Brick-and-mortar retailers collectively have staked their claim online, accounting for at least half of U.S. e-commerce sales. The trouble is, most of them are losing money at it. The answer to that dilemma for retailers is to assemble a smoothly operating omnichannel network of stores, distribution centers and suppliers, each optimally placed so that any item can be whisked from inventory to wherever a customer wants it in minimal time and at least cost. It’s a daunting challenge — so much so that we at CBRE found that less than 20% of retailers we’ve surveyed are delivering omnichannel service profitably.
