From Advantage to Imperative: How Fulfillment Became the Core of Omnichannel Growth

Amid persistent supply chain disruptions, tariff uncertainty, and evolving customer expectations, omnichannel fulfillment has evolved from a competitive advantage to a necessity for modern brands. Yet scaling fulfillment operations to meet the demands of a multichannel world remains a complex challenge for many modern brands.

According to recent data from Radial, 47 percent of retail decision-makers cited the ability to manage growth and scale as a significant challenge. Nearly as many, 44 percent, reported a limited ability to add new channels and capabilities as a primary challenge. This signals a clear need for more adaptable, cost-efficient strategies supporting growth across owned and third-party channels.

In response, modern brands are seeking configurable solutions to optimize their operations that support growth across channels, account for fulfillment scalability, and ultimately reinforce and elevate customer experience.

Fulfillment is No Longer One-Size-Fits-All 

While 72 percent of retailers indicate their own website as their primary sales channel, long-term growth increasingly hinges on reaching consumers wherever they choose to shop, be it through digital marketplaces, social platforms, or big-box e-commerce hubs. But serving customers across these channels demands more than just channel integration; it requires a fulfillment infrastructure that can flex with demand, optimize for cost, and uphold brand promises around speed and reliability.

Many modern brands turn to robust e-commerce platforms or third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to develop the agility needed for centralized order management, inventory, and delivery across an expanding range of sales touchpoints. According to Radial, 68 percent of retail leaders rely on Shopify to manage and scale their e-commerce operations, which underscores the need for fulfillment solutions that integrate seamlessly with these platforms.

Channel Expansion Raises the Stakes for Fulfillment 

Beyond owned channels, modern brands increasingly focus on digital marketplaces and online big-box retailers, with 56 percent of retailers identifying them as key targets for expansion. While these high-traffic platforms offer access to larger audiences, they come with tradeoffs to account for, such as higher fees, stricter participation metrics, and operational complexity, particularly in fulfillment.

To compete effectively, modern brands must balance reach with fulfillment precision. That means investing in distributed inventory models, faster last-mile delivery options, real-time visibility into stock levels across locations, and partnering with an experienced 3PL. Without these capabilities or the support of an experienced 3PL, even the best omnichannel strategy risks falling short at the most critical touchpoint: delivery.

As modern brands re-evaluate their channel strategies, the focus is on finding the right balance between growth opportunities and cost efficiency. An effective multichannel approach isn't just beneficial; it's table stakes.

Long-Term Success of Omnichannel Fulfillment 

As omnichannel strategies mature, fulfillment becomes a key driver of brand performance and customer loyalty. A recent consumer survey found that nearly 40 percent of consumers stopped purchasing from direct-to-consumer brands they previously liked due to fulfillment issues, with top frustrations being shipping delays or stockouts (29 percent), unexpected fees (30 percent), and return friction (24 percent).

These figures reinforce a critical truth: Fulfillment isn’t just about getting products from point A to B — it directly influences brand perception and repeat business.

A robust, scalable fulfillment strategy offers several operational advantages:

1. Flexibility to support diverse fulfillment models across channels and regions.
2. Real-time visibility into inventory, enabling proactive planning and faster response times.
3. Increased customer satisfaction through accurate, reliable and faster delivery.

For modern brands, fulfillment can no longer be a back-office concern; it needs to be a frontline differentiator. Retailers that align their fulfillment operations with their multichannel growth strategies will be best positioned to scale efficiently, manage costs, and meet the elevated expectations of today's consumers.

Tom Schmitt is the CEO of Radial, a bpostgroup company, the leader in e-commerce solutions.