Order Fulfillment

Don’t Close That Store! Why Bricks Matter Just as Much as Clicks for Retailers
June 5, 2020 at 4:02 pm

With malls closing at record rates and other retailers shuttering their stores reaching the thousands, there’s been a lot of talk about a retail apocalypse. However, if you dig a little deeper you’ll see that the future of retail isn’t so grim. Consumers still value the experience of shopping in physical stores. Even pure-play digital…

Fulfillment in the New Retail Reality, Part 3
June 5, 2020 at 3:29 pm

As stores reopen their doors, it’s time to increase in-store traffic by spotlighting retail locations as highly efficient fulfillment centers with buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS); reserve online, pick up in-store (ROPIS); and buy online, return in-store (BORIS) fulfillment options. To do so effectively, retailers should consider the following strategies:

Boxed CEO Chieh Huang on Building vs. Buying Technology
June 3, 2020 at 5:39 pm

During the Women in Retail and Total Retail Virtual Exchange, held on May 28, Chieh Huang, CEO of Boxed, participated in an interview that touched on a variety of topics, from changes to brand messaging during COVID-19 to some positive ways he thinks the current climate will reshape the retail industry. In this video clip from the session,…

3 Things to Consider When Expanding Your Fulfillment Network
May 28, 2020 at 5:09 pm

Whether you're a Fortune 500 retailer or an emerging direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brand, your customers expect ease and convenience when ordering online. The problem is, meeting these expectations can put a significant strain on your business. Traditional logistics networks weren’t designed for D-to-C fulfillment because they were built to get goods onto store shelves. To meet…

Fulfillment in the New Retail Reality, Part 2
May 27, 2020 at 6:36 pm

Part one of this series can be read here. The industry was reaching the age of next-generation fulfillment even before the global health emergency. Now fulfillment innovation is driven by surges in customer demand and dramatic market shifts. Companies that are able to answer the call for convenience will find lasting success. In this new retail…

How to Make Free Shipping Profitable, Part 10
May 27, 2020 at 5:25 pm

In the last installment of this 10-part series, I focus on emerging technologies and trends that will shape fulfillment in the coming months and years. These innovations enable merchants to fulfill orders faster while reducing costs, especially in the last mile and warehouse operations. Many large e-commerce merchants have started to adopt these technologies, and…

Fulfillment in the New Retail Reality, Part 1
May 20, 2020 at 5:30 pm

Advanced, convenient fulfillment options initially accelerated by Amazon.com have now become essential offerings for retailers looking to adapt to new shopper expectations. In today’s new retail reality, free shipping, same-day delivery and multiple fulfillment options have become valuable assets for retailers and consumers alike — table stakes even. If you're not Amazon, but rather a retailer…

Amazon to Convert More Whole Foods Locations Into 'Dark Stores'
May 19, 2020 at 9:50 am

Amazon.com is converting more of its Whole Foods locations into "dark stores," which are dedicated solely to fulfilling online orders. The move is part of an effort by Amazon to keep up with increased demand for groceries during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a FOX Business report. “With stay-at-home orders in place, customers have generated unprecedented demand for grocery delivery,"…

How Oz Medical Supply Diversified its Supply Chain to Meet Rising Demand
May 17, 2020 at 4:52 pm

In episode 247 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ismail Ozokur, CEO of Oz Medical Supply, a family-owned and operated medical supply and equipment distributor to all segments of the healthcare industry. Listen in as Ozokur discusses his career background, the history of the company, and Oz Medical's primary customers and products. He shares…

E-Commerce 2.0: Moving Beyond Parcel
May 15, 2020 at 4:40 pm

The 21st century has brought about major changes and advancements for e-commerce, defining its first phase. “E-commerce 1.0” ushered in off-the-shelf solutions that automated transactions and fulfillment for a number of goods. The meteoric rise of multinational giants like FedEx, UPS, Amazon.com, and Stripe have made buying and receiving shipments a breeze for the average…