INDUSTRY UNLOCKED behaviour in the future – readily prepared for another exercise or home improvements frenzy .
3 . Sustainability
In a difficult economic climate , many retailers are struggling to balance sustainability with business needs . However , while the cost of living crisis is influencing spending habits , the environment remains important to UK consumers with 65 % still prioritising sustainability when shopping . There ’ s a drive from today ’ s consumers to be more environmentally friendly . There is a number of steps that retailers can take to spur this into action . Supermarkets have led the way with initiatives like bags for life which are easy to roll out and quick to become behavioural . Businesses must find a way to provide convenient and fast shopping experiences while keeping costs low – and achieve that in a sustainable way .
Technology offers some of the obvious solutions . Investing in the latest order management software , for example allows retailers to ensure they have an accurate forecast of demand and can buy or manufacture the correct amount of stock to avoid waste . It will also enable them to ensure the delivery process is as efficient as possible . For example , it can make it easy to group products together to avoid multiple trips or to ensure that products are sent from the closest distribution centre to reduce miles in transit . Technology also enables retailers to offer multiple delivery options , such as click and collect , that can save a home delivery altogether .
Offering sustainable shopping and delivery options can make a huge difference to the reputation of a brand , while having a minimal impact on business processes . This will result in huge financial gains in the current economic climate , where brands must find a way to differentiate themselves . x
Rob Shaw , SVP Global Sales , Fluent Commerce www . intelligentcxo . com
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