2022 Retail Report: The 3 Biggest Last-Mile Challenges the Retail Industry is Facing Today

Fulfillment has never been so challenging for brands and retailers

While some trends that emerged during the pandemic were wholly new — sports stadiums full of cardboard fans, DIY haircuts, Tiger King — in many other ways, the pandemic only accelerated changes that were already underway.

This is especially true for the retail space. While American consumers had been steadily shifting their spending online for years, e-commerce made a quantum leap when the pandemic transformed life as we know it practically overnight.

This jaw-dropping growth in online shopping has presented businesses with unprecedented challenges. To get a clearer sense of where this rapidly shifting landscape stands today, we surveyed 500 consumers and 200 retailers and brands. What we learned may surprise you.

In this report, we explore:

• The extent to which retailers have reached their fulfillment capacity choke point and just how much that’s harming sales
• Which retail stakeholder is in the ultimate position of power (hint: it’s not Amazon.)
• Why retailers lose an entire week of online sales during the most lucrative time of the year
• How the definition of “fast” varies widely depending on who you’re asking

Read on to learn about the three biggest fulfillment challenges retailers are facing today — capacity, carriers, and consumer expectations — and how retailers can overcome these challenges to stay competitive and best serve their customers in an unpredictable and ever-evolving market.