Why Retailers are Embracing Ship From Store

Infographic - 2 Min. Read

By the end of 2017, a third of retailers will have a ship-from-store program. Find out why—and how ship from store can help you save money and get products to customers faster.

A woman sitting on a wooden table in a clothes shop.

Online shoppers want it all—speed, convenience, quality, and good prices.

To help meet those expectations, many retailers are adopting Ship from Store programs.

In 2015, 1 in 5 retailers had a Ship from Store program.^[1]

In 2017, an estimated 1/3 of retailers will use Ship from Store.^[1]

Why?

Because delivering a great online sales experience is more important than ever.

49% of all U.S. retail sales are either influenced or conducted online.^[2]

Web-influenced sales will increase about $325 billion over the next four years.^[2]

Online sales will grow about $150 billion over the next four years.^[2]

68% of consumers are unlikely to return to a website that doesn’t provide a satisfactory experience.^[3]

Delivering goods

quickly and affordably is a critical piece of a great online sales experience

Shipping costs are the #1 consideration for online shoppers.^[4]

51% say they always choose the cheapest shipping option.^[4]

Nearly 1 in 10 consumers has stopped shopping at a company because of slow delivery.^[4]

Only 46% of consumers are satisfied with the amount of time it takes for orders to arrive.^[4]

Implementing a ship from store program can help you save money and improve customer service

Here’s how

By tapping inventory in stores, not just in distribution centers, you’re less likely to disappoint customers with out-of-stock messages and lose sales.
Aligning demand in one region with inventory in another can reduce the need for markdowns on overstock, saving you money.
More efficient turnover provides space for newer products on store shelves for a better customer experience.
Shipping products from a store close to the customer rather than a distribution center can lower shipping costs and get products to customers faster.

Footnotes

[1]Forrester, Q2 2016 Global eBusiness and Channel Strategy Professional Online Survey.
[2]Forrester Research Web-Influenced Retail Sales Forecast, 2015 To 2020 (US), September 2015.
[3]Forrester, North American Consumer Technographics® Customer Life Cycle Survey 2, 2015, September 2015.
[4]Forrester Data, North American Consumer Technographics^® Retail Online Benchmark Recontact Survey, 2015, August 2015.