Retail Consolidation Services

Retail consolidation is a service where products are received from multiple suppliers and manufacturers, normally as part of a Less-than-Truckload (LTL) shipment. A consolidator will bundle these shipments together and create one or more Full-Truckload (FTL) shipments for a particular retail customer. These large retail customers are often household brands like Walmart, Target, CVS, Amazon, Kroger, or Walgreens.

Retail consolidation services help to reduce costs and eliminate retailer fines. We reduce costs by minimizing the amount of trucks and drivers needed to transport goods from warehouses to retail stores and distribution centers. We eliminate fines through complying with strict retailer guidelines, as many larger retailers will penalize companies that deliver too many shipments, are late for their delivery slots, or do not meet their standards. 

Consolidated shipping is the approach that logistics providers use to bundle multiple orders and products into one shipment. Consolidated shipping can be used for any form of freight, such as ocean freight, air freight, rail, or ground transportation. Retail consolidation primarily focuses on ground transportation and trucking, specifically for delivery to retailers.

There are two main types of truckloads - Less-Than-Truckload, or LTL - and Full Truckload, or FTL. LTL consolidation involves receiving goods from a particular brand on a truck that's not full - an LTL shipment. We then bundle LTL shipments from two or more trucks or brands into one full truckload, or FTL. Our carriers will then deliver that FTL to a retailer. Consolidating LTLs into FTLs helps you to reduce costs, lower emissions, speed up shipping, and meet retailer requirements. 

Different retailers have varying consolidation needs, including:

• The proper transmission of paperwork at the right time in the order fulfillment and delivery process
• Receiving the right number of products at the right time (delivery on-time in-full)
• Having products shipped by their preferred carriers
• Ensuring the quality and freshness of the products they receive
• Insisting that products be packaged according to their specifications

GEODIS helps brands achieve this through several approaches:

• Maintaining strong relationships with wholesalers and retailers
• Keeping up to date with retail consolidation trends and changes
• Developing standard operating processes and compliance guidelines for each retailer
• Completing compliance audits on shipments before they're sent to retailers
• Tracking products through every part of their journey
• Reviewing any issues with product transport, receipt, compliance breaches, or fines
• Resolving the root causes of any retail consolidation issues

On-Time, In-Full (OTIF), is a target and metric that measures the percentage of orders successfully fulfilled, in terms of delivery time and product quantity. Specifically:

• Products arrive at the retailer at the scheduled delivery time (on-time)
• The number of products expected successfully arrive at the retailer (in-full)

Retailers will often penalize businesses if products arrive early or late (not "on-time") or if there are more or fewer items delivered than expected (not "in-full"). OTIF is used throughout the supply chain whenever goods are transported and delivered between suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. GEODIS regularly achieves an OTIF rate of 98% or more. 

We currently offer RCS programs for the following major retailers:

• Amazon
• Albertsons
• Cardinal Health
• CVS
• Dollar General
• Family Dollar
• HEB
• Kroger
• Meijer
• Rite Aid
• Safeway
• Target
• Walgreens
• Walmart
• West Coast Pool