NeXT Commerce Operations

As more of our consumption shifts online, eCommerce has become the topic of the decade for businesses across geographies and industries. On this page, McKinsey’s cross-industry, cross-function insights provide an end-to-end guide to eCommerce logistics, from webstore to the last mile.

e-Commerce Topics

Supply Chain Strategy | Fulfillment | Last Mile | Returns Handling

Supply chain strategy

Collection

The winning formula: What it takes to build leading omnichannel operations

January 2022 – This compendium covers in detail all areas of omnichannel approaches: foundations of winning omnichannel operations, building strategy, structure, and processes, and industry- and channel-specific deep dives.
Article

Retail’s need for speed: Unlocking value in omnichannel delivery
– The race to provide ever-faster omnichannel order fulfillment is on. Where should retailers keep up—and what are the value-creation... opportunities in doing so?
Article

Five traps to avoid: The long game of DTC and e-commerce
– Simply selling online is relatively easy. But unless you plan from day one to build a sustainable e-commerce business, you risk... crippling your ability to scale over time.
Article

Into the fast lane: How to master the omnichannel supply chain
– Consumer-product and retail companies looking to jump into the fast lane of modern shopping will need to overhaul their operations... to master the seven building blocks of an effective omnichannel supply chain.
Article

Omnichannel: The path to value
– Haphazard efforts at omnichannel can destroy value. Here’s what top retailers do to get it right.
Article

Can your supply chain deliver what your consumer wants?
– In a far more complex business environment, consumer companies can rethink—and potentially redesign—their supply-chain... operating models for the resiliency and agility they need.
Article

High growth, low profit: The e-commerce dilemma for CPG companies
– Online sales of consumer packaged goods have soared during the pandemic. But for many CPG manufacturers, e-commerce means thinner... margins. Here’s how to change that.
Article

Next-generation supply chain—transforming your supply chain operating model for a digital world
– In a digital age, most supply chains run on old principles and processes. A few leaders can show us how a new operating model... can answer the demands of today—and tomorrow.

Fulfillment

Article

Unlocking the omnichannel opportunity in contract logistics

– As e-commerce volumes surge, contract-logistics companies face increasing complexity. How can they capture more value in a $600 billion opportunity?
Article

Automation in European grocers’ supply chains has reached its tipping point
– Automation in grocery warehouses has significantly accelerated, thanks to several trends. Now is the time for retailers to reassess... their automation strategies.
Article

Improving warehouse operations—digitally
– A digital twin lets companies design, simulate, and test new warehouse operations and product movements virtually, before starting... up new sites or making changes within existing sites.
Article

Supply chain of the future: Key principles in building an omnichannel distribution network
– As omnichannel shopping is becoming the new norm, consumer and retail companies must be ready to deliver fast, impeccable omnichannel... service. Doing so requires a new supply chain network approach.
Article

Automation in logistics: Big opportunity, bigger uncertainty
– As e-commerce volumes soar, many logistics and parcel companies hope that automation is the answer. But as this second article... in our series on disruption explains, things are not so simple.

Last mile

Article

Efficient and sustainable last-mile logistics: Lessons from Japan

– Delivery droids may be the solution to keep costs and environmental impact low, if stakeholders collaborate to pave the way.
Report

Startup funding in logistics
– A new report looks at the impact of new money in an old industry—and what it means for incumbents, startups, and investors.
Collection

The Next Normal – The future of parcel delivery: Drones and disruption
– Everybody likes to get a package. In 2020, we'll send more than 100 billion of them—and that number could double by 2030.... Who will deliver all those packages, and how? In this edition, The Next Normal explores what's ahead in last-mile parcel delivery.
Report

The endgame for postal networks: How to win in the age of e-commerce
– The e-commerce megatrend is a big opportunity for postal players, but market and competitive dynamics are squeezing incumbents.... Three winning tactics can help these companies stay competitive.

Returns Handling

Article

Returning to order: Improving returns management for apparel companies
– High levels of retail returns are not inevitable. Better management can reduce the cost and improve consumer loyalty at the same time.
Video

The eCommerce Frontier: How to Take the Lead in eCommerce

– This video is a discussion of the trends in eCommerce logistics and the complex eCommerce ecosystems. It covers how to create value for customers, how to win in eCommerce fulfillment and last mile delivery, and how to capitalize on opportunities in returns management.