Asia and the Emirates are one step ahead in the global health crisis, and for retailers, showing how to initially manage the aftermath. Whilst Europe and the U.S.A. are protecting themselves with restrictive health measures while trying to hold on to loans, others are inventing the retail of tomorrow. We examine how the battle lines are shifting.
Omnichannel is no longer optional. For those who have delayed implementation, the market players show this is THE short-term priority. An example is the fashion sector. Front line retailers receive a million pieces from Asia and deliver more than 90% to stores for sale, with only a small number of products held for the e-commerce warehouse. By redirecting products already in a store to be sold via e-commerce, retailers satisfy customer demand even if the item is not in a warehouse. Historically, this was “out of stock”, whereas now margins improve.