Where investment is flowing
Retail distributors are investing in advanced analytics to manage inventory and supplier relationships more proactively, leveraging route optimisation software to maximise delivery efficiency, and using warehouse automation to speed up fulfilment.
Why this is accelerating now
Rising cost pressure across materials, labour and fuel is pushing retailers to find efficiency wherever automation and better data can deliver it, rather than absorbing cost increases into pricing. This is less a technology trend than a direct response to margin pressure.
Where to start if you have not already
Inventory and supplier analytics typically deliver the fastest return because they require less capital investment than warehouse automation. Retailers without a clear starting point should prioritise visibility improvements first, then layer automation into the highest-volume, most repetitive parts of the operation.
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