Under the e-tail format, the number of orders will increase by a factor of 10 or even 100, each order having one or two lines with quantity of one item. This might involve picking of inner-packs or individual items from a broken case. Tompkins Associates has addressed the facility needs of many such companies, designing and implementing facility changes that present much higher density of product to a picker with minimal movement. The three most important factors of retail, as the adage goes, are location, location and location. The same holds true for the e-tailer.
Electronic shoppers have high expectations of gratification.
The e-shopper has used the convenience and speed of the Internet to find and purchase their items. That same shopper in turn expects equally timely and convenient delivery of the merchandise. Shipments that can take a week to be delivered by a ground service do not meet the customer's expectations. E-shopping brings with it the need for nearly instant gratification. To meet this need, the location of the fulfillment center becomes critical.