Order Fulfillment

COVID-19 has turned the world of retail upside down. Hundreds of millions of Americans have been ordered to stay home during the pandemic, resulting in thousands of shuttered brick-and-mortar businesses and a surge in online shopping. In the face of all this uncertainty, retailers are trying to understand how COVID-19 will impact everything from maintaining…

Less than two weeks ago, Amazon.com's Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) community was shaken by the online retailer's decision to restrict the kinds of inventory it’s receiving until April 5, 2020. Shipments of inventory turned away, and many FBA sellers left to fend for themselves during the COVID-19 crisis. Many sellers that still have FBA inventory…

Retailers are most likely currently spending on technology that helps them track inventory and fulfill orders across multiple channels, especially as consumers engage with brands across a variety of touchpoints, and often in a single purchase journey. This was a key finding from Total Retail’s 2020 Retail Technology Report, which was produced in conjunction with Orckestra…

There are hidden costs in order fulfillment that can be minimized or eliminated by streamlining your supply chain. Options such as buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) and ship-from-store are increasingly popular among merchants as lower-cost fulfillment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any cost reduction within the supply chain can ease the burden of offering…

For many years, customer experience experts have stressed the importance of balancing the convenience of self-service and digital channels, with the loyalty-building power of human interaction. Stein Mart, a national specialty omnichannel off-price retailer offering designer and name-brand fashion apparel, home décor, accessories and shoes at everyday discount prices, aimed to harness the best of…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Kristina Stidham and Ashley Chiaradio discuss Amazon.com's announcement that certain nonessential items will be de-prioritized and could take one month or longer to be delivered to customers. Amazon Prime members, who are used to getting their orders in two days or less, are facing a new reality as…

Retail organizations began taking necessary steps in the last couple of weeks to protect their employees and customers from the growing spread of the coronavirus by closing their brick-and-mortar stores. Now certain retailers are taking the further step of closing their e-commerce sites as states' stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders are preventing them from fulfilling online orders. For example,…

Consumers today have more choices than ever before when it comes to the items that curate their life, which can often rely on the latest trends or fashion statements. When it comes to keeping up with timely demands, retailers often struggle to keep their shelves stocked with the latest trending item at any given time.…

Amazon.com on Monday warned customers that both its Prime Now and Amazon Fresh services have been overwhelmed by demand sparked by coronavirus fears and would have limited availability, according to Bloomberg. This means shoppers’ orders are being delivered more slowly than usual due to an influx of virus-spooked shoppers who are turning to the world’s largest online retailer…

Online shoppers weren’t really asking for free two-day delivery until Amazon.com made it available as part of its Prime membership in February 2005. That moment changed the e-commerce world forever. Amazon is at it again, now getting its customers addicted to free one-day delivery. Living up to this free and fast shipping expectation through your…