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No the store doesn't need a supply chain. The distributor who deliver new, filled bottles can take the empty ones back. Which is quite efficient.

That's how it works in Quebec for instance.

The distributor will only take the empty ones that resemble the type he delivers => this is a supply chain.

That’s why you can’t just return any type of reusable bottles at a store, but just the ones it is also selling.

You can do what Ontario used to do for beer and make everyone use the same bottle. Can't see that happening with branding being so important.

Sweden did the same thing for soda. National standard glass bottles that could be recycled anywhere (https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Returglasflaska). Although now a decline in sales of single-portion drinks (people preferred buying 1.5 liter PET bottles to cases of 33cl soda bottles) has lead to the near-death of glass bottles outside of alcohol. https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/priset-dubblades-nar-lask...