The need for speed in ecommerce distribution, driven largely by Amazon Prime’s two-day promise, is behind increased investments in distribution center technology as well as a trend toward more smaller, forward-based facilities closer to the customer, according to a new report. Find out what other topline results came from the survey of 1,400 IT and warehouse professionals around the globe.
Figuring out how to make omnichannel operations successful and profitable, dealing with Amazon’s continual disruptions, creating a consistently excellent customer experience across operational areas and growing cross-border commerce were among the hot topics at the fifth annual Operations Summit. The event was held in Cincinnati, OH, an ecommerce operations hotbed, and drew more than 800 direct-to-customer and omnichannel operations professionals and providers.
Everything you could possibly want to know about operations fundamentals, global ecommerce, shipping and distribution strategies, omnichannel and contact center/customer care – and then some – is being covered at 50+ information-packed workshops, keynotes and breakout sessions during Operations Summit and Growing Global 2016, April 12-14 in Cincinnati.
The consumer appetite for next-day and same-day order fulfillment can stretch DCs to their limits. Find out how order streaming lets DCs adapt their processes, maximizing legacy equipment and letting them become more responsive to direct-to-customer order fulfillment demands.
Visits to leading subscription box sites like Birchbox, Blue Apron and Loot are up nearly 3,000% during the last three years, according to Hitwise data. This has not gone unnoticed by traditional brands and some are now adding subscription services to their traditional product lines. Here are some of the advantages to going the subscription route.
Locus Robotics, a company spun out of third-party logistics provider Quiet Logistics, has begun production and implementation of a DC-based order fulfillment robot which it sees as a next logical step beyond Kiva. The company’s executives claim its robots can be deployed a few at a time without major facility retrofitting, and will eventually be used in stores as well as DCs.
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.
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.
Nordstrom told analysts its ecommerce sales and omnichannel operations are performing well, but acknowledged the gains are coming at a significant cost. See where the costs are hitting, and some of the steps the company is taking to address them and recover losses in profitability.