Ed. Note: This article was previously posted at Retail TouchPoints.
Supply chain snags and delivery delays are the leading cause for wavering customer loyalty.
Global conflicts, economic uncertainty and volatile demand patterns have thrown supply chains (and the retailers that rely on them) for a loop. In addition, always-on, cross-device shopping behaviors mean consumers are taking their shopping across borders and, in turn, they’re asking more of already strained supply chains. Experts agree that the supply chain has more impact on the customer experience than ever before. So much impact, in fact, that supply chain snags and delivery delays are the leading cause for wavering customer loyalty.
To effectively respond to these challenges, retailers must bolster their processes and technology stacks to ensure shoppers have access to the products they want, when they want them. While some companies are actively investing in internal, verticalized operations, others are shifting to third-party manufacturing and nearshoring to effectively (and profitably) respond to demand. And overall, retailers are focused on creating visibility and alignment to ensure they have proactive and helpful communication measures in place to support consumers when delays and out-of-stocks hit.
Retail TouchPoints’ news editor, Bryan Wassel, recently spoke with supply chain experts for a recent special report that dug into the issues influencing retailer investments and how specific technologies will support their vision for agile supply chains. Click here to read the complete article and learn more about that report.
