Fast-fashion chain Zara plans to start shipping online orders from its stores, a move the Spanish company says will boost store traffic and overall sales.
The retailer will add the necessary shipping infrastructure to 2,000 of its stores across 48 countries by year-end.
"This is something very, very strategic for us, this idea of full integration between store and online stockrooms," said Pablo Isla, chairman and CEO of Inditex, Zara's parent company, in June.
"There has been a trend lately to think of a store as a liability," said Brendan Witcher, a Forrester Research principal analyst, speaking to The Wall Street Journal. "It's an asset — but you need to learn to use it correctly." The use of technologies that allow centralized tracking of inventory in warehouses and in stores is essential, he said.
Learn more here about how retailers are making the "last mile" work.
By Brannon Boswell
Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today
