Chain Reaction: Shauna Bowen of Radial on Streamlining E-commerce Fulfillment
Andre Claudio
4 min read
Chain Reaction is Sourcing Journal’s discussion series with industry executives to get their take on today’s logistics challenges and learn about ways their company is working to keep the flow of goods moving. Here, Shauna Bowen, senior vice president, click to delivery at Radial, discusses how the e-commerce fulfillment solution provider is helping brands streamline order fulfillment while meeting consumers’ growing expectations—from online shopping to doorstep delivery.
Shauna Bowen, senior vice president, click to delivery, Radial
Radial proudly partners with leading brands across multiple verticals, primarily focusing on the apparel and beauty industries. Our clientele includes globally loved brands such as Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein and Paula’s Choice.
Which industry do you think has the most to teach fashion about improving their supply chain logistics?
While often grouped together, the beauty industry holds a wealth of untapped insights for the fashion sector. Driven by social media trends, direct-to-consumer beauty products have grown in popularity as consumers all vie for the same viral item. This surge is not a fleeting trend but a true shift in that consumers are now habituated to browsing vast product ranges online, reading reviews and making informed purchases.
The beauty industry’s adeptness at handling a vast array of products with rapid turnover provides a valuable blueprint for fashion brands seeking scalable efficiency. By adopting advanced inventory management tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and automation, fashion brands can streamline order fulfillment to match the pace of viral trends. This cross-industry knowledge transfer not only addresses operational hurdles but also enhances the overall customer journey, aligning with today’s elevated consumer expectations from online shopping to doorstep delivery.
What are the main things brands and retailers could do (or stop doing) right now that would immediately improve logistics?
Consumer preferences are becoming increasingly demanding, and growing supply chain disruptions make fulfilling those expectations difficult. Recent Radial survey data has found that 36 percent of online shoppers have faced delayed delivery, and 24 percent of online shoppers have experienced high delivery costs. While retailers debate between fast shipping or free shipping, many are compromising on the customer experience.
To improve logistics, brands and retailers need to consider the entire shopping journey and lean on partners like dependable third-party logistics providers and technology. This ensures their logistics are robust, even during high-volume periods. Effective strategies include leveraging inventory management, enhancing customer service, implementing risk management, using predictive analytics and offering customized shipping solutions. These approaches help align logistics and fulfillment goals with overall business goals, ultimately improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
When it comes to supply chain logistics challenges, there are things companies can fix, and things that are beyond their control. How can the former help the latter?
The rise of online apparel shopping has significantly increased return rates, posing substantial challenges and costs for retailers. While managing returns is expensive, losing customers due to restrictive return policies is even more costly. Many retailers have tightened their return policies to mitigate expenses, but this often leads to customer dissatisfaction. Rather than focusing solely on reducing returns through stricter policies, retailers should prioritize strategies to prevent them altogether. While eliminating returns entirely is impractical, implementing measures to improve the shopping experience can significantly decrease return rates.
What area of logistics isn’t receiving the industry attention it deserves?
The consumer behavior behind viral products has been widely analyzed, but the operational challenges that arise when a brand unexpectedly skyrockets in popularity are often overlooked. The logistical complexities of scaling up production and distribution to meet surging demand, as seen with the recent popularity of Stanley cups, highlight the critical importance of flexible supply chain management.
Brands that effectively adapt to these conditions by leveraging inventory forecasting, data-driven insights and other innovative logistics solutions can maintain competitiveness and ensure sustained customer engagement in a fluctuating market environment.
What is your company doing to make the movement of goods more sustainable?
Sustainability is a cornerstone of Radial’s operational ethos, particularly as the retail sector accounts for a substantial 25 percent of global carbon emissions. Recognizing the bulk of these emissions originate within the supply chain, primarily beyond a retailer’s control, it can be discouraging to try and understand what can be done. But the first step starts by looking inward.
A major initiative has been adopting sustainable packaging solutions that use recycled materials and optimize package sizing to reduce waste and transportation emissions. For example, our move to right-size packaging ensures that items are not shipped in oversized boxes, which not only minimizes waste but also enhances the efficiency of shipping logistics.
Are you optimistic about the state of supply chains in the next few years?
Despite the growing disruptions our industry faces, I am optimistic about the state of the supply chain. I’m excited by innovations, especially in advanced technology like AI, that can help supply chains future-proof against challenges.
