eBay Enterprise Data Shows Massive Move To In-Store Fulfillment

New data from eBay Enterprise shows that, thanks to its part in the omnicommerce chain, in-store activity is alive and well in retail.

Among the findings in its Digital Commerce Index, released yesterday (Jan. 18) by eBay Enterprise, were that eCommerce order volumes fulfilled by stores increased 72 percent during peak season, as well as that omnichannel commerce sales and fulfillment capacity increased significantly for situations where items are out of stock, sales need to be saved and/or tight delivery timelines need to be met during the holiday season.

“It’s no secret that shoppers are moving online, but the physical store isn’t going anywhere if you leverage them differently,” Tobias Hartmann, president of eBay Enterprise, commented in a press release. “This is the year retailers are putting a stake in the ground by creating continuous shopping experiences, whether the checkout lane is a couch or store aisle. As the workhorse behind after-the-click commerce, we believe the transformational shifts in eCommerce and mobile-present opportunities for retailers to leverage technology, processes and people to make this year a game-changing one for the industry.”

The related press release goes on to outline a number of recommendations that the eBay Enterprise Digital Commerce Index makes for retailers to increase profitability and customer loyalty in 2016. The index’s observations include: the essential need for an omnichannel fulfillment strategy to keep pace with eCommerce; the necessity for retailers to leverage ship-from-store to mitigate out-of-stock situations; meeting the industry standard for risk management won’t be enough to prevent online fraud; and the impact of omnichannel’s increasing popularity in the Asia-Pacific region on the retail industry worldwide.