The American supermarket chain Walmart has recognized for the first time that half of its online orders come from physical stores. This shows, says business school professor Pablo Foncillas, that retail companies are learning to operate “omnichannel.”
Another of the e-commerce giants, Amazon, is also committed to bringing its “strategically located” logistics warehouses closer to citizens. While the two companies use different strategies to reach their customers, “they recognize the importance of both physical and digital presence,” he adds.
However, remember, “it must be taken into account that each product has specific logistical needs.” For example, with fresh products, certainty in delivery is needed so that the cold chain is not broken. Walmart, the largest grocery sales operator in the US, knows this well, since a large part of its e-commerce volume comes from this category, which is why distribution from the physical store becomes relevant, although this also limits “the product selection”.
