BY TOBY GOOLEY, SENIOR EDITOR
RETAIL TRENDS
specialreport
IT’S PROBABLY SAFE TO SAY THAT MANY RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECutives haven’t been sleeping well of late. Ask any of them “What keeps you up
at night?” and they’re almost certain to respond with two words: omnichannel
commerce. Consumers’ demands for instantaneous, flawless online service—not
to mention the ability to order, take delivery, and return merchandise however,
wherever, and whenever they like—have created numerous challenges for retail
supply chains and those who manage them.
To find out how retailers plan to address these and other supply chain challenges, the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) conducts its State of the Retail
Supply Chain survey each year. For the latest survey (the study’s sixth edition),
researchers from Auburn University polled RILA’s members, DC VELOCITY’s
readers, and customers of the study’s sponsor, Checkpoint Systems. To round
out the picture, the research team conducted telephone interviews with some
two-dozen retail supply chain executives. The results will be formally released at
RILA’s 2016 Retail Supply Chain Conference, scheduled for Feb. 28–March 2 in
Dallas, but the preliminary findings provide some insight into how retailers are
managing supply chains that are in constant flux.
THE OMNICHANNEL IMPERATIVE
The 36 respondents to date represented some of the largest U.S. retailers, with
three-fourths reporting annual revenues of $5 billion or more. They are also well
Preliminary results of
the latest “State of the
Retail Supply Chain”
survey underscore the
many challenges
omnichannel commerce
poses for retail supply
chains and those who
manage them.
Responding to the
retail revolution
