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Store Sales Disappointed But Store-Based Fulfillment Volumes Spiked 72%

While the past holiday season has been considered lackluster by many analysts within the retail industry, the concept of omnichannel fulfillment appears to have caught on more strongly than ever.

In fact, peak e-Commerce order volumes that were fulfilled at physical stores increased as much as 72% during the period from Nov. 23, 2015 to Dec. 23, 2015, according to data from eBay Enterprise. Throughout the season, e-Commerce sales fulfilled by stores reached $515 million — a 62% overall increase from 2014.

The greater tendency to fulfill these online purchases through the store indicates that many retailers have finally come around to achieving the goals they have been aiming at in recent years. The rise of buy online, pick up in-store and ship-from-store as purchasing options spotlights merchants’ ability to optimize supply chain functions, strengthen delivery partnerships and hasten distribution times.

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“It’s no secret that shoppers are moving online, but the physical store isn’t going anywhere if you leverage them differently,” said Tobias Hartmann, President of eBay Enterprise. “This is the year retailers are putting a stake in the ground by creating continuous shopping experiences, whether the checkout lane is a couch or a store aisle. As the workhorse behind after-the-click commerce, we believe the transformational shifts in e-Commerce and mobile present opportunities for retailers to leverage technology, processes and people to make this year a game-changing one for the industry.” 

Beyond the holiday season, eBay Enterprise Digital Commerce Index data shows retailers rely on stores as mini-fulfillment centers throughout the year, with year-over-year total annual order volumes and sales increasing 43%.

While the Index asserts that omnichannel fulfillment is more critical than ever to keep pace with e-Commerce demand, eBay Enterprise also collected and interpreted data from other reports, highlighting additional trends retailers should be aware of as 2016 kicks off:

  • Retailers must leverage Ship-from-Store to mitigate out-of-stock situations;

  • Meeting the industry standard for risk management won’t be enough to prevent online fraud; and

  • Omnichannel continues to gain popularity in the Asia Pacific region.

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