A study conducted by researchers at Auburn University, partners at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the software firm Checkpoint Systems, and Supply Chain Quarterly's sister publication, DC Velocity present the following four major opportunities for retail supply chains:
The study identified that leading retailers are either moving demand-planning activities completely into the supply chain area, or they are embedding supply chain staff in the merchant group to improve forecasting and allocation.
The study finds that the current practice is to leverage multiple fulfillment strategies to meet speed and cost goals. On average, they deploy three methods. The following figure reveals that store pickup, deliver from store, and integrated fulfillment are the most widely used options.
Source: Ishfaq, R., Gibson, B. J., Defee, C. C. 2016. How retailers are getting ready for an omnichannel world. CSCMP Supply Chain Quarterly, Quarter 2, 2016.