Due to the need for achieving long-lasting sustainable development goals, supply networks are constantly trying to joint the stream that brings them more desirability. Aiming at decreasing the deficiencies arising from the classical structures of supply networks, this paper provides a sustainability-targeted competitive model focusing on partnership supply, multi-agent distribution and virtual alliance. Substituting the ownership of resources with that of relationships in line with the sustainable development goals (numbers 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 17), the adopted scheme leads to taking advantage of sustainable partnerships. Within the taken structure, two multi-level supply networks – including parent firms/brands, manufacturers, governmental logistics company and franchised chain-stores – are going to enter the market. In addition to the macro competition between these supply networks towards the qualification of sustainable development dimensions, the franchised stores also proceed against and in favor of each other. This two-sided role of the chain-stores leads to the development of virtual alliances and implies the need for the realization of both competition and cooperation alongside each other. As another contributing aspect, the allocation of logistic facilities is conducted based on the degree of orientation towards the realization of sustainable development dimensions in a multi-agent environment. The problem is formulated as a multi-stage mixed-integer programming model. Further, using the concepts of game theory at different stages, two new heuristic algorithms are developed for Nash and Stackelberg games. Finally, a comparison of the approach taken in this paper with a classic scenario reveals the superiority of the proposed scheme.
