Activating your stores: Transforming your retail footprint into a fulfilment powerhouse
In the fashion industry’s new operating model, physical stores are no longer just points of sale but strategic assets. With the right orchestration, stores become local fulfilment hubs, sustainability enablers and brand loyalty accelerators. And in today’s climate of margin pressure, platform competition, and rising customer expectations, store activation is one of the smartest plays a retailer can make.
Why store enablement matters more than ever
For too long, stores were sidelined in digital transformation strategies. But the pendulum is swinging back, not toward footfall, but fulfilment. In a volatile landscape where speed, availability, and cost-to-serve are make-or-break metrics, activating store networks is becoming a critical lever for omnichannel performance.
- In the US, the model mirrors retail powerhouses like Target or Walmart, using localised stores to bring fulfilment closer to the consumer, avoiding national shipping costs and import tariffs.
- In France and the UK, store teams are stepping into new roles as fulfilment champions, empowered with tools that let them contribute directly to ecommerce success.
- In Italy, the boutique experience meets operational excellence. Clienteling and personalisation are extended into fulfilment, with stores ensuring premium service through same-day pickup or curated in-store collections.
The impact of store activation
Activating stores as fulfilment nodes unlocks five key advantages:
- Speed and proximity
By using stores to fulfil ecommerce and Click and Collect orders, brands dramatically reduce delivery times, offering next-day or even same-day options in urban areas.
- Inventory efficiency
Stores help brands tap into distributed stock and avoid missed sales due to local stockouts or variant gaps. Endless aisle and Ship from Store models increase product availability without overstocking central warehouses.
- Resilience in peak periods
During seasonal spikes or carrier disruptions, store networks offer redundancy and flexibility, reducing dependency on a single fulfilment node.
- Lower cost-to-serve
Especially for cross-border orders, stores in-market allow brands to avoid customs duties and high last-mile delivery fees. For low-margin baskets, this can be the difference between profit and loss.
- Improved returns economics
Stores also serve as convenient drop-off points, reducing return shipping costs and allowing faster restocking, recommerce, or repurposing of items.
Technology makes it scalable
What used to be a logistical headache is now a streamlined orchestration opportunity. DOM (Distributed Order Management) platforms like OneStock enable:
- Real-time decisioning on the best store to fulfil each order based on capacity, promise, and proximity
- Workload balancing across stores to avoid burnout and bottlenecks
- Intuitive mobile tools that empower store teams to fulfil without friction
The result? Retailers like Intersport now fulfil over 67% of online orders from stores, cutting costs and accelerating delivery. Brands like Jacadi use Reserve and Collect to match parents’ need for predictability with real-time availability. And premium players like ba&sh eliminate lost sales through Endless Aisle logic that connects boutiques with ecommerce inventory.
It’s time to rethink the role of the store
Store activation is a structural shift in how retail networks create value. The most advanced brands are integrating store fulfilment KPIs into omnichannel dashboards. They’re equipping associates with the same tools as warehouse pickers. And they’re redefining store performance around both service and logistics.
In short, your stores aren’t just part of the retail journey. They are the journey.
If you’re not activating them, you’re underutilising your most agile, local, and brand-aligned asset. It’s time to turn your footprint into a powerhouse.
