Anchor Shops opens first fulfilment centre in Philadelphia

12 Dec '19

3 min read

Pic: Business Wire

Anchor Shops powered by ShopFulfill, the vertically integrated retail storefront and distribution network that helps native brands thrive offline, has launched its first fulfilment centre at the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) owned Moorestown Mall in Moorestown, as well as a retail location in Fashion District in Downtown Philadelphia.

ShopFulfill's Anchor Shops was conceived to help digitally native brands better compete with legacy retailers and grow profitably. Anchor Shops aims to accomplish this by providing online retailers with a turnkey solution that enables them to establish a highly visible brick-and-mortar presence and benefit from a low-cost regional distribution network. By plugging into the Anchor Shops network, online brands are able to bring their products closer to the customer and deliver them more quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, they benefit from being grouped with complementary emerging brands in-store, which is intended to fuel engagement and drive sales, according to a press release by ShopFulfill.

Anchor Shops’ highly differentiated value proposition helps online brands grow profitably by significantly lowering the costs associated with customer acquisition, leasing and operating stores, shipping product, and handling returns. In addition to the economic advantages, Anchor Shops offers brands speedy, top-tier store replenishment, ecommerce fulfilment, and buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) services. This regional distribution model also helps retailers lower their carbon footprints by utilising a strategic delivery system that maximises the productivity of each truckload.

Fashion District Philadelphia represents an ideal destination for Anchor Shops’ first retail store given its highly visible location in the heart of Centre City along bustling Market Street. Situated on the mall’s concourse level, Anchor Shops would attract steady foot traffic from the 22 million commuters who pass through the co-located Jefferson SEPTA station each year. The retail store seeks to house more than 40 digital-first retailers in a thoughtfully designed setting that guides consumers through a curated journey and allows each brand to support and be supported by the other.

Anchor Shops intends to scale nationally after developing its network within the Philadelphia/South New Jersey region. The retail store at Fashion District Philadelphia and distribution centre at Moorestown Mall, which will be staffed by retail professionals employed by Anchor Shops, are expected to open in the second quarter of 2020. The company is currently in discussions with a diverse group of online brands interested in plugging into its network. Depending on the size and type of space required, brands will have the option to join Anchor Shops and its national distribution network for as little as $800 per month.

“The retail paradigm has shifted to require a brick and click approach. It has been much easier for legacy retailers to build out their online infrastructures, but digitally native brands have found it difficult and cost prohibitive to develop physical footprints. We are offering online-first brands something that is entirely unique and practical – the only all-in-one solution that empowers them to achieve profitability, establish a physical retail presence and build stronger customer connections,” Shlomo Chopp, founder and CEO of ShopFulfill said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)

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