Biology of Business

Hub-and-Spoke Distribution Network

TL;DR

Walmart operates a hub-and-spoke distribution network where central distribution centers receive goods from suppliers and redistribute them to stores.

By Alex Denne

Information flows through central nodes. Distributed units communicate primarily with headquarters, rarely peer-to-peer. Vertical flow dominates with limited horizontal flow.

Business Application of Hub-and-Spoke Distribution Network

Walmart operates a hub-and-spoke distribution network where central distribution centers receive goods from suppliers and redistribute them to stores. This enables economies of scale, network optimization, and data-driven insights, but limits local adaptation and creates single points of failure.

Related Mechanisms for Hub-and-Spoke Distribution Network

Related Organisations for Hub-and-Spoke Distribution Network

Related Frameworks for Hub-and-Spoke Distribution Network