E-Logistics

Table of Contents

Question One.............................................................................................................................1

Managing Sales By Establishing Storefronts.........................................................................1

Scaling Demand To Meet Dynamic Customer Habits...........................................................2

Question Two.............................................................................................................................3

Amazon..................................................................................................................................3

Ali Express.............................................................................................................................4

Question Three...........................................................................................................................5

Single Channel.......................................................................................................................5

Multi-Channel........................................................................................................................5

Cross Channel........................................................................................................................6

Omni Channel........................................................................................................................7

Bibliography..............................................................................................................................9
Question One

The two Omnichannel strategies that are used during COVID-19 are:

Managing Sales By Establishing Storefronts

Establishing storefronts, for example, satisfaction focuses can help the customers and
retailers eating the hour of a pandemic by keeping a protected distance and getting quicker
conveyances. As an omnichannel strategy, the retailers can permit customers to arrange on
the web and get from the stores and the other way around. This aids the customers in getting
a superior shopping experience. The favourable fundamental position of this strategy is that
the retailers can appreciate more noteworthy customer unwaveringness during this period.
There is a test of keeping up appropriate co-appointment among orders set on the web and
offline. An absence of information and disarray concerning efficiently managing all the
activities can be an excellent test for the retailers. They can settle this test by recruiting an all-
around prepared staff who can oversee both tasks request online-pickup-in-store and request
in-store-return home conveyance (Accorsi, Cascini, Cholette, & Mora, 2014).

According to Adobe Analytics, the number of online orders and in-store pick-ups increased
by 208 per cent from April 1 to April 20 compared to 2019 levels. Because of consumers'
continued focus on health, curbside pickup and return will remain popular after shops reopen.
For COVID-19, businesses are assuring a secure transaction and offering customers
instantaneous pleasure and items in hand by using omnichannel techniques like BOPIS and
BOPAC. As a result, the epidemic will have a lasting effect on consumer satisfaction and
loyalty. For store pickup programmes to be as frictionless as possible, merchants should
design their storefronts to function as tiny fulfilment hubs. A brick-and-mortar store may
assist companies in better managing their inventory and supply chain expenditures at this
unplanned time by fulfilling online purchases. As a bonus, it may reduce the amount of
money a shop has to pay in fixed rent while still providing services to current customers
(Direction, 2012).

With an omnichannel approach, associates are given a new level of responsibility, enhancing
the retail environment while maintaining sales. A designated area in the business should be
set aside for order fulfilment while adhering to the correct social distance standards. Having
well-defined procedures and pick-up signs in the shops will go a long way toward ensuring
that customers continue to have a positive shopping experience. When brick-and-mortar sales
stall even after shops reopen, turning a store into a tiny fulfilment centre might be a terrific
solution for firms (El-deen, Hasan, & Fawzy, 2016).

Scaling Demand To Meet Dynamic Customer Habits

During the hour of the pandemic, the customer demand is unanticipated and fluctuates now
and again. Along these lines, the retailers must proceed onward according to the customer
demand. The retailers can utilize Order Management Systems (OMS) in this omnichannel
strategy. With the assistance, the retailers can satisfy the changing customer demand by
turning on and off satisfaction communities across different areas. The primary bit of leeway
of this strategy is that by working together with other accomplices for adequate appropriation
in different regions, request satisfaction should be possible quickly. The customer can
appreciate this quick reaction by the retailers that help in expanded sales. The solitary
impediment of this strategy could be an extra cost that can cause by steady turning on and off
of satisfaction focuses. The retailers can overcome this by recruiting other retailers for similar
labour for 24-hour administration (Ho & Leung, 2010).

Consumer purchasing patterns have shifted since the outbreak. Retailers are noticing an
increase in online and bulk purchases from customers. Customers are worried about delivery
delays, so this year's Christmas shopping season may begin sooner. Businesses are
increasingly using Omnichannel technology to better plan for unexpected surges in demand.
Before this year's unique peak holiday shopping season, merchants intending to scale up their
e-commerce operations should search for fulfilment partners with multi-node distribution
strategies to help them. When many nodes are used, inventory is more readily accessible and
closer to the customer, reducing delivery delays and enabling contingency planning. When
customer patterns change, it is easier to pivot and alter inventories (Kamar, Nasir, & Jaafar,
2018).

It is also possible for shops to increase their e-commerce operations quicker than they could
do by using multi-client fulfilment centres. A big retailer's fulfilment solution was found
within 24 hours by Radial at COVID-19. We were able to unload, store, and prepare their
product for sale in only four days, with no disruption to the retailer's customers or ongoing
orders. Investing in multi-node centres and omnichannel technologies to help inventory
management will allow retailers to flourish in the turbulence ahead (Mitra & Basfirinci,
2015).

Question Two

E-commerce has become a major part of trading in the world now and people everywhere
now prefer to buy products than visit the stores. This has also been the end product of
COVID too. People requiring different products but not being able to visit the shops have
made the need for e-commerce websites increase exponentially (Sundarakani, Abdul Razzak,
& Manikandan, 2018). There are several e-commerce websites operating in Oman, with some
operating at a large scale.

Amazon
It is the largest e-commerce website operating and supplying all products in most parts of the
country. All types of products are available, from groceries to self-care products. The reach
of Amazon is pervasive and used by the majority of the population. Besides direct sales,
Amazon offers a platform for other sellers to sell their goods and services to customers. As a
result, Amazon can avoid keeping slow-moving inventory that may compromise profit
margins by selling things via its partner stores. There are no fees to post products for sale on
Amazon, but the corporation retains a percentage of each transaction as commission (Wu,
Tseng, Chiu, & Lim, 2017).

Amazon also has a limited electronics product line and a subscription-based business strategy
with its Amazon Prime programme. All qualifying purchases ship free of charge within two
days or the same day with a Prime membership. Prime members also get exclusive access to
streaming media, including digital music and movies. Along with selling books and apps,
Amazon also makes money by selling its Kindle e-reader.

Features
 Free shipping
 2 day delievery
 Several offers on festivals
 Several business opportunities
 Easy display in market
 Customer service

Ali Express
It is one of the organisations of ALIBABA Group. It provides many products like clothes,
sports products, electronics, etc. It also operates in most parts of Oman and has registration
options for both Chinese and non-Chinese sellers. Alibaba dominates China's e-commerce
business in the same way that Amazon is a household name in the United States. Alibaba's
primary business is similar to eBay's, even though it uses a unique blend of business
strategies. Due to Alibaba's massive network of websites, it can operate as an intermediary
between buyers and sellers online. Since neither sellers nor buyers are charged a fee for
completing transactions on Taobao, it is the biggest of the three. It's more like the Google
business model, wherein vendors pay to rank higher on Taobao's search engine. Alibaba
makes money this way (Zhang, Zhao, & Qian, 2017).

Features
 Seperate registrstion for chinese and non cinese sellers
 Brands days for discounts
 Reviews for products andappliances
 Individuals may purchase the products they want.
 There is no minimum order quantity.
 Products may be sold directly to customers throughout the globe by independent
vendors.
 There is an automatic translation system in place that supports 18 different languages.
 Currency conversions from 51 countries are available.
 Transactions may be made securely using 38 local payment options.

Question Three

Single Channel
A single channel of communication between a consumer and a business, such as an email,
text message, web page, or mobile app, is a "single-channel connection." In today's hyper-
connected world and disruptive technologies becoming more common, organisations have
abandoned this premise. Customers may only be reached through one distribution channel: a
website, a catalogue, mail order, or a brick-and-mortar store. This strategy lowers marketing
expenses while also streamlining the structure of the firm. The earliest and most basic kind of
retailing is known as single-channel retailing. The vendor uses only one channel in this
model: a website or an online marketplace. Single-channel shops are comparable to brick-
and-mortar businesses in that they only have one location. Therefore consumers who wish to
purchase anything must go to that place (Kamar, Nasir, & Jaafar, 2018).

Multi-Channel
With the multi-channel approach, the use of several communication platforms, such as on
mobile devices and in a physical shop, and tailored emails to communicate with consumers is
implied without the need for a complete plan that integrates messaging across different
platforms. Each channel has its restrictions in multi-channel commerce since the channels
operate independently and do not communicate. A consumer may have the ability to buy a
product through the shop's social media account, but they cannot choose to pick it up at the
store. Multi-channel commerce, with its limits, is no longer sufficient in a world where the
distinctions between the various channels are blurred at best, and consumers seek limitless
choices in their purchasing experience. A company may provide the same product line to a
broader audience through several distribution channels. To be clear, merchants may reserve
specific inventory for various channels and even optimise distinct product descriptions,
pictures, and other product features for multiple channels. Customers may be reached through
email, social media, the company's website, and other channels if a multichannel retail
strategy is used (Wu, Tseng, Chiu, & Lim, 2017).

An omnichannel strategy provides customers with an integrated shopping experience,

whereas multichannel retail increases brand visibility and offer them additional options
regarding where to buy things. By design, all multichannel retail must be omnichannel, yet
not all multichannel retail is omnichannel. This means that customers' experiences on
different channels tend to be isolated from one another in multichannel shopping. Data
synchronisation among channels is poor or nonexistent, even though each sales channel
serves the core business (Accorsi, Cascini, Cholette, & Mora, 2014).

Cross Channel
When a consumer utilises several channels to complete the same transaction or purchase, the
term "cross-channel" is used. For example, customers may engage with a product on one
channel and purchase it on another using cross-channel communication. Organizations face
additional problems creating seamless cross-channel interactions when users have more
control over their own experience. You could get an email survey after shopping at the store
that inquires about your experience. A voucher for a 20 per cent discount on your next
purchase might be included in this survey, which you could use online or in-store. A
consumer can add a promo code during online checkout and get the same discount. An online
survey based on an in-person experience is the first step in this case, followed by a
verification of the coupon's authenticity. For example, once the voucher is used online, it
cannot be redeemed in the shop or vice versa (Mitra & Basfirinci, 2015).
Omni Channel
Omnichannel is comparable to multichannel, with the addition that all of the channels are
interconnected for both you and the consumer. If you look at one centralised area that gives
all of your customer data and analytics, you will be able to keep track of everything
happening across all of your channels. And from the perspective of the consumer, everything
works together to provide a streamlined and enjoyable shopping experience. Going to
Disneyland may be one of the finest omnichannel experiences you've ever had if you're a
customer. A visitor to their website may purchase Disneyland tickets online for use at their
convenience. When visitors get to Disneyland, they can go to a traditional ticket booth to
receive assistance with the tickets that they purchased online. They can download an app that
provides them with various advantages and savings as they move around the park. After a
consumer goes on a ride, they will be given the option to buy a snapshot of themselves
yelling out loud while they were on the ride. All transactions may be completed via the
Disneyland app, which the client was most likely already familiar with through their use to
get information about attractions located inside the theme park. The consumer is provided
with a seamless experience because everything is made easy for them, and they are
continuously encouraged to purchase products that they may be interested in (Zhang, Zhao, &
Qian, 2017).

To increase sales and engagement, each channel must work together to keep clients moving
across the brand ecosystem." This is defined as "the capacity to create a smooth and uniform
experience across channels while factoring in the varied devices that customers are utilising."
To put it another way, it means that a retailer's marketing efforts must "ensure that
[customers] may convert on any channel." We at BigCommerce use the term "stores selling
both online and offline — likely also selling via numerous internet channels" as our internal
definition" (i.e. on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, B2B). We've also spoken about how important
it is to have your product listed where customers are already spending time. Contextual
commerce, a more purposeful interpretation of the overall omnichannel concept, is becoming
more popular.
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