Order Fulfillment

Who is Really Winning in the New Fulfillment Game?
December 17, 2019 at 9:23 am

Seeing the success of Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA), many marketplaces and e-commerce platforms are racing to build their own fulfillment networks. No doubt, it’s great to have free and fast shipping in all channels, but at what cost? Do these marketplaces have their sellers’ best interests at heart? When third-party sellers began selling online, the…

Micro-Fulfillment: The Future of E-Commerce Fulfillment
December 5, 2019 at 1:02 pm

The speed at which the retail industry is evolving to navigate e-commerce and gig economy disruption is happening far faster than we could have predicted. Gone are the days when shoppers were battling for parking at the local mall to take advantage of a department store sale, or shuffling through the aisles to hunt down…

Retailers Wielding This Secret Weapon Will Win Holiday 2019
November 20, 2019 at 11:48 am

Retailers are bracing themselves for a 2019 holiday shopping season that’s six days shorter than last year’s. What will make shoppers choose one retailer over another? How can retailers grow sales in the condensed season? And what can stretch this short shopping period into something longer and more lucrative? The answer to each of these…

Why So Many E-Commerce Providers Are Building Their Own Fulfillment Networks
November 18, 2019 at 12:41 pm

When Amazon.com first introduced its “Fulfillment by Amazon” (FBA) program in 2006, it was impossible to know whether the online retailer fully recognized the growth prospects of the market it was walking into. Ironically, Amazon’s owner, Jeff Bezos, has joked about the difficulties of packing and shipping orders from his home-office during Amazon’s early years.…

From Profitless to Profitable: The State of Online Ordering in Grocery
November 13, 2019 at 12:57 pm

In the race to keep up with the big boys like Walmart and Kroger, grocery chains are making major moves to adopt online ordering and other digital capabilities. In a study conducted this summer by Incisiv and AT&T, we uncovered that although grocers that have offered online delivery for at least 12 months report an…

What Evolving Online Consumer Expectations Mean for Retailers
November 12, 2019 at 2:47 pm

In an effort to help brands and retailers stay on top of consumer mind-sets surrounding the evolving online shopping experience, Dotcom Distribution, a premier provider of B-to-C and B-to-B fulfillment and distribution services, conducts an annual e-commerce consumer survey. The 2019 study explores where brand decisions and consumer behaviors intersect, and how that affects purchase…

3 Ways Fast Data Helps Retailers Deliver Rich Customer Experiences (Just Like Amazon!)
October 28, 2019 at 10:50 am

What if retailers could make real-time recommendations to customers based on current events happening inside and outside their online or physical storefront? Or resell returned merchandise even before it arrives back at the warehouse? In the age of “fast data,” retailers can leverage real-time data to better understand what customers want and need today, as…

Amazon Expands In-Store Package Pickup Service
October 25, 2019 at 12:34 pm

Amazon.com is expanding a program that turns physical retail stores into package pickup centers, GeekWire reported. The pickup service program, Counter, will be added to thousands of store locations at GNC, Health Mart and Stage Stores. Amazon launched the Counter program through a partnership with Rite-Aid in June. "This new network of pickup points gives…

The ‘Triple Crown’ of Harmonic Retail: BOPIS, Returns, and Customer Service
October 22, 2019 at 11:41 am

Retail is facing more stress and complexity than ever before. U.S. population growth is less than 1 percent annually, shopper journeys no longer follow predictable demographics, and customers are simultaneously demanding more human interaction and more self-service technology. Add to that the rising cost of shipping, the looming threat of tariffs, and the tight labor market. Retail…

Retailers and Shoppers Are All About BOPIS and BORIS
October 21, 2019 at 12:00 pm

Now more than ever, it’s important for retailers to deliver products to the hands of customers where and when they want them. Shoppers want choice and flexibility in how their orders are fulfilled, and they want to be able to complete their purchases or make returns quickly and efficiently. In an age when shoppers are…