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Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY NC ND
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY NC ND
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY NC ND
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Working-Capital-Adjusted Sourcing: A Two-Supplier Model with Trade Credit and Transit Inventory

Authors: Junghanns, James;

Working-Capital-Adjusted Sourcing: A Two-Supplier Model with Trade Credit and Transit Inventory

Abstract

A retailer choosing between a low-cost foreign manufacturer and a higher-cost domestic intermediary is not only choosing unit cost; it is also choosing the timing of cash flows. This note derives a closed-form condition for the profit-maximising sourcing corner under a stylised working-capital model with (i) supplier trade credit (days payable outstanding) and (ii) goods-in-transit inventory for the foreign route. Under a constant opportunity cost of capital, the objective is quadratic and strictly convex in the sourcing share, so the optimum is always a corner. Which corner is optimal is governed by a single threshold: an implied annual capital charge WACC* above which the domestic intermediary dominates and below which direct foreign sourcing dominates. The threshold depends only on observable operating parameters: COGS percentages, DPO terms (including prepayment as negative DPO), transit days, inventory days, and the corporate tax rate (for after-tax comparisons). A numerical illustration calibrated to plausible early-2025 consumer-goods parameters yields WACC ≈ 1.415 (141.5% per year), implying that under those terms the unit-cost advantage dominates purely on cash economics. We then present an alternative illustrative "early 2026" terms scenario featuring higher foreign COGS%, earlier payment, and longer transit, under which the implied threshold falls to WACC* ≈ 0.216 (21.6% per year). This magnitude change suggests that adverse shifts in trade credit and pipeline duration can plausibly induce partial "re-shoring" for working-capital-constrained firms. We close by stating falsifiable empirical predictions for trade shares, inventories, prices/margins, industrial production, and the GDP composition of any adjustment.

Keywords

capital structure, trade credit, goods in transit, Economics, Group Purchasing/economics, capital charge threshold, working capital, dual sourcing, cash conversion cycle, payment terms, Applied mathematics, supply chain, Italian economy

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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