改革开放以来，随着我国经济的发展和人民生活水平的提高，零售业也得到了迅速的发展。但与发达国家相比，我国零售业无论从规模还是科技方面，都存在很大的差距。特别是加入WTO以后，我国零售业面临更加激烈的竞争。零售业物流作为经济发展的“第三利润源”，在我国还刚刚起步。而在经济发达的日本，零售业物流已基本成熟。研究日本零售业物流的发展，“取其精华、去其糟粕”，可以利用后发优势，为我国零售业物流的发展，提出行之有效的建议与措施。本文采用规范分析和实证分析相结合的研究方法，以零售业和物流的相关理论为基础，分析日本零售业物流的发展过程及现状，提出对中国发展零售业物流的启示。本文分为五章内容。第一章：主要阐述了研究的意义、文献综述、研究内容及方法。第二章：通过对零售业与物流相关理论的梳理，借鉴“第三利润源泉”的基本思想，阐述了“物流是零售业的‘第三利润源泉’”。同时，通过对日本零售业与物流的发展历程、阐述物流在零售业中的作用，进而揭示“物流是日本零售业取得核心竞争力的关键”。第三章：在阐述零售业物流概念及其特点的基础上，全面深入地探讨了日本零售业物流的发展概况，同时，立足于日本零售业物流的发展目标，提出日本零售业物流发展的趋势。第四章：在前面章节的基础上，分析日本零售业物流的发展特征，即政府的主导作用、独特的商业运行习惯、高效的物流配送中心、细致的物流成本管理、面向终端消费者的生活化、便利化服务五方面，进而对日本零售业物流经营战略，即对物流共同化、第三方物流、共同配送、物流信息化、绿色物流等方面进行了较深的分析。第五章：从理论和实践的层面上，分析日本零售业物流的成功经验对中国的启示，并结合中国零售业物流发展现状，提出我国零售业物流发展中的管理、基础设施、人才培养等方面的不足，以及发挥政府对零售业物流发展的引导作用；调整零售业物流配送结构，完善配送体系；做好零售业物流的绿色转型工作；加快零售业物流信息化的发展步伐；加强零售业物流人材的培养等相应的改进措施。

Since the implementation of the policy of reform and opening, with development of our country’s economy and the improvement of the people’s living standard, the retail of our country obtained the rapid development. But comparing with the developed country, it is backward in scale and technology. Specially, when our country joined WTO, the retail competition between Chinese and foreign countries were intense day by day. As "the third profit source", the retail logistics just started in our country. But in economical developed Japan, retail logistics has been mature. Facing the development of Japanese retail logistics, we should take its essence and goes to its dregs, and provides the effective proposal and the measure for the development of our country. Using the cases studying method and standard analysis method, on the basis of the theory of retail and logistics, it provides the enlightenment to Chinese retail logistics. This thesis is made of four chapters. The first chapter: It mainly describes the significance, content, method of research and document summary. The second chapter: According to the collection of the theory of the retail and the logistics, using the "the third profit source" thought, it describes that the logistics is “the third profit source” of the retail. At the same time, through the analysis and summary of the history of Japanese logistics and the function of the logistics in retail, it discloses "logistics is the key of forming enterprise core competition capability". The third chapter: On the basis of the explanation of the concept and the characteristic of the retail logistics, it discusses the development of Japanese retail logistics comprehensively. At the same time, basing on the goal of the development of Japanese retail logistics, it points out that the development trend of Japanese retail logistics. The forth chapter, basing on the former chapters, from these follow five aspects: government's leading role, the commercial movement custom, the highly effective distribution center, the careful logistics cost management and the convenience service; it elaborated characteristics of the Japanese logistics. Then through the analysis and summary of operating strategy of Japanese retail logistics, such as logistics alliance, the third party logistics, joint distribution, and environmental logistics and so on, it provides the theory and the practice instruction for the next chapter of the enlightenment to China. The fifth chapter: From theory and practice aspect, it analyses the enlightenment that Japanese successful experiences gives china. And through the analysis of the present situation of Chinese retail logistics’ development, it points out that our country’s retail logistics has some disadvantages in management, infrastructure, and personnel training. It also advises to play the government’s guidance function for retail logistics, adjust the logistics distribution structure, consummate distribution system, complete the environment reforming work, speed up the development of logistics information, strengthen personnel training and other improvement measure.