Operations & Fulfillment

Analyze the structure of any retail organization and you’ll find multiple groups that influence the same outcome yet rarely operate as one system. Merchandising manages the margin at the point of purchase. Operations manages labor and daily execution. Facilities manages the environment that keeps products available and stores functioning. And supply chain is responsible for…

Retail supply chains have become inheritors of upstream volatility. When manufacturers rank trade uncertainty as a top concern and project rising input costs, retailers absorb the impact through pricing instability, supply variability, and compressed margins. These pressures require response cycles measured in hours, not days. Yet many retailers remain constrained by fragmented systems and disconnected…

Retail leaders spent the last decade chasing Amazon.com's delivery speed. Billions went into same-day windows, next-day guarantees, and two-hour fulfillment. Here's what that investment bought: a trust problem. Only 9 percent of shoppers believe retailers consistently meet their fast delivery promises. Another 69 percent say those promises get kept "sometimes," according to a recent Locus…

Gen Z is bringing the mall back, and it’s better than before. Driven by experiential retail and mixed-use spaces, 64 percent of Gen Zers prefer to shop in-store when discovering new products and socializing. Deloitte’s 2024 holiday retail survey found that younger shoppers continue to favor physical stores for product discovery and experiential engagement, with…

In episode 503 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Marianna Sachse, founder and CEO of Jackalo, the first circular childrenswear brand focused on creating durable, eco-friendly apparel. Sachse describes her inspiration for founding the brand — a difficulty finding comfortable, sustainable, long-lasting pants and hand-me-downs for kids four and older (2:00). She details…

Peak season may be behind us, but for many warehouses and third-party logistics (3PLs) providers, the real test begins after the holidays. The returns wave has a way of exposing operational friction that steady volumes can mask: crowded receiving areas, delayed restocking, inconsistent inspection steps, and limited visibility into what’s actually moving through the building.…

Shoppers are shifting their tactics. Burdened by rising prices, depressed spending power, and slumping consumer sentiment, they are, as KPMG explained, “more cautious, more cost-conscious, and more selective than they’ve been in years.” Recent consumer research shows that shoppers still expect instant value, immediate product availability, and a highly relevant experience both online and in-store.…

With another holiday shopping season behind us, the retail community has a brief moment to pause and reflect on what lies ahead. In this spirit, now is the time for predictions. Granted, no one has a crystal ball and geopolitical events can upend even the steadiest of markets, however, there is value in taking stock…

Buy online, pick up in-store. Five words that sound simple … until a wrong item turns an excited customer into a lost one. BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store), BOSS (buy online, ship to store), and BORIS (buy online, return in-store) have evolved from convenience features into measurable revenue channels. The math is compelling: a…

Walmart has agreed to pay $100 million to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claims that the retailer misled delivery drivers about the pay and tips they could earn. The FTC alleged Walmart caused drivers with its delivery service, Spark, to lose tens of millions of dollars worth of earnings by showing them inflated figures for what…