The purpose of this study is twofold: investigating how omnichannel (OC) retailers manage e-fulfillment costs and establishing how these costs relate to the evolution of OC retailers' e-fulfillment strategies. Experts in e-fulfillment from 34 European OC retailers across various sectors participated in an exploratory survey. The study's results reveal that although e-fulfillment costs significantly influence the evolution of e-fulfillment strategies, many OC retailers fulfilling online orders from retail stores or traditional warehouses remain unaware of the actual costs of e-fulfillment. Activities other than picking and last-mile delivery, such as inbound logistics and storage, are poorly controlled. Furthermore, complex cost metrics such as —the total cost associated with delivering a specific order to a specific customer—are predominantly found among OC retailers operating fulfillment centers (FCs) in their e-fulfillment distribution networks. This underscores the need for all OC retailers to accurately assess e-fulfillment costs at multiple levels, which will be crucial for optimizing order preparation, tailoring pricing strategies, and achieving profitability, especially when operating hybrid e-fulfillment strategies where online orders are prepared in multiple facilities. As the largest study on e-fulfillment costs to date, it highlights the importance of advancing e-fulfillment cost management systems among OC retailers and adopting an approach that encompasses all e-fulfillment activities. Future research should delve into the key challenges of developing these systems, considering the operational realities of each OC retailer.

中文翻译：

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全渠道零售中的电子履行成本管理：探索性研究

本研究的目的有两个：调查全渠道 (OC) 零售商如何管理电子履行成本，并确定这些成本与 OC 零售商电子履行策略的演变之间的关系。来自不同行业 34 家欧洲 OC 零售商的电子履行专家参与了一项探索性调查。研究结果表明，尽管电子履行成本显着影响电子履行策略的演变，但许多从零售商店或传统仓库履行在线订单的 OC 零售商仍然不了解电子履行的实际成本。除拣选和最后一英里配送之外的活动（例如入库物流和存储）控制不力。此外，复杂的成本指标，例如与向特定客户交付特定订单相关的总成本，主要存在于在其电子履行分销网络中运营履行中心 (FC) 的 OC 零售商中。这强调了所有 OC 零售商需要在多个层面上准确评估电子履行成本，这对于优化订单准备、定制定价策略和实现盈利至关重要，特别是在运营混合电子履行策略时，其中在线订单准备在多个设施。作为迄今为止最大规模的电子履行成本研究，它强调了在 OC 零售商中推进电子履行成本管理系统并采用涵盖所有电子履行活动的方法的重要性。未来的研究应该深入研究开发这些系统的关键挑战，同时考虑每个 OC 零售商的运营现实。