A Fuzzy‐ DEMATEL Analysis of Critical Success Factors for Sustainable Retail Management in Emerging Economies

ABSTRACT

Retailers operating in emerging economies face the dual challenge of advancing sustainability objectives while preserving operational efficiency and competitive performance. Despite a growing body of research on sustainable retail management, existing studies predominantly examine critical success factors (CSFs) in isolation, offering limited insight into the complex causal mechanisms through which sustainability capabilities are developed and translated into organizational outcomes. Addressing this gap, this study adopts a Fuzzy Decision‐Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Fuzzy‐DEMATEL) approach to uncover the systemic interrelationships and causal hierarchy among CSFs underpinning sustainable retail management. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review and expert validation, sixteen CSFs are identified and organized into four interrelated dimensions: strategic governance, operational efficiency, stakeholder engagement, and market adaptation. The Fuzzy‐DEMATEL method enables the modeling of causal relationships under uncertainty by converting expert judgments into triangular fuzzy numbers and estimating the prominence and net causal influence of each factor. The findings reveal that regulatory compliance, top management commitment, supplier collaboration, and information transparency constitute the primary driving forces of sustainable retail systems, whereas waste reduction, brand reputation, and customer‐oriented performance emerge largely as consequential outcomes. These results highlight the central role of governance and collaborative capabilities in shaping sustainability trajectories within emerging‐market retail ecosystems. By advancing a systems perspective on sustainable retail management, this study extends the sustainability and retail literature and offers a robust analytical framework to support managerial prioritization of high‐leverage sustainability interventions under conditions of institutional and market uncertainty.