This contributed story by Fabrizio Brasca, group vice president (GVP), global solutions with Blue Yonder, originally appeared in Logistics Viewpoints on Oct. 29, 2020. Excerpts from the story below. To see the full article visit LogisticsViewpoints.com.

Even before the early months of 2020, we were already living in an unprecedented time. The shift in market power from the seller to consumer had firmly taken hold. Consumer fulfillment was no longer just a “retail” issue, as industry lines were being blurred and many product suppliers were driving direct-to-customer channels. Traditional retail was already focused on creating a seamless consumer experience across all aspects of the fulfillment process.

But the sudden emergence of COVID-19 ― and its continuing implications ― have added a new and extraordinary level of industry pressure that is reverberating across the entire customer chain.