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a priority, and recognise the need to make changes as new customer and worker habits take on a sense of greater permanence.


Lux said: “Maximising choice for con- sumers by providing omnichannel con- tact centre communication has always been important, but even more so since early last year. The pandemic has led most to engage more heavily with tech- nology, so options like online self-ser- vice and social media have grown in popularity. At the same time, the need for traditional voice-based communica- tion has remained strong.


“Contact centre leaders and employ- ees have had to be adaptable to these changes, despite the disruption the


last year has brought to their own roles. While businesses have done an admi- rable job of coping, much of the ar- rangements were made in a makeshift fashion and were designed to deal with a constantly changing situation. With the promise of much-needed stability on the horizon, it’s important that firms prepare adequately.” To set themselves up for future success, Lux believes that companies should re- double their efforts to empower their contact centre employees so they can engage effectively with customers across a range of channels, regardless of where they are working. He added: “The first thing leaders need to do is accept the hybrid working re-


Global eCommerce platform Kooomo shares its top tips for retailers looking to better man- age their logistics when it comes to Direct to Consumer eCommerce


Direct to Consumer (D2C) eCommerce has exploded onto the retail scene over the past few years, further accelerat- ed by the pandemic. With growing de- mand to eliminate the barriers between the producer and the consumer, global eCommerce platform provider Kooomo, shares its top tips when it comes to D2C logistics and how retailers can transition to this strategy with ease.


Ciaran Bollard, CEO of Kooomo explains: “As with any business or retailer, growth can be extremely rapid, but eventually a glass ceiling must be shattered in or- der to get to the next stage of the life- cycle. Similar to switching from whole- sale to D2C eCommerce, the pain points lie within the supply chain, including warehousing, distribution centres, order management and delivery. So, where should aspiring D2C retailers start when it comes to better managing logistics?” To answer this question, Kooomo re- cruited the help of its expert partners – Zero Grey and Go Global eCommerce, who have joined Kooomo on its mission of simplifying business expansion and globalisation. In a brief sit-down with Simone De Ruosi, General Manager at ZeroGrey, Kooomo dived deeper into D2C logistics, its biggest obstacles and top tips for optimising the overall D2C strategy.


When a retailer decides they want to be- come a D2C brand, what are the biggest obstacles in terms of logistics? “The biggest challenge for retailers to


overcome is efficiency. To meet the ev- er-changing needs of customers, retail- ers need to provide quick and reliable operations. Inventory management of Business to Business (B2B) completely differs from that of D2C. B2B logistics deals with pallets, standards and larger orders to fewer customers, whereas D2C manages single item orders, person- alised orders and potentially infinite cus- tomers. The warehouse has to change, resembling something closer to a super- market than a B2B warehouse. “That being said, D2C has easier pick up compared to B2B, and the packing oper- ations are often done manually because orders are unstandardised and a lot of marketing materials are used (gift cards, gifts, stickers, branded packaging, etc).” Are there any projects you have worked on where you have identified this prob- lem and how did you overcome it? “In ZeroGrey, the team provides con- tinuity to our clients and we can help throughout the whole value chain, logis- tics included. They give us the eCom- merce stock and rely on us to provide the best experience to final customers. We can also help them improve their in- ternal processes. “The same can be said for Kooomo. To- gether, we have 200+ integrated partners – 3PLs included – so we can combine our expertise if needed. By partnering with a 3PL, D2C brands can also offer Amazon-like logistics by tapping into ca- pabilities such as fast shipping, deliver-


ies and fulfilment automation to quickly scale.” Let’s talk automation – how best can as- piring D2C brands deploy this to assist with the transition?


“Automation and software tend not to be too costly, so they must be considered. Having an eCommerce platform that in- stantly transforms orders into warehouse movements is critical and definitely af- fordable for SMEs. However, when we talk about areas such as warehouse ar- chitecture, pick/pack lines or sorters, investments are often of 6-7 digits so they should be justified by business vol- umes.”


If a brand is not used to offering indi- vidualised deliveries and packaging, how can they prepare?


“Any successful express courier should have a department studying eCommerce customers and defining new products. A brand should create a strong partner- ship with this department and prioritise the best service for its individual clients. Regarding the packaging, it should be considered part of a marketing strategy, rather than just a simple operation. “In fact, through packaging, retailers can deliver the product together with the brand identity and specific communica- tions. The marketing department must therefore be involved in top-line deci- sions and create personalised packaging for the consumer.”


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ality, and then take action to make the most of it. This means implementing, maintaining and fine-tuning customer engagement tech so that employees have seamless, comprehensive interac- tions with customers, whether they’re sitting at a desk in an office or at their own kitchen table. Omnichannel obvi- ously means giving customers choice, but it should mean giving workers choice too.”


Lux concluded: “Once lockdown ends, some of our old habits will be welcomed back with open arms, but others have changed for good. The companies that gear themselves up for a different world are the ones who will make the biggest success of customer engagement.”


Direct to Consumer logistics: How retailers can get it right


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