Retail pioneers forge new paths in global omnichannel, cross-border e-commerce

The imperative to forge an effective omnichannel fulfillment network takes on extra challenges when the project involves global trade and cross-border e-commerce, but a slow and steady strategy can prevail, according to a panel of the retail giants Ikea and Abercrombie & Fitch. Speaking at the CSCMP Edge conference in Nashville, Ikea Process Development Manager Stefan Holmberg said the Swedish furniture home-goods retailer was following a range of initiatives, including building its mega-stores closer to urban population centers—such as downtown Hamburg, Germany—offering more click-and-collect services, and renewing its focus on demand forecasting and inventory planning systems.

Meanwhile, clothier Abercrombie & Fitch is trying to balance the retail experience with business economics by offering a diverse array of options, allowing consumers to shop at retail stores; ship to home and ship from store; purchase online and pickup in store; order in store; and reserve in store. Each of those omnichannel paths follows a different combination of where the order is placed, the product is located, the payment occurs, and the delivery happens, said Larry Grischow, the firm's senior vice president for supply chain and procurement.