Since the advent of e-commerce retailers have continued to adapt their supply chain strategies to meet the demands of selling in a wide range of environments. Product returns from impulse buys done directly on social media may be higher than from purchases done in-store adding layers of complexity as new channels are monitored and prioritised to maintain hard won margins.
Online marketplaces and multi-channel services such as ‘click and collect’ continue to grow as shown in a recent report by Advanced Supply Chain Group which found that 65% of retailers are selling through more channels than they did five years ago with 71% expecting to sell through even more over the next five years.
