How will COVID-19 Impact the Future of Brick-and-Mortar Retailers

Post COVID-19, stores may become strategic fulfillment nodes to serve customers

COVID-19 has brought two major shifts in customer behavior: the reluctance to shop in a crowded store and increased propensity towards digital. As a result, retailers are facing challenges in handling the surge in online demand, dealing with inventory shortages and inventory trapped in locations where it is not being sold, and fulfilling customer orders due to workforce imbalance. In these trying times, retailers can use physical stores as fulfillment centers to turn inventory over quickly and cut losses.

This paper provides an overview of how stores will be a vital component of omnichannel fulfillment in a post-COVID world. It also discusses how advances in technology are helping retailers to make optimized decisions across their supply chain and store estate.