Supply Chain

How Logistics Management Technology is Transforming Retail
June 8, 2021 at 1:07 pm

If any theme or keyword could be applied to our post-2000s world, it would be transformation. Since the early 2000s, the rapid emergence and evolution of new and existing technologies have completely disrupted and transformed our world. Cellphones are now supercomputers compared to the bricks of the 80s and 90s, ridesharing apps have transformed the…

Tips to Improve Retailers' BOPIS and Curbside Pickup Programs
June 3, 2021 at 7:26 pm

The growth of omnichannel fulfillment programs such as buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) and curbside pickup of online orders has been trending for several years now. That trend reached a tipping point in the last 12-plus months, as the COVID-19 pandemic led consumers to seek out safer, contactless shopping experiences. Equally embraced by consumers…

A Year of Transformation: What’s Next for Grocery Post-COVID
May 20, 2021 at 5:24 pm

There’s no doubt that the retail industry has transformed dramatically in the last year. As we look back, it's apparent that those retailers that invested heavily in digital were better equipped to weather the pandemic storm than those that did not. The U.S. grocery sector, a sector that historically lagged behind in digital adoption, was…

To Counter Amazon, Retailers Must Meet Scale With Agility and Play Up Unique Strengths
May 18, 2021 at 3:46 pm

After a year of buying everything from patio furniture to groceries online, consumers are more reliant on Amazon.com than ever, and more positive about the company. For retailers to fight back, they’ll need a two-pronged strategy: meet what are now industry-standard expectations for convenience and shipping efficiency, and spotlight key offerings where Amazon lags. Even…

Retail During the Pandemic: What We Can Learn From Transportation and Delivery Data
May 12, 2021 at 12:57 pm

Looking back on the last year, the retail sector underwent a massive change as consumers were confined to their homes, unable to shop in person. While e-commerce had been steadily growing over the last decade, the industry saw a significant surge in 2020, with online shopping growing 44 percent. Allured by promises of two-day and/or…

Seeing Red: The Changing Role of Promotions
May 11, 2021 at 12:43 pm

The fact that promotions can drive sales is probably as old as commerce itself. However, in a digital-first, e-commerce world, the role of promotions has broadened. In addition to the effect on sales, promotions can also influence purchase timing, which has knock-on implications for fulfillment and the customer experience. This connection was revealed by a recent study of…

Team Magnus Utilizes Amazon to Build a Global Customer Base
May 10, 2021 at 1:10 pm

In episode 297 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kristine Moody, founder and managing director of Team Magnus, the leading junior sports and outdoors brand focused on pre-teens. Listen in as Moody discusses the Team Magnus brand and its products, how and why the brand sells about 97 percent of its product on Amazon.com,…

What Will the State of Commerce Look Like Post-COVID?
May 6, 2021 at 5:02 pm

Pre-COVID, we saw the impact of online consumer demand growing and behavior adjusting, but brands often had time to analyze how they wanted to respond to it and when. Once the world shut down from COVID, that power quickly transitioned to the consumer, with brands forced to adjust almost immediately if they wanted any opportunity…

With E-Commerce Growth Slowing, Retailers Need AI to Make it Profitable and Permanent
May 4, 2021 at 2:40 pm

During the pandemic-induced online shopping boom, retailers invested in e-commerce capabilities out of necessity. As consumers shifted to retailers with online ordering, merchants were scrambling to provide new digital order and delivery options. These investments helped capture more market share, but now that stores are reopening and there's little market share remaining to capture, retailers…

6 Keys to Building a Great BOPIS Program
April 28, 2021 at 3:11 pm

Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) might just be the best long-term strategy for brick-and-mortar retailers. Allowing customers to purchase items online and pick them up curbside or in-store accommodates prevailing consumer demands: safety, efficiency, and convenience. BOPIS will soon be a standard feature of most, if not all, brick-and-mortar operations. Virtually every major retailer…