Outsourcing In a Multichannel Environment

Traditional retailers are exploring optimal ways to modernize and expand their direct channels, investing in new, or enhancing existing, online or self-service capabilities. Increasingly, retailers are challenged by changing regulations, such as country-of-origin inspections, enhanced payment card industry (PCI) scrutiny, postal changes, payment options, new e-commerce options and mobile commerce. These changes add complexity and increase the costs required to meet demands and manage supply chains. The majority of retailers are working to cost-effectively create cross-channel, integrated order-entry, customer-service and fulfillment capabilities that improve customer insight and service.

The distinction between pure mail-order retailers and the newer variants of online retailers has blurred, and they’re now competing with retail giants who have finally begun to take the direct channel more seriously. Today, large, efficient supply chains can compete with the same speed and agility as more virtual retailers specializing in the direct arena.