How Retail's Last Mile Must Evolve to Become a Two-Way Street

In this day and age when stores offer everything from curbside pickup, to in-store and locker-box options, the “last mile” is better understood as “the point in which the consumer and their order come together.”

In this complimentary copy of “How Retail's Last Mile Must Evolve to Become a Two-Way Street,” learn why Gartner recommends the following last-mile strategies for customer fulfillment leaders:

• “Establish a greater understanding of consumer shopping behavior by incorporating delivery and collection options as equal parts of their last-mile offering.
• Explore innovative order fulfillment methods by utilizing both internal networks and those of external partners to expand the variety of ways consumers can receive their orders.
• Build robust future last-mile plans by incorporating order consolidation, collaboration with retail peers and environmental sustainability strategies.”

How can retailers create the best last-mile experience?

For more insights into last-mile strategies, read the report's case study about how IKEA has developed an innovative hybrid fulfillment model in Rome, one of the world’s most congested cities.

“Gartner's definition of 'last mile' incorporates the activities involved in how the consumer and their order come together. These include a variety of delivery and collection processes, making the last mile a two-way street.”

— Tom Enright, Analyst, Gartner

‍_{Gartner, How Retail's Last Mile Must Evolve to Become a Two-Way Street, Tom Enright, November 30, 2022}

_{GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.}

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