What will the world of ecommerce operations and fulfillment look like after World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 pandemic ends? The answer, like predictions of that date, is uncertain. But industry experts firmly believe that the seismic shifts that began in February 2020 will create a new normal in ecommerce operations.
The world is a different place than it was just a month ago. As companies try to maintain their business and stay afloat, many are wondering about the long-term impact of coronavirus on the retail and ecommerce industry. Here are some ways the dynamics of retail and services may be impacted in near term and in the years to come.
The effects of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 are being felt globally. Given the widespread impact, most subscription-based businesses are sure to feel the repercussions long term. Given the many challenges it presents, planning now to ensure that your business can adapt as this new reality unfolds is your best move.
While ecommerce is growing at double-digit levels, much of the focus has been on digitally transforming the purchasing experience, but the customer support experience is often overlooked. Here are ways both enterprise retailers and SMBs can transform their digital approach to customer support, boosting loyalty and sales.
While much is unknown about the long-term impact of coronavirus, retail supply chains will certainly look different once the crisis is past, industry observers agree. Multichannel Merchant spoke with experts from enVista, Le Tote and Johnson Stevens to get their views on the current situation and where things are headed.
The impacts of the coronavirus spread are being felt everywhere across retail and ecommerce, with first stores and now ecommerce operations shut down to comply with government orders, and warehouse workers and drivers testing positive, forcing facilities to close so they can be scrubbed and restarted.
Just two months after announcing it was exploring strategic alternatives, including selling off one or more of its business units but keeping its LTL services intact, the company pulled this option off the table due to the effects of the coronavirus on markets. XPO had been looking at divestiture after a two-year, $8 billion acquisition spree.
While most of retail is in the doldrums due to coronavirus, grocers are seeing explosive growth, and e-grocery has been accelerating rapidly due to shutdowns. Scott DeGraeve, COO and co-founder of Locai Solutions, and Doug Baker, VP, industry relations at FMI, discuss what they’re seeing across the sector, and how it will change.
These are truly unprecedented times. Strikes at ports and fuel prices sometimes disrupt supply chains, but the coronavirus pandemic is causing disruption to offshore manufacturing and shipping patterns that hasn’t been seen since World War II. Here are some observations on the impact based on feedback from multichannel sellers.
Grocers may be ringing up major sales from the crush of store and online panic buying due to the growing coronavirus threat, but the market will be painful after the situation abates as demand falls and supplies are overstocked, a Barclays analyst said in a research note.