Even before the pandemic set in, there was a significant increase in online sales of oversize goods. The U.S. Census Bureau reports ecommerce sales of furniture/home furnishings increased 49% in Q1 2021, while building materials/garden equipment was up a whopping 63.1%.

However, the logistics of oversized fulfillment presents a unique set of challenges. Pickup and delivery schedules, insurance, assembly, and transportation costs are all friction factors. How do you find more efficient ways to handle bulky orders, and what are the customer expectations?

To discuss these challenges, Multichannel Merchant invited a panel of retail/ecommerce operations executives to an exclusive virtual Think Tank Forum, Solving for Oversized Ecommerce Fulfillment, sponsored by Purolator.

Think Tank Forum Participants:

• Alex Boyd, Divisional Vice President of Logistics, Hudson’s Bay Co.
• Azim Panju, General Manager of B2C Ecommerce, Purolator
• Greg Mack, VP of Store Delivery and Services, Tractor Supply Co.
• Noora Tirkkonen, VP of Customer Experience, Strategy and Distribution, Joybird
• Martin Hickey, Senior Manager, DTC Team, Fruit of the Loom
• Michael Shaughnessy, VP of Operations, Balsam Brands

This lively forum conversation addressed opportunities and solutions for large-item logistics challenges. Topics included rising consumer demand, managing expectations, the return process, and carrier costs and strategies. Download this free report for all the insights.