GOODQUESTION Readers Weigh In
How can retailers compete with the logistics dominance of the e-commerce behemoths?
ADOPTING AUTOMATED SYSTEMS IS KEY for smaller retailers to keep pace with e-commerce giants. To meet the high demand for online orders and address the cost of increasing speed to the consumer, companies are looking at automated system features and models to streamline fulfillment including micro-fulfillment, hub stores, and BOPIS. —Alex Hempel Senior Director RSC VST, ORBIS Corporation THOUGHTFULLY EXECUTE ALL COMMUNICATIONS AND CUSTOMER TOUCH POINTS to leave an impression and promote acquisition and retention. Every point of contact with a potential client—fromweb store design, to ease of checkout, and all the way to receiving a beautiful
You compete by exposing the chink in their armor . They have serious quality and trust issues with counterfeits in their marketplace. Promote transparency and quality in your supply chain all the way back to the direct manufacturer and you will allay customer fears while giving yourself a leg up on them. —Dusty Dean Founder and CEO BITCADET
DON’T VIEW THIS AS A COMPETITION with e-commerce behemoths, but as another sales channel in your omnichannel strategy. Treat it as such and develop your strategy to provide differentiation on customer service and trust to be able to drive direct sales, while still leveraging other channels to build brand awareness. —Scott Hebert CEO, SYSPRO USA AN E-COMMERCE PLATFORM IS REQUIRED . Many logistics positions have transitioned remotely and therefore increased the demand for digital solutions. You may not be able to compete with the behemoths in all verticals, but differentiation in niche markets will always be desired. Establish a good reputation and maintain a good brand. From this point, a customer base grows.
BEAT THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME. E-commerce giants are still typically moving slowly. Beating them is about moving quickly and precisely and focusing on execution. —Daniel Sokolovsky Co-Founder and CEO, Warp
Corner Your Own Market If a company set out to corner the beverage market with a refreshing carbonated cola-flavored drink targeting a neatly defined carefree audience, they’d fail. No one out Coca-Colas Coca-Cola. In the same way, nobody is going to outperform the logistics capacity of an e-commerce giant when the product is not particularly fragile, relatively small, and fits in a box. The thing is, very few people only drink coke. —Techa Pacitto COO, IL2000 LLC The key is to have a product that has a clear value proposition and cannot be found on any other website. Consumers will find what they need even if your inventory is not found on an e-commerce behemoth. —Donny Salazar Founder and CEO, MasonHub
—AdamWhelpley Transportation Logistics Manager Mickey
8 Inbound Logistics • April 2022
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