Distribution warehouses are fast becoming one of the more popular asset classes, thanks to online shopping (and our childlike fascination with forklifts). One active company is Home Depot (its Kelowna store pictured), which just opened the first of three DFCs planned in the US over the next two years. But there are no similar plans in Canada just yet, according to Home Depot spokesperson Erika Botond.
If that’s the case, it may want to rethink that, says DIG360 Consulting Ltd founder David Ian Gray, a retail analyst. “In my opinion, direct fulfillment is the crux of online,” he says of the rise in e-commerce. Without it, smooth, efficient, and profitable online operations will be challenged.
