E mailing and Technology

A customer can order an item from anywhere and it will be delivered or they can go and pick that item for themselves. Says the “Processes that used to be essentially linear (plan, buy, make, move) are now intertwined and circular. That means flexibility, agility and responsiveness in supply chain planning are more important than ever before” (Blog Cloud, 1). The Omni-channel format, intertwining of virtual and physical stores is gaining more ground all over and e-commerce is the new global retail space as everything needed for the supply chain and customer-retailer communication will be bundled together (Hübner, Johannes & Andreas, 562-583). As shown above, decision making processes by consumers have also changed. These trends are also important because they may employ capital intensive retail processes as compared to the old means where human resources were the main factors of successful retailing.

Comparing an online supermarket with a physical supermarket, for instance, the online one will have fewer attendants compared to the physical one (Athukorala & Zheng, 420-439). Still, the Omni-channel implies higher customer autonomy where the customer selects, purchases, pays and checks out by himself without the point-of-sale intervention. Commenting on the American Eagle which had to streamline its supply chain into modern technology after its sales rose from $300m to $3. b, Kamal says that “More major brands are realizing that their processes need to be brought into the 21st century, and they need the tools to support that shift” (Anand, 1). Critical Areas There are several critical areas that the retailers must rethink as they match the growing globalization of e-commerce and the e-business platform.

First, technology is important. They must install and use the modern technology in order to support live streams, online presence and functional areas of online retailing. For instance, the e-payment function must be assured and secured. Also, the reviews and details panels must be auto-updatable to enable real interaction on a digital platform. “With the proliferation of data and connected endpoints, companies will need to step up their security and privacy protection protocols in 2018” (The Cloud, 1). Third, competition will continue to rise at the e-commerce platform, leading to aggressive promotions and marketing which may curve in unethical marketing practices and supply chain processes. These factors may open up the retailers to social legal litigations, hence losses. Works Cited "The Top 4 Supply Chain Trends To Watch In 2018".

Tradecloud1. Athukorala, Prema‐chandra, and Zheng Wei. Economic transition and labour market dynamics in China: An interpretative survey of the ‘turning point’debate. Journal of Economic Surveys 32. Dennis, Charles, et al. Value Co-Creation Through Multiple Shopping Channels: The Interconnections with Social Exclusion and Well-Being. Accessed 17 May 2018. Wilson, Simon. What Does The Future Hold For Our Beloved Retail Stores? | Retail Think Tank". Retail Think Tank, 2017, http://www. retailthinktank.