Shopping habits have evolved. Consumers no longer shop in just one channel at a time. They shop across channels. In fact, the Harvard Business Review found that nearly 73% of consumers prefer shopping through multiple channels, with only 7% shopping exclusively online and another 20% choosing to shop only in-store.

As a result, retailers have to be able to adapt to be everywhere the consumer is. They must also have the right product at the right time and location to reach the buyer. To do that, retailers have to evolve their logistics solutions. It’s imperative that retailers offer fast delivery, easy returns, robust in-stock inventory, and more. 

They also must do so across all retail channels – in-store, online, in mobile apps, from a catalog, etc. – and delivery channels, such as direct shipping, pick up in store, curbside delivery, locker/parcel pickup, etc.

To meet and exceed these consumer expectations, retailers need to think outside the omnichannel box and start evolving their operations to match how consumers shop.