Retail Supply Chain White Papers

Shipping is a critical component of supply chain logistics for e-commerce stores. e-tailers find it increasingly important to optimize shipping as it significantly impacts the customer experience, repeat purchasing, brand loyalty and profitability.

Shipping and fulfillment impacts commerce in a significant manner, affecting profit margin and revenue, operational efficiencies, brand and customer experience. Our hypothesis is that retailers’ current shipping practices prevent them from realizing the full potential of their business. These practices add unnecessary friction to the buyer journey, and are often misaligned with today’s sophisticated, tech-savvy online shopper who seek a seamless, almost intuitive experience. To prove this, we started tracking the habits, practices, performance and sentiment of online shoppers and retailers annually with the aim to measure the gap between retailer capability and consumer expectations.

The growth in global e-commerce is top-of-mind for all retailers today. Consumers are more demanding than ever before and expect to be able to order their goods from any device and receive them at a time and place that is convenient for them. International commerce is both a cultural and complex business, requiring technologically-robust systems capable of handling everything from making packages as small as possible, to choosing the right carrier, ensuring compliance and keeping track of orders.

Shipping software tools optimize service, efficiency, control costs, and ensure orders get on the right truck faster. And that keeps consumers coming back.

Global trade continues to accelerate both in volumes and complexity, with the WTO’s most recent trade forecast revised to show improved growth in world merchandise trade volume. Just look at the numbers from Alibaba and their most recent Singles Day, where products were purchased from 192 countries. The number of tons shipped by ocean containers has multiplied many times over in recent years—almost 17 times—from 102 million tons in 1980, to 1,720 million tons in 2016!

Public perception of private label brands (PLB) used to be quite negative. In 2011, 17 percent of U.S. consumers felt PLB’s were for people on tight budgets who couldn’t afford the best - but due to the economic downturn in recent years, consumers have changed their mindset on these products.

The world of global trade is fast-paced, ever-changing, always evolving. In order to keep pace, your supply chain processes and technology need to evolve too. The processes during sourcing, transportation, and import/export are unique to every organization, consisting of multiple layers of suppliers, vendors, and service providers; each adding additional complexity and the accompanying tasks to move products across borders.

The current business environment can be characterized by constant change, shorter product lifecycles, and increased demand uncertainty. As these conditions have become the norm, companies and researchers alike have turned to the concept of agility in their quest for a sustainable source of competitive advantage. Consequently, supply chain agility has emerged as the dominant competitive vehicle for organizations operating in such an uncertain and ever-changing business environment.

A global trade management (GTM) system can streamline and automate the business processes associated with conducting global trade, including admissibility reviews, restricted party screening and landed cost calculations. This eBook examines three distinct challenges faced by today’s retailers and how a global trade management system can help them succeed.

Meet Sally. She’s a professional in her late 20s living in a thriving neighborhood about 30 minutes from a metropolis. In a few weeks, Sally is heading for some relaxation and sporting fun on a tropical vacation with her fiancé. On her day off Sally is going to shop for a few getaway outfits. She’s eager to find the right pair of sandals, glamorous swimsuits and stylish dresses to show off during those glorious tropical days. She might even pick up some new makeup or look for the right tanning lotion. In the new age of digital, Sally harnesses the power of the Internet and social media in her customer journey.