Connecting the digital and physical channels was a challenge for Target as recently as 2012, according to Karl Bracken, senior vice president for supply chain transformation. The retailer was unable to access store inventory to fill orders, resulting in lost sales and frustrated shoppers.
"Other retailers were figuring it out and at Target at that time, we weren't even talking about it," Bracken says. "We were so focused on stores at the time."
Target, like most retailers historically, was product-oriented. "We differentiated with product and experience. But we had to differentiate on more than just product, and that included the supply chain," he said.
