Just-in-Time (JIT) and Lean Management are important approaches in modern retail supply chain management because they focus on reducing unnecessary inventory, eliminating waste, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring that products are available to customers at the right time and place. In the highly competitive retail sector, retailers must maintain a balance between product availability and inventory costs. Excess inventory increases storage, insurance, handling, deterioration, and obsolescence costs, while insufficient inventory can result in stock-outs, lost sales, and dissatisfied customers. JIT and Lean Management provide systematic methods for achieving this balance. Just-in-Time is an inventory and production management approach in which goods are received or replenished only when they are needed for sale or operational use. The basic principle is that the retailer should avoid holding unnecessary stock and should coordinate closely with suppliers so that the required quantity reaches the store or distribution centre at the appropriate time. In retailing, JIT therefore means moving from a traditional “stock and sell” approach towards a demand-driven supply system. Inventory is replenished on the basis of actual sales, customer demand, and reliable demand forecasts rather than simply maintaining large quantities of safety stock. The success of JIT depends heavily on accurate information and effective coordination throughout the supply chain. Point-of-sale systems, barcode technology, RFID, electronic data interchange, enterprise resource planning systems, and real-time inventory databases allow retailers and suppliers to monitor sales and stock levels continuously. When a product is sold, the information can be transmitted automatically to the retailer's inventory system and, where appropriate, to the supplier. The supplier can then prepare and deliver replenishment. This reduces the time between demand and supply and helps prevent unnecessary accumulation of inventory. A major advantage of JIT in retail is the reduction in inventory carrying costs. Retailers have to spend money on warehouses, shelves, refrigeration, security, insurance, labour, and inventory handling. Products such as fashion garments, fresh food, medicines, electronics, and seasonal merchandise may also lose value rapidly. Holding such products for a long period creates the risk of deterioration, expiry, technological obsolescence, or changing consumer preferences. JIT reduces these risks by keeping inventory closer to the quantity actually required. JIT also improves inventory turnover. Higher inventory turnover means that products move through the supply chain more rapidly, allowing the retailer to use its working capital more efficiently. For example, a supermarket selling fresh vegetables can replenish products frequently according to daily or weekly demand instead of storing large quantities. Similarly, a fashion retailer can use sales information from stores to replenish popular designs while reducing orders for slow-moving products. However, JIT requires dependable suppliers and efficient transportation. If a supplier delivers late, if transportation is disrupted, or if demand suddenly increases, the retailer may face stock-outs because it maintains relatively low inventory levels. Therefore, supplier selection, supplier relationships, delivery reliability, quality control, and communication become critical. Retailers using JIT generally need suppliers that can provide consistent quality, accurate quantities, short lead times, and flexible delivery schedules. Lean Management is a broader management philosophy that seeks to create maximum value for customers while using minimum resources and eliminating activities that do not add value. Although Lean Management originated largely in manufacturing, its principles are highly relevant to retail supply chains. Lean thinking considers the entire flow of goods, information, people, and activities from suppliers to the final customer. The objective is