E-Commerce and Fulfillment

Current Situation

The world of e-commerce and omnichannel is continuing to advance at a dizzying speed where the interaction between consumers and retailers must evolve to meet continuously complex demands. With recent physical distancing regulations becoming the new reality, e-commerce has exploded. E-commerce, supply chains, order management and fulfillment systems are all being tested right now with their unprecedented increase in demand. Online grocery, entertainment and apparel shopping with replace in-store visits for the foreseeable future until consumers feel safe to be in large shopping malls, and potentially even after that. One thing is certain – whether consumer behaviour returns to where it was pre-pandemic, or is altered forever, will define the future of e-commerce. 

Some retailers have had to develop a robust online business model including curbside BOPIS and e-commerce overnight, and others have had to transform brick-and-mortar locations into fulfillment centres. The companies that have been able to pivot and make these changes are thriving, while retailers who relied primarily on their physical storefront may be struggling to stay afloat in the current climate. Succeeding in the current business climate requires retailers to have a properly developed and managed e-commerce and omnichannel platform.

Intro to E-commerce

E-commerce and omnichannel are fairly new and prevalent segments within supply chain management. This approach to reaching consumers and grow markets has escalated significantly in recent years, especially now, with the pandemic creating physical distancing restrictions, and companies are struggling to keep up. Our team brings extensive knowledge in this field and utilizes the latest strategies and technologies to bring your business up-to-speed and increase customer reach through online, mobile, telephone, and traditional methods.

We will conduct cross-functional assessments of your e-commerce and omnichannel operations and create a custom plan that ensures a profitable outcome that meets customer service expectations.

Trends in E-commerce, Omnichannel and Fulfillment

Omnichannel

The distinction between online and brick-and-mortar selling is finally dead. There is only one channel now – whichever the customer prefers. Customers today are making it clear they want to be the focus. They expect to buy anywhere, get delivery anywhere, and — if they don’t like it — they want to return it anywhere. 

Consumers are no longer shopping entirely online or offline. Instead, they’re taking a blended approach, using whatever channel best suits their needs. The most successful retailers and manufacturers will be at the intersection of the physical and virtual worlds. Omnichannel retail strategy provides customers with an integrated shopping experience from brick-and-mortar to online shopping and anything in between.

This trend can alter the way retailers manage inventory, supply chain and vendors, and can impact their market and business strategy. Some common omnichannel services include:

Fulfillment

Our retail and IT experts offer advice and custom solutions to optimize the steps in your order fulfillment processes. This creates efficiencies between your warehouse receiving an order, to the goods being prepared for shipping and placing the order in the customer’s hands. You need a way to promptly fulfill and ship your orders to your customers while keeping them updated with the status of their orders. Optimizing this process ensures your customers are satisfied every time.

Common Fulfillment services: