Goal

What the client needed to achieve

National specialty retailer Stage Stores needed to improve the speed and efficiency of its e-commerce fulfillment process without sacrificing in-store customer service during the busiest retail season of the year. With e-orders being fulfilled out of 113 brick-and-mortar stores under five retail brands, store associates were being pulled off the floor to meet shipping deadlines — impacting both productivity and the customer experience.

Results

Improving efficiency, sustaining customer experience

Delivery

How Sendero delivered

Sendero began by conducting a detailed time and motion study to analyze the existing fulfillment process. Over 11 store visits, the team tracked 90 orders, collected nearly 500 data points, and captured 8 gigabytes of observational video. Using this data, Sendero benchmarked Stage Stores’ process against industry standards to identify opportunities for improvement.

Highlights:

• Conducted competitive analysis to compare e-fulfillment performance with industry peers
• Delivered three phased improvement plans (short-, mid-, and long-term)
• Provided detailed workspace and process standardization guidelines
• Recommended hiring a dedicated fulfillment specialist role
• Proposed technology enhancements that eliminated two steps in the fulfillment process and improved tracking efficiency

Practice

A foundation for lasting retail efficiency

By implementing Sendero’s recommendations, Stage Stores entered the holiday season with a clear, executable roadmap for fulfillment improvements. The company successfully managed more than one million online orders across all five brands while maintaining a high standard of in-store service — proving that operational efficiency and customer experience can go hand in hand.

Key Contacts

Jeff Schar

Managing Director, Consulting

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