Personal details

Prof. Dr Waldemar Toporowski studied business mathematics at the University of Trier. From 1989 to 1991, he was a research associate at the Chair of Sales Market Consumption at the University of Trier. Together with Prof. Dr. Lothar Müller-Hagedorn, he moved to the University of Cologne in 1991, where he was a research assistant at the Department of General Business Theory, Retailing and Distribution until 1995. In 1995 he was awarded his doctorate by the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences (topic: Optimal warehouse structure and ordering policy of a filialised trading company - a model-theoretical analysis). From 1995 to 2001 he was a research assistant at the Department of General Business Administration, Retailing and Distribution. In 2002, Dr. Toporowski habilitated (Topic: The Involvement of Intermediaries in Distribution in the Light of Economic Theories) and received the Venia Legendi for Business Administration at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne. From 2002 to 2003, he was a lecturer in International Management at the University of Bayreuth. In June 2003, he was appointed to the Chair of General Business Administration, in particular Retailing, at the University of Göttingen. After a substitute professorship in the winter semester 2003/04, he has held the chair since February 2004.

His research focuses on trade and distribution. On the one hand, there is an interest in acquisitive distribution and the question of whether it is advantageous to involve institutional trading in distribution. On the other hand, research contributions focus on the optimisation of physical distribution across all levels of the retail chain. In particular, the influence of new information technologies on the exploitation of rationalisation potential in the supply chain is addressed. Methods and tools from statistics and operations research are used.

His interest in retail and distribution issues is also reflected in a number of projects in which he has worked with retailers and management consultants to develop practical solutions.