A recent trend in ecommerce network design supports a strategy of “getting product closer to the customer,” a more efficient model that delivers on service-level promises. Then came COVID-19, upending everything and accelerating the pace of change in inventory and supply chain strategy, in turn affecting network design. Retailers and analysts discuss the current state and where it’s headed.
Drone provider Zipline is adding three new clients including health and wellness retailer GNC, pharmaceutical logistics firm Associated Couriers and Seattle-based eatery Pagliacci Pizza, expanding its footprint and building on its success delivering vaccines in Africa and working with retail giant Walmart. GNC will start out with deliveries in Salt Lake City, where it has been testing the Zipline service.
Digging out a few more shovelfuls to deepen the Prime moat, Amazon is now offering same-day delivery for subscribers in 10 metro areas, who can shop retailers including PacSun, GNC, SuperDry and Diesel and either have the order delivered or picked up in store.
How are you addressing speed to customer in a challenging environment? Multichannel Merchant brought together executives in transportation and logistics from top companies — GNC, Best Buy, Vermont Teddy Bear, Crutchfield, DSW and Saddle Creek Logistics Services — for a virtual Think Tank forum on the subject.
Cart.com, a startup founded during the pandemic aiming to be a one-stop shop for brands scaling up their ecommerce business, has raised $98 million in a Series B round to fuel further expansion, platform buildout and yet more acquisitions.
Fabric, a provider of cloud-based headless commerce architecture, has raised $43 million in a Series A round led by Norwest Venture Partners, with additional participation from Redpoint Ventures and Sierra Ventures, coming months after its $9.5 million seed round. Funds will be used to expand its engineering, product and sales teams.
Coresight Research reported a total of 9,275 U.S. store closures by major retailers in 2019, 35% higher than the 6,897 closures recorded in 2018 as the bleeding continues. Closings outpaced store openings more than 2 to 1, Coresight found, with 4,454 new doors in 2019, compared to 4,311 in 2018.
One thing is clear: we’re living in a subscription service economy that is only going to expand. Brands from Nike and Bloomingdales to Coca-Cola, Mercato and GNC have taken the plunge, and organizations across all industries are seeing subscription offerings as a growth engine. Here are 4 predictions for subscription services in 2020.
GNC is using its Auto-Deliver subscription service to reach customers through various channels. Here is how the subscription service is helping GNC create brand affinity.
GNC announced plans to close 900 stores or about half of its total portfolio, with a focus on underperforming mall locations, part of the overall trend of thousands of store closures as fewer people hit the doors with ecommerce growing.