Fast Forward Part Six: Fulfilment Centres
Featured in A1 Retail Magazine
During the pandemic, deliveries arrived at our doors like never before – clothes, books, food, gifts, items for the home.
Home delivery was convenient and safe, but now, as we leave our homes and return to at least some degree of wider-world normality, do we really want packages mounting up in our absence? And isn’t it about time to consider the carbon footprint of all those different delivery companies coming out to so many individual addresses too?
Multi-retailer Fulfilment Centres
A concept offering a number of combined solutions could be a multi-retailer high street fulfilment centre, where customers could pick up all their parcels at one go and at their convenience, making use of on-site changing rooms for fashion items, deciding on any returns and then expediting them in situ. A future-facing fulfilment centre, arranged around a principle of hassle-free customer convenience, would remove the need for customers to return unwanted goods via post offices or at various ‘click and collect’ destinations.
Personalisation and Pop-Ups
Customers would be alerted to a new delivery by phone message or email and directed towards their own locker with a personalised code. The lockers would be immediately accessible on entering the store, with no need for interaction if not desired. Not only would such fulfilment centres take up empty high street units, but they could be made more dynamic still with the integration of fluid retailer pop-ups at their centre, drawing in non-mission customers as well.
Scalable Solution
The design of the pop-up space would be neutral and flexible, with a large digital wall allowing for high impact motion graphics, videos and imagery. Its structure would be a simple frame with mesh panels to allow those in-store a sneak peek of what is inside. The mesh would also be a practical solution for wall hanging and room dressing, whilst simple props would display products. The pop-up could easily be scaled up and down to take advantage of empty retail units and also provide an opportunity for brands to create a buzz around their pop-up concept.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Customers would flow around the space, exiting either via the pop-up zone or going to the changing rooms and returns area first. If they try items on and are happy, they can exit through the pop-up. If not, they can visit the returns area, re-package, print a returns label and post back. The fulfilment centre would also promise a 100% recycling commitment for all packaging waste. Individual retailer pick-ups would additionally be streamlined with simultaneous delivery and collections, thereby also reducing carbon footprints.