Insight Into Action

Traditional high street retailing, via bricks and mortar can be expensive as retailers need to continually refresh their stores and displays to offer consumers enhanced buying experiences to build brand loyalty. Many retailers have included Multi Channel Retailing (MCR) into their portfolio, expanding their reach to current and potential customers.

What is multi-channel retailing?

Traditional multi channels such as catalogues and telephone have been joined by the ‘virtual store’. But even internet retailing has evolved and expanded into other new channels such as, apps and social media selling, further enhancing the customer experience.

Over the past decade Bricks and Mortar retailing has experienced a considerable decline with the loss of many well-established High-Street retailers, whilst online retailing has experienced considerable growth especially during the pandemic where visiting a store was not an easy option.

According to Magento Commerce, UK shopping habits have changed with 52% shopping online more frequently. 62% of frequent online shoppers are spending more compared to 71% on average in other countries.

The expectations of today’s consumer not only include a seamless online purchase experience with secure payment methods but often free next day or same day delivery with free returns. Effectively managing these expectations is key to protecting brand loyalty and the growth for your business.

Retailers need multi-channel retail solution that is adaptable enough to meet the shift in consumer purchasing trends providing customers with flexible effective and efficient solutions.

Why change to a multi-channel approach?

Extending your selling channels makes your products more accessible to a wider audience and raises awareness of your brand within this crowded marketplace.

A Multi-Channel approach enables your brand to adapt quickly to changing market demands and manage your promotions and pricing instantly to maximise your profit margin.

Trusting a 3PL partner with your global supply chain network is vital for the efficient delivery of your product. Indeed, for any far-reaching logistics with international warehousing and distribution capability, you need the right planning and policies, systems and strategies in place. That way, large scale operations are in the best place to maintain the same standard of quality throughout – no matter what borders or oceans they cross. To be assured of your 3PL partner’s supply chain solutions, look for industry standard accreditations as a sure sign they’ll always meet – if not exceed – your expectations with consistent quality management.

Everyone makes dynamic risk assessments each day, no matter your role or experience, whether you’re at work or at home. In fact, risk is anything that has the potential to cause harm – and for businesses it’s your bottom line that can take the hit. In logistics, without robust risk management procedures your supply chain could falter then fail when the unexpected happens.

Any risk manager will tell you that the unknown can seriously damage a cost-effective supply chain. So, identifying risk is the first step in securing your supply chain for long-term results. If we take a snapshot of cold chain logistics, for example, compromising a temperature controlled supply chain could risk hundreds of thousands in just a single high-value pallet. Business continuity, then, rests on your 3PL partner’s expertise in measuring, minimizing, and managing risk to your business for cost-effective and secure supply chain solutions.

Creating an energy-efficient supply chain is only possible if you understand its overall carbon footprint. Certainly, there are huge opportunities within the industrial supply chain for reductions in CO2 emissions – particularly on the ‘Final Mile’ - to meet stringent regulations and streamline costs. A 3PL or 4PL partner who is committed to researching and developing green innovation is best placed to find long-term solutions across the entire supply chain. Recent research into smart tracking and accurate reporting undertaken by Yusen clearly indicates that it is possible to improve the sustainability of supply chain solutions of any complexity.

As the cost of medicine soars, you need a logistics company that ensures a safe supply chain for your pharmaceuticals. The highest quality and a streamlined service are a must with life-saving goods, so in your search for the best supply chain, warehousing and transportation of pharmaceuticals a Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification is your first port of call.

In an extremely competitive and regulated market, fast transport for aerospace goods is vital to keep planes in service. Aerospace vendors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), airlines, and operators need to maintain margins and achieve best value manufacturing often in time critical environments.

As the solar energy market rapidly expands, providers need to transport more materials across the world at a faster pace. It's an expensive business, with high value products – often oversized – being shipped from multiple origin points across the world to end-user sites. Solar panels, transformers, and generators all have to reach a customer in top quality and a timely fashion.

When a life is in the balance, transporting crucial medicines is a huge responsibility. Life science companies, healthcare authorities, and the patient choose to put the utmost of trust in logistics. They need to know that their medicine is protected, kept at the right temperature, and rushed to them as fast as possible with a reliable pharmaceutical transport company.