Scan-Based Trading: A Logistics Advantage for Retail Success
- CTL
Rethinking Fulfillment: Where Brand Experience Begins
Contrary to popular belief, customer experience doesn’t start at the point of purchase–it starts in the warehouse. While many brands invest heavily in marketing and storefront optimization, customer loyalty is often won or lost in the backend. Shipping delays, damaged packaging, and missing components on the store shelf create friction that erodes trust and impacts sell-through. That’s why transforming your fulfillment from a backend cost center into a proactive driver of brand experience can elevate your brand reputation.
Why Scan-Based Trading Drives Brand Growth
Retailers appreciate SBT because it simplifies inventory management and shifts product performance accountability back to the brand. By reducing upfront buying commitments, SBT opens the door for brands, especially new or seasonal ones, to place product in front of consumers quickly. This creates an agile, performance-based model that rewards supply chain efficiency and brand responsiveness.
FAQ: Scan-Based Trading & Fulfillment
Scan-based trading is a retail model where suppliers retain ownership of inventory until it is sold at the register. Retailers only pay when the product sells.
SBT reduces financial risk for retailers, making it easier for them to test and rotate new products. This creates more opportunities for emerging or seasonal brands to gain shelf space.
SBT requires real-time tracking, detailed order accuracy, serialized inventory, and fast replenishment. Without robust logistics support, execution can falter.
In-store merchandisers ensure that product displays and promotions are executed properly. They depend on timely shipments and access to spare materials to do their jobs.
CTL offers high-SKU accuracy, inventory visibility through the Virtual Warehouse, automated integrations, and merchandising support via our Supply Store—everything a brand needs to execute SBT effectively.
Yes. Vendors like TrueCommerce and ReposiTrak offer platforms that help brands manage SBT data, compliance, and retail integration. CTL complements these tools with execution-level logistics and fulfillment support.
The Fulfillment Demands of SBT
SBT is logistically demanding. That’s why brands need fulfillment partners who can handle the added complexity of this retail model. It requires precise multi-SKU order fulfillment, serialized tracking, fast replenishment capabilities, and full visibility into retail-bound inventory. Additionally, brands must be able to support reverse logistics for unsold or outdated merchandise and ensure compliance with each retailer’s unique receiving protocols.
Timing is also critical in SBT programs. Retailers often operate on fixed planogram resets or promotional schedules, making it essential for shipments to meet strict ‘arrive by’ dates. Delays can result in missed sales windows or compliance penalties. CTL Global understands these pressures and ensures precision delivery aligned with retail calendars.
In-Store Merchandisers: The Missing Link
In-store merchandisers ensure product displays are set correctly, promotions are launched on time, and product placement aligns with planograms. They often act as the final quality checkpoint between fulfillment and the customer. These teams rely on logistics partners to deliver not just inventory, but everything from shelf signage to promotional materials, accurately and on time.
How CTL Simplifies Scan-based Trading for Brands
CTL offers a complete fulfillment and logistics platform designed to support brands participating in SBT programs. Here’s how we help brands succeed:
Complex Fulfillment, Simplified:
CTL handles high-SKU count orders with precision and speed. Whether managing promotional kits or standard replenishment orders, our systems ensure every line item is picked and packed correctly.
Real-Time Inventory with CTL’s Virtual Warehouse
Our clients have 24/7 access to CTL’s Virtual Warehouse, an online platform that provides real-time inventory visibility. This tool also supports manual order entry, making it easy to send one-off replenishments for emergency needs. Best practice is to use CTL’s wide range of API, EDI, and shopping cart integrations to automate regular order flow.
On-Demand Support for POS Components
CTL’s proprietary Supply Store gives merchandisers and field reps a self-service portal to request spare parts, display hardware, and signage replacements. This ensures the brand experience at the shelf remains consistent.
Seamless Collaboration with Merchandising Teams
Our integrated workflows allow merchandising teams to track shipments, request support, and coordinate promotional rollouts with complete transparency. We help eliminate communication gaps between warehouse and field teams.
CTL has deep experience supporting scan-based trading programs in specialized categories, including greeting cards and gift cards. These high-turnover, time-sensitive products demand accurate replenishment and retail coordination.
From Cost Center to Brand Engine
The right logistics partner provides more than a service; they provide a strategic advantage. For brands operating under scan-based trading, fulfillment becomes a core part of the customer experience. With the right systems and partners in place, brands can turn operational complexity into a competitive edge. When every shipment supports on-shelf availability, display integrity, and promotional readiness, logistics becomes a brand engine—not just a backend function.
