Although companies have always been focused on retail outlets, they will have to be agile enough to grow e-commerce operations if they want to survive in the long run. The consumer market has shifted to e-commerce way faster than anticipated due to a large number of online orders as work-from-home continues. This has led to the closing of many retail outlets and bricks-and-mortar shopping centers. Brands will now have to become omnichannel including physical stores to e-commerce and social shopping to provide the choice, value and convenience customers increasingly expect.

Successful e-commerce businesses ramp up fast. Scaling up too quickly can often lead to poor service. With growth, operations need to be streamlined in order to move to the next stage. The more sophisticated you need the operation to become, the more you need reliable information to support your business goals. Investing in cost-effective infrastructure and technology that can quickly adapt and change with a business is more important than ever.

According to a report, the warehousing stock in the top eight cities of the country has now reached a total of 238 million sq. ft. and despite the current scenario, it is expected to grow around 160% this year. A part of this growth can be attributed to the increase in online shopping. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of e-commerce leading to an increase in the demand for online delivery of essential and non-essential items.

Traditional stores may not disappear altogether but will evolve to become a part of e-commerce in terms of click and collect as well as return centers.