American Apparel has begun offering one-hour delivery through a partnership with Postmates, leveraging RFID technology to provide real-time inventory availability via the Postmates Order app. The program is in place at 79 stores in 31 U.S. markets, making 50 “on-demand basics” items like hoodies, t-shirts and socks available to consumers who desire the items right now.
The thought process behind a retail freight management strategy has a direct impact on a brand’s customer experience. While customers may not see this firsthand, the intricacies involved in designing a box and its shipping procedures are many. For brands looking to improve their freight management practices and excite customers, here are two crucial questions to start with, and what you need to consider.
A new CBRE report has found that rapid growth in ecommerce returns is creating future demand for new or expanded facilities to handle reverse logistics. Find out how this trend is expected to play out and what the implications are for operations and fulfillment.
The Amazon effect is still having a major impact on DTC and ecommerce operations and fulfillment, judging by the results of the MCM Outlook Survey 2016. This impact is seen in the increasing frequency of same-day and next-day delivery offerings – and providers – as well as the growth in omnichannel operations, now seen as table stakes by many retailers. Find out more about the survey results and how they reflect industry trends.
Third-party logistics companies or 3PL providers can help ecommerce and direct-to-customer merchants expand internal fulfillment operations without large outlays. In the past five years some large companies have entered the market with extremely competitive services and costs.To help in the decision process, here are 10 ways that 3PLs have helped companies do just that.
For a growing number of merchant companies, automated systems have become a way to address the issues of increasing throughput and order accuracy while decreasing returns. In addition to accuracy, often the biggest driver of automation decisions, the ability to achieve higher throughput per headcount, increasing efficiency while keeping down labor costs, is also paramount.
As you grow your digital offerings, you must accurately gauge when and how to expand ecommerce operations while keeping what works in view. While moving toward your 2016 goals, consider investing in the right tools and partners in order to foster growth, but never forget your brand’s beginnings.
J.C. Penney posted strong Q4 and 2015 numbers, citing omnichannel tactics as a big part of its continuing turnaround, in a period when competitors stumbled. The return of popular private-label brands and the recent addition of appliances by customer demand are evidence that the company has been responsive to what shoppers want. Learn more about the retailer’s recent performance.
Target hit on a winning combination of free shipping and omnichannel operations to grow its digital sales a healthy 34% in Q4, while same-store sales grew just 1.9%. In addition, 30% of its digital sales were either from buy online, pickup in store or ship-from-store transactions. See how Target got it done in 2015, especially during the critical holiday season.
This year, retailers are putting a stake in the ground by creating continuous shopping experiences, whether the checkout lane is a couch or store aisle. Here are four trends retailers should look out for in 2016.