“Many retailers are repositioning their store locations as ful llment hubs,” says Jorge Lopera, vice president for LATAM and industry at FarEye, a delivery management platform. “Some entire malls have been re-purposed for distribution.” AUTOMATION FOR LAST-MILE FULFIMENT Not only do executives have to maintain an adequate network of ful llment centers, but they must also retain enough labor to accommodate the orders coming in. It’s not an easy task. In an August 2022 Berkshire Grey survey, 57% of responding executives said not having an adequate workforce hampered their company’s ability to meet e-commerce demand. Automation can optimize the labor that is available. Vecna Robotics, for example, provides autonomous forklifts that automate low-level moves within a warehouse. 3D LiDAR sensors enable the
As the labor gap grows and costs rise, robotics solutions such as Vecna can help choreograph work between robots and warehouse operators. The benefits include deeper employee engagement, higher productivity, and lower operating costs.
re-purposed brick-and-mortar outlets are located close to densely populated areas to guarantee short delivery times. They don’t accommodate foot traf c; instead, employees move through the store picking items to ful ll e-commerce orders.
of having one large hub in a central location, shippers could invest in regional distribution centers close to an important customer base. Shippers in verticals such as grocery are turning to dark stores. These
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SALES & LEASING TERMINAL TRACTORS & TRAILERS
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