Digitally connected consumers have turned retail models upside down as omnichannel shopping has transformed supply chain from an important business concern to a mission critical one. So profound is this change that 50 percent of CEOs recognize that their supply chain can be a strategic differentiator. However, 83 percent of worldwide CEOs believe that their retail supply chains are "not optimal" for today's changing retail environment.
Among a slew of Latin American countries ready for retail expansion, Chile ranked first place in the 2014 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index (GRDI).
Piyush Sampat, principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP, charts the maturity of retailers' efforts to adapt to the omnichannel. Integration of online and store fulfillment remains a challenge, he says.
Online shoppers want retailers to make it easier to purchase their goods and services. Consumers also want websites and stores to work better together. For now, they also prefer to evaluate and purchase products from their desktops rather than their mobile devices, and when it comes to shipping and returns "free" is a driving factor to complete the sale. These and other findings appear in the third annual UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study, conducted earlier this year by comScore.
As consumers continue to demand more from retailers, the grocery industry should adapt and provide targeted shopping experiences tailored to specific consumer needs and changing demographics, according to PwC’s report titled, Front of the Line: how grocers can get ahead for the future. Based on a survey of more than 1,000 shoppers, the report shares insights on changing consumer segments, what they'll want for the future and what can be done today to keep them happy tomorrow.
Omnichannel retailing, which provides customers with a consistent research, shopping, purchasing and fulfillment experience regardless of channel, lies at the heart of many retailer transformation efforts. Additionally, mobile shopping, same-day delivery, and growing volumes of data from online channels are forcing retailers to a tipping point to remain competitive and better respond to evolving customer needs and preferences.
Companies achieved impressive financial success attributable to their e-commerce implementations, according to a Forrester Consulting study commissioned by EPiServer, a software provider for digital marketing solutions.
Stage Stores, which operates 880 small-town department stores under such names as Beall's and Peebles, has learned the value of having products delivered floor ready. Tim Duvic, vice president of distribution, explains how the company educates its suppliers on packaging and preparing orders for fast processing on receipt.
