Customer Success During Supply Chain Disruptions
Retail supply chain updates from Axis Display Group
WE ALL WANT TO DO RIGHT BY OUR PEOPLE - By our customers and employees, trade partners and suppliers. But sometimes, circumstances beyond our control get in the way.
For retail professionals, supply chain disruptions are the latest hurdle. As an entire industry pivots, issues with supply and demand have dramatically impacted customer experience.
Since Covid, increased consumer spending, high import levels, port congestion, container shortages, cargo ship shortages, trucking shortages, reduced workforces, social, political, and environmental unrest, and more have made it dramatically more difficult to plan, ship, and deliver both B2B and B2C products to anyone, anywhere. This is on top of an already unsteady manufacturing landscape due to 2019 tariff concerns and forecasted rising inflation.
As retail manufacturers, the effects of these disruptions have altered our business operations in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Most obviously, these uncertainties have impacted how quickly and for what price we can get materials to build and ship out retail programs. Just today we received a shipping quote for a standard 40 foot container for $16,500. This would have cost ~ $6,000 pre-pandemic.
Hard-to-digest realities such as this have created widespread hesitancy and a “wait and see” mentality for many brands and retailers looking to invest in store design, development, and/or new merchandising programs. Unfortunately, erring on the side of caution in the short-term does not always save time, money, and resources in the long-term - but controlling what you can does.
Control What You Can
In order to remain competitive and cautious, cutting edge and strategic, we’ve adopted a mantra: control what you can. For us, this means focusing on:
Controlling operating agility
Controlling program communication
Control Operating Agility
Axis Display Group was designed to remain agile and adaptable during difficult market conditions. Over the past 12+ years, we’ve sourced strategic partnerships with multiple material producers, manufacturing partners, logistics specialists, and other industry professionals who together guarantee AXIS many production and shipping options for our clients’ diverse projects. This operations model has allowed our company to remain solvent and effective in how we conduct business and complete projects.
How this helps our clients help their customers:
Our options = your options. Options are invaluable.
Concerned about port congestion? We have an alternative.
Prefer to keep things “Made in America”? No problem.
Pushing for more sustainable solutions in design, development, or production? We got you.
Looking for a unique material? Tap our global network.
Control Program Communication
In 2019, we expanded our core services model to include a division of Axis Display Group dedicated to uncovering, organizing, improving, and managing the many dynamic conversations, plans, and strategies brands and retailers rely on when launching a new retail program or product.
By offering support to clients in the following areas, we can better ensure the physical display or fixture investment functions with longevity and success:
Retail and channel marketing strategic review and consultation. Read more on our Retail Roadmap Sessions here.
Retail program distribution planning and scheduling
Store assessment protocols with custom improvement plans. See an example for Polaris dealers here.
Store layout support and visual merchandising guidelines
Retail sales tools + associate and brand representative training
How this helps our clients help their customers:
B2B dynamics between brands, channels, retailers, and the human beings who actually operate and interact with customers on a daily basis can get complex. Countless retail programs never live up to their full potential because they aren’t supported well enough in the field.
When we’re able to integrate any of the above activities and topics into store planning and display strategy at the beginning, the end product’s impact assists in:
building long-lasting, effective brand-to-retailer relationships
delivering better, more exhaustive customer service
improving brand awareness, increasing consideration, and instilling a sense of confidence within shoppers
making intelligent data-driven decisions when it comes to retail program updates, adaptations, expansions, and renewals
When retail works as a well-oiled machine top to bottom, customers notice and appreciate it.
We prepare you with everything you need to make retail easy, seamless, and enjoyable for your customers and employees, regardless of surprises, unforeseen circumstances, or drastic market changes.
Will controlling these two areas make all of our supply chain problems go away? Absolutely not. Will it make us a more dependable, flexible, and honest retail partner? Absolutely yes.
Delays and surprises are inevitable. The difference between those derailments bringing you down, and your ability to make the necessary pivots to rise above, resides in your ability to control what you can and communicate with your people about your plan to better serve them.
Create value in places where value wasn’t originally looked for.
IF YOU’RE NOT SURE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE…
…or if you know where to go but not how to get there, consider engaging a qualified consultant with retail experience who can help you evaluate and evolve your retail business model to meet the demands of consumers today and in the years ahead.
