The Truck Stops Here
While store closures grab headlines and pundits ruminate on the “death of the department store” and the pending “retail apocalypse” — all due to the explosive growth of e-commerce — another transformation has been underway: the reconfiguration of ground transportation, fulfillment and retail logistics. Long before trade wars with China and the coronavirus crisis impacted the sourcing end of the supply chain, retail logistics has been mired in inefficiencies, untested technologies and hasty investments as well as cut-throat competitors vying to win market share as online sales soar. And while the trucking industry and fulfillment centers try to keep pace with the growing volume of e-commerce, it is the so-called “last mile” of delivery that is presenting the most hiccups and pain points for brands, retailers and carriers alike. What makes the last mile so critical is that it serves as the lynchpin holding together shopper satisfaction, brand reputation and repeat conversions. In today’s market, a single typographical error can not only divert a package from the correct address but sour a retailer or brand’s reputation — and erode customer loyalty. And while online sales only account for about 13 percent of total sales, poor experiences online can translate to shoppers shunningFollow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
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