Getting products to customers is at the heart of the retail promise. But there is massive change happening in the retail supply chain—and it’s part of retail’s responsible reset. Not only has the supply chain become more costly and complex, the center of gravity is rapidly shifting from global to local. So much so that the local level is the new battleground for competitiveness.

The pandemic was a shot in the arm to the retail supply chain that accelerated market and consumer trends already in motion. Retailers rapidly expanded omnichannel options to address demand. Consumers now want transparency, speed and convenience delivered responsibly.

This creates new complexity that makes it more challenging for retailers to know where to place products and how best to get them to customers. Truly supporting customers requires flexibility and scalability at the local level. This is local omnichannel fulfillment.

Local omnichannel fulfillment can help retailers drive value and build consumer relationships at the local level:

By focusing on five supply chain fundamentals, retailers can begin the journey to local omnichannel fulfillment. This is not a one-and-done exercise. Retailers need to constantly reset and revisit to stay ahead of change as new opportunities and challenges arise.

To deliver for customers without all the costs, retailers need to reset and center fulfillment practices in the local area. It requires new ways of understanding future demand, configuring the network, placing inventory, enabling the last mile and working with partners. And driving change here is a continual process.