• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • THINK TANK
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » How Crises and Disruptions Are Changing the Face of Retail
ANALYSIS

How Crises and Disruptions Are Changing the Face of Retail

February 1, 2021
Dale Harmelink, SCB Contributor

Prior to the arrival of COVID-19, retail stores were already having to cope with the demands of a burgeoning e-commerce market. As they brace for a second wave of the pandemic — or the next disruption of any kind — retailers are seeking new ways to utilize brick-and-mortar locations to meet changing customer demands.

Following a record number of more than 9,300 store shutdowns in 2019, 2020 brought even more destruction to retail stores, hitting a new record high of closures just halfway through the year. In addition to suffering bankruptcies, many stores were forced to temporarily close their doors as the number of coronavirus cases continued to rise.

With even more consumers enjoying the safety and convenience of online shopping, and this trend likely to continue beyond the pandemic, here are a few ways that retailers are drawing on their store infrastructure to deliver on customer demand:

  • Ship-from-store: As e-commerce orders continue to grow and exceed the ability of traditional warehouses to fill them, retailers are turning to their brick-and-mortar locations to support online sales. Because these stores are located closer to customers, utilizing in-store inventory to fill online orders also enables retailers to reduce delivery times and costs.
  • BOPIS/curbside pickup: In addition to ship-from-store, retailers are also making the most of their physical locations by offering buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) service and curbside pickup options for e-commerce orders. Like online shopping, these fulfillment methods are also expected to outlive the pandemic, with a survey by CommerceHub reporting that 59% of customers plan to use curbside pickup post-COVID-19.
  • Automation assistance: While utilizing brick-and-mortar stores to fill online orders offers many benefits for retailers, implementing the appropriate fulfillment methods can be challenging, especially in a smaller footprint with limited labor. In addition to being cost-effective, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are modular and scalable, and can be rapidly deployed and expanded, enabling retailers to quickly adapt to changing customer demands and peak spikes.

Outlook

As the rate of disruptions continues to rise, retailers will need to find innovative ways to meet their customers’ needs and ensure business longevity. In 2021, expect to see more retailers embracing new fulfillment strategies and automation solutions that can increase speed and capacity, while also reducing costs and ultimately improving the customer experience.

Dale Harmelink is Executive Vice President of Tompkins International.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Retail
Dale Harmelink, SCB Contributor

How Crises and Disruptions Are Changing the Face of Retail

More from this author

Wake up to Coronavirus Updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • Coronavirus-watch-Armada

    Virus Update: Biden Sees Fast Rollout of J&J Vaccine; Astra CEO Defends Delivery Shortfall

    Coronavirus
  • West Coast Port Congestion

    Shippers Need Alternatives to West Coast Port Congestion

    Logistics
  • Mexico

    The Near-Shoring Trend: Will China’s Loss Be Mexico’s Gain?

    Logistics
  • Robotic automation

    Autonomous Supply Chains Are on the Horizon

    Coronavirus
  • Drugmakers

    Research Lays Groundwork for More U.S.-Made Drugs

    Coronavirus

Digital Edition

Scb feb 2021 lg

2021 Supply Chain Management Resource Guide

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • Remote Implementation: A Dose of the Right Medicine for B2B Pharmacy

  • LSP Saves Customer $1.5 Million a Year With MPO Global Inbound Management

  • Auto Supplier Wows Key Client Using riskmethods Supply Chain Savvy

  • Integrating Shipping and Compliance Saves Conglomerate Millions

  • How a Consumer Goods Giant Upped Its On-Time Delivery Performance

Visit Our Sponsors

6 River Systems ArcBest Armada
aThingz BluJay Burris Logistics
DSC Logistics DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) DHL Resilience360
Genpact Geodis GEP
Honeywell Intelligrated Infor Logility
Magnitude Software MPO Old Dominion
Oliver Wight OpenSky Ports America
Purolator QAD Precision Red Classic
Riskmethods Snapfulfil TGW Systems
Transportation Insights Watson Land Company Westfalia Technologies
Workjam Yang Ming  
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2021 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing