As retailers look at ways to optimise supply chains, Stuart Greenfield from Advanced Supply Chain (ASC) focuses on how to reduce lead times, minimise errors and eliminate inefficiencies during the crucial stage of pre-retail logistics
Managing cost pressures and operational complexities are influencing the transformation of retail supply chains. Strategies are focusing on improving agility, enhancing inventory management and cutting lead times.
According to Deloitte’s Retail industry Outlook for 2026, two-thirds (66%) of retailers plan to restructure their supply chains if input costs continue to rise. For many, this will involve the prioritisation of onshoring and nearshoring to boost responsiveness and create stronger opportunities to respond faster and better to market demand. While this can prove an effective approach, it can also require substantial time and capital investment to deliver transformational change and ROI.
A more cost-effective and quicker way for accelerating speed to market can often be found during pre-retail logistics. We’ve worked with a major fashion retailer to halve processing lead times from six days to three, reduce vehicle dwell times by 48 hours and improve overall speed to market by up to one week. These gains have been achieved by automating and digitalising the process of preparing products for sale.
Moving on from slow, manual methods
It’s surprising how many pre-retail operations still depend on paper stock logs and handwritten labels. Yet, when we’re auditing systems during procurement and tendering, we often find such processes remain commonplace. This is often because operatives are regularly on the move throughout warehouses and fulfilment centres. The problem is that these manual processes can slow workflows, increase the likelihood of errors and disrupt the data flowing through supply chains.
Manual processes can be quickly replaced and enhanced by mobile, touchscreen kiosks and label printers, which enables automation and digitalisation throughout pre-retail logistics. This eradicates the need for manually filling in forms, avoiding mistakes caused by illegible handwriting and the problems this can lead to. Hard-to-read labels are often a cause of orders being rejected and processed incorrectly, risking products moving needlessly backwards and forwards throughout supply chains as errors are corrected.
Labels can be templated, so that they are bespoke to a retailer’s specifications. All the required information can be included and displayed on-pack, strengthening compliance with a retailer’s systems and supplier standards.
Data-rich visibility
Connecting kiosks to a web-based supply chain management solution enriches the flow and accuracy of stock inventory data. This creates stronger visibility and insight, which, combined with the right IT capabilities and transport management systems, can improve cube optimisation of fleet vehicles and enhance route planning.
A reliable flow of accurate data can enable better planning of both inbound and outbound logistics. Part-loaded vehicles can be avoided, and fleet movements can be better scheduled to cut dwell times at warehouses and fulfilment centres. In turn, mileage in supply chains and the number of vehicles in transit can be reduced to save carbon emissions and fuel costs. Just-in-time inventory management can also be better planned, minimising stockpiling and the associated energy consumption and costs of warehousing excessive inventory.
Transport management systems and online booking portals can also eliminate issues of HGVs clogging up loading bays, creating opportunity to ‘green lane’ priority vehicles. For example, if there’s a need to quickly move inventory to replenish low stock levels, vehicle licence plates can be programmed to be given priority status. Dedicated loading bays can be assigned and prepared to ensure these vehicles are processed quickly and efficiently.
Strengthening quality control
Automating and digitalising labelling has become a pivotal driver of better quality standards within pre-retail logistics. The flow of accurate data can be used to inform quality control dashboards that streamline product checks and reduce the likelihood of imperfect goods moving beyond this crucial stage of the supply chain.
Eliminating errors and improving performance and efficiencies during pre-retail logistics doesn’t require lengthy implementation plans and significant investment. It requires something as straightforward as the automation and digitalisation of labelling, which can positively ripple effect though a supply chain to save time, costs, resources and carbon emissions.
Click here to find out more about optimising pre-retail logistics to get products ‘retail ready’ or email: enquiries@advancedsupplychain.com
