are willing to cooperate. The above discussion in this paper reflects the importance of identifying several key factors that may foster successful relationships with suppliers and retailers: trust, information sharing, and mutual goals.
The next section of the paper will discuss the research gaps and how to identify key approaches that may be nested and fine-tuned within the specific New Zealand setting.
2.6 Research Gaps and Future Directions
Though supplier collaboration in managing product returns has increasingly been recognized as critical, still the literature has some major gaps. Research by Nguyen et al. (2016) highlighted that the major gap is the absence of empirical studies on New Zealand's grocery retail sector. While there is a large number of literature available on returns management, most of the existing research is carried out outside New Zealand as well as applies to different industry sectors.
According to Nogueira et al. (2021), consumers in New Zealand gradually demand for the convenience, speed, and sustainability products. To what extent do these trends apply to the returns process and how best can the retailers and suppliers align themselves to these expectations will be important elements to look at when establishing the right approaches in managing the returns process.
Last but not least; there is a dearth of literature that focuses on policy-level factors that define the supplier-retailer interface in the returns process. Also, Riesenegger and Hübner (2022) mentioned that many regulations surround the food grocery sector in New Zealand, research that compares how various policies affect returns management, and how firms can overcome these issues with the help of cooperation, will be useful.
Therefore, by building upon these areas, future research can help advance the knowledge of how effective supplier collaboration can be enhanced in order to enhance returns management and consequently customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and increase the competitiveness of grocery retailers’ environments. It will also be of value to policymakers and industry practitioners so that they can understand how product returns should be managed and by whom, in order for all the stakeholders to benefit. " use this format for literature review "Chapter 2: Literature Review
Add the Conceptual Framework and explain it in 5-6 lines
•	Then write to develop the proposal literature (2.1-2.6 all headings) 
"   make sure to have an in Depth and breadth of relevant literature reviewed, a critical synthesis of existing literature, and strong anchoring of the research question within the existing literature.