MicroFulfillment Strategies For The Future Of Omnichannel Retail

Companies in every sector of the retail landscape are facing unprecedented pressures related to e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment. As worldwide e-commerce sales are poised to double between 2018 and 2023, more consumers are purchasing through their preferred online channels.

This not only dictates faster order fulfillment and delivery, but also the ability to support the growing consumer preference to buy online and pick up in store (aka BOPIS or “click-and-collect”) — not just the next day, but often within a few hours. For grocers and big-box retailers, the emergence of BOPIS service level agreements can present significant disruptions to both their in-store operations and profit margins. Combined with escalating labor challenges, the scarcity of real estate and the need to digitize fulfillment and supply chain logistics, e-commerce pressures have created a perfect storm of market conditions for micro-fulfillment strategies to emerge. Let’s examine these key drivers.