DTC Logistics Innovation with Rick Watson

Rick Watson and Joe Lynch discuss DTC Logistics innovation. Rick founded RMW Commerce Consulting, a boutique ecommerce consultancy that supports investors and management teams incubating and growing digital businesses online – both direct-to-consumer and B2B.

About Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the ecommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes. Watson was one of the first employees at ChannelAdvisor, spending 10 years there in various executive capacities and launching many of the company’s flagship offerings. He was then recruited to launch the third-party marketplace at BarnesandNoble.com, expanding the company’s product catalog by over 1 million items. After the successful marketplace launch, he served as CEO of Merchantry and led the company to a $30M acquisition by Tradeshift. Upon fulfilling the transition obligations of Merchantry to Tradeshift, Watson directed the cross-border product strategy of Pitney Bowes, a $450M business, comprised of Borderfree and the eBay Global Shipping Program. Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct-to-consumer digital ecommerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

About RMW Commerce Consulting

RMW Commerce Consulting supports investors and management teams incubating and growing digital businesses online – both direct-to-consumer and B2B. RMW was founded by Rick Watson after his more than 20 years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the ecommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Key Takeaways: DTC Logistics Innovation

Rick Watson is the Founder and CEO of RMW Commerce, a consulting company focused on helping investors and management teams grow their digital commerce initiatives.
In the podcast interview, Rick and Joe discussed DTC logistics innovation and some of the recent moves by industry leaders in the retail and logistics verticals.
DTC is an acronym for “direct to consumer.”
Rick and Joe explored the topics below:
The term dark store, dark shop, dark supermarket refers to a retail outlet or distribution center that exists exclusively for online shopping.
A dark store is generally a large warehouse that can either be used to facilitate a “click-and-collect” service, where a customer collects an item they have ordered online, or as an order fulfillment platform for online sales.
The dark store format was initiated in the United Kingdom and Europe during Covid times. It is not clear whether the trend will gain traction in the USA.
American Eagle Outfitters acquired both Quiet Logistics and Airterra demonstrating their commitment to DTC business.
Amazon partners with mom-and-pop stores to serve rural areas. This experimental program aims to speed up delivery times to sparsely-populated areas.
Currently, Amazon partners with the USPS for final mile deliveries in rural areas. Some USPS shipments from Amazon have to be picked up at the local post office. The new service further enhances Amazon’s reputation as the best delivery provider.