Palo Alto, Calif.—Jan. 3, 2013—Symphony EYC, a global provider of retailing and distribution optimization solutions, now provides G.O.L.D. Drive, a new offering that facilitates order fulfillment for shoppers who order groceries online and collect them directly from drive-through depots without entering a store.
“G.O.L.D. Drive, part of Symphony EYC’s Omni-Shopper Suite, is made possible by real-time supply chain software that provides committed availability of items at time of order,” said Donal Mac Daid, Vice President for G.O.L.D. Supply Chain at Symphony EYC. “This guarantees availability with no substitutions and no frustration.”
Part of the Symphony EYC Omni-Shopper Suite, G.O.L.D. Drive extends the retailer’s omni-channel service options to shoppers who prefer scheduled pickup rather than store visit or home delivery. G.O.L.D. Drive lets retailers combine a larger food and non-food offer in a local store; capture spend from an increasingly omni-channel shopper; and optimize existing store and supply chain portfolios without significant investments or expansion.
Convenient for shoppers, the drive option lets them designate their own collection time and pick-up point, so they are no longer constrained by supermarket home delivery schedules. Mobile ordering facilitates actual shopping “on the go.” Real-time availability of products on the retailer Website ensures shoppers will never be disappointed with substituted items. Some retailers go one step further and let shoppers check their fresh produce at the pick-up point, de-risking the purchase and eliminating a potential barrier to online sales. Overall, shoppers benefit from:
- Dependable fulfillment on the item and order level
- Specific promotions targeted to the individual shopper
- Consistent pricing that matches in-store
- Flexible pickup time that lets them order and pick up at their convenience
- Real-time exchanges at pick-up
- No home delivery, which eliminates waiting at home
Combining G.O.L.D. Warehouse Management and G.O.L.D. Warehouse Voice Operations, G.O.L.D. Drive expedites preparation of online orders for pick up either at a dedicated warehouse or in a pick-up facility co-located with a store. In France, a major hypermarket has implemented G.O.L.D. Drive to provide a full service with fast turnaround. Orders can be placed up to two hours prior to pick up and shoppers have their products within five minutes of their scheduled arrival at the depot.
In France, where the drive concept is quickly being adopted, there were 1817 drive facilities at the end of 2012. According to market research group Kantar Worldpanel, 2.3 million French households visited a drive during 2012 and that number will rise to 4.5 million by the end of 2015, equivalent to 6.1 percent of the total shopping market. Overall, Kantar forecasts that rapid drive adoption will result in 4.5 million fewer shoppers in French stores in 2015.
French independent retailer Système U is forecasting that the turnover of its drive format will double in 2013 and again in 2014. The format, which will turn over $321 million in 2012—excluding Telemarket—is expected to generate $643 million in 2013 and $1.3 billon in 2014. Système U shoppers have the option of collecting goods ordered online at some 500 stores. This number is expected to increase to 1,000 within the next two years. Reportedly, more than 50 percent of sales volume with the drive format is generated by the retailer's private label products.
The Symphony EYC Omni-Shopper Suite captures and consolidates shopper interaction data across all channels; and uses it to drive more effective marketing, engagement, merchandising, supply and fulfillment. Symphony EYC’s expertise in omni-channel solutions spans order management; order picking in distribution centers; fulfillment centers or stores; and managing the replenishment cycle of products. The solutions also allow retailers to adapt to their customers’ changing needs, expand their offers and efficiently optimize their existing store assets.
