In the modern retail world, a store isn’t just a store. Many retailers are starting to use some of their stores as mini distribution centers, as consumers demand faster fulfillment for online orders. Shipping online orders from brick-and-mortar locations not only increases customer options and speed, it can also offer big cost reductions for retailers.
"Retailers are looking for ways to meet those expectations created by the Amazons of the world," Jeffrey Neville, Senior Vice President and eCommerce and Digital Marketing Lead at Boston Retail Partners, told Supply Chain Dive.
But as retailers move to ship more items from their stores, they’ll have to strike a careful balance in their use of space, inventory and staff. Using stores as fulfillment centers can come with many challenges, and even the largest retailers are still refining their processes.
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