Continuing a growing trend toward making ecommerce returns more convenient and safer for shoppers in the contactless pandemic era, Staples has struck a partnership with Optoro in which the office supply giant will accept unboxed returns from other retailers that will be processed by Optoro. More retailers will come online in January.
A former Macy’s executive and a Wall Street veteran have teamed up to start a retail acquisition and advisory group that’s looking to build up a stable of purpose-driven brands it can help scale and grow globally. The group launched with the acquisition of distressed Canadian apparel brand Frank and Oak, which closed on Oct. 8.
In a familiar theme for omnichannel retailers who have gotten ahead of the curve in digital transformation, Macy’s reported store sales down 61% in the second quarter, while ecommerce increased 53%. Still brick-and-mortar news was not all bad, as stores reopened stronger than expected and luxury goods outpaced projections.
How do retail marketers keep online momentum going as physical stores continue to reopen? They are leaning into digital to maintain customer engagement and drive growth by enhancing proven strategies like SMS and email. This omnichannel approach uses targeted messages, tailoring relevant content to timely consumer trends.
Those who have embraced omnichannel retailing by allowing customers to do everything from browsing to payment on their personal device have found it much easier to adapt with tactics like BOPIS to ensure the safety and health of employees and shoppers. The current crisis will serve as a catalyst for long-term process changes.
Target found the COVID-19 outbreak to be a two-edged sword in the first quarter, driving stratospheric ecommerce sales growth of 141%, while impacting profits due to about $500 million in associated costs, the company reported. It also saw over 5 million customers shop on Target.com for the first time in Q1.
One impact of the continuing COVID-19 crisis is omnichannel fulfillment operations need to do more with less to comply with safety protocols and restrictions. This special report explores different factors behind system decisions in light of the pandemic, with a particular focus on workforce limitations and unpredictable demand.
Retailers that have invested in inventory management tools that supply real-time visibility across channels are faring much better than those that didn’t as tactics like ship from store and curbside or counter pickup are proving to be survival factors, industry experts agreed.
A decision by the leadership team at jewelry retailer Kendra Scott to invest in an order management system ahead of last year’s peak season was a critical element enabling the company to quickly turn its fleet of stores into fulfillment centers and initiate curbside pickup, after shutting them down to the public due to COVID-19.
After spending years trying to shed its “coat factory” branding – think Boston Market on the fast casual side – Burlington Stores is shedding something else: ecommerce. The CEO said ecommerce represents just 0.5% of total sales and doesn’t leverage the company’s “treasure hunt” draw for shoppers, giving stores a huge advantage.