Digital Supply Chains & Platforms
By Michael Hu · Oct 2018 The rising requirements of urban Gen Z consumers will define where the future of retail is headed. When it comes to big-city shoppers, what really matters to winning the last mile in fast retail? We recently surveyed more than 4,000 consumers in the United States and big cities globally… Continue reading Winning the Last Mile – What Consumers Want
By Michael Hu · Mar 2018 I gave a panel presentation at the Bernstein "Motor of eCommerce" Conference last week in London. We discussed two trends that will significantly impact on the eCommerce supply chain dynamics in the near term horizon Direct-to-Consumer: Brands across many categories are accelerating their pace of selling directly to consumer (DTC).… Continue reading Bernstein Motor of eCommerce Conference
By Michael Hu · Feb 2017 Consumers today are spoiled for choice. No matter where they live they have at their fingertips a vast assortment of products, a wide array of delivery options, and a never-ending parade of exclusive products and special offers. The consumer journey is becoming increasingly frictionless thanks to advances in technologies and… Continue reading Building an Omnichannel Supply Chain for Brands & CPG
By Michael Hu · Apr 2015 Omnichannel retail sales have consistently doubled every 4-5 years since 2001 and is expected to become a $1.8 trillion dollar market by 2016 and hit $7 trillion by 2025. Part of the growth is driven by consumers taking their shopping online. However this is just one side of the… Continue reading 6 Trends Shaping Omnichannel Supply Chain
The traditional value chain boundaries separating manufacturers and retailers are starting to blur under a digital, omnichannel setting. Brands are becoming retailers and increasingly playing an active role in the consumer Research - Shop - Buy cycle that has traditionally been the domain of retailers. We see this "direct to consumer" as a pervasive and on-going trend across numerous industry sectors. Although… Continue reading Brands are Becoming Retailers
By Michael Hu · Mar 2015 In 2003, William Gibson wrote a prescient novel - Pattern Recognition - that explored the tension between art and mass commercialization in retailing, among other interestingly speculative themes. One area of Gibson's focus was consumer fatigue against ubiquitous brands in an increasingly global and digital market through his metaphoric protagonist Cayce Pollard - a coolhunter who experiences and… Continue reading Muji, William Gibson and the Future of No Brand