The retail and consumer products landscape has shifted since the pandemic. Organizations in the retail, wholesale and distribution industry are constantly evolving and innovating. Today, consumers are more comfortable shopping online than ever before. This has both opportunities and risks for companies, as they rely more on technology for online shopping and fulfillment.
As consumer behavior shifts, the industry requires changes in store networks and distribution channels. Today’s consumers seek greater choice and convenience, and they have become more price sensitive amid inflation and other economic challenges. Meanwhile, more affluent consumers are seeking unique experiential and luxury products.
The industry needs to adapt to meet new opportunities, including artificial intelligence (AI), the Metaverse, the ongoing shift to online shopping and changing consumer tastes. Future success depends on finding opportunities in change, but such shifts require thoughtful risk management.
Some of the changing risks facing retailers today include:
- Automation
- Economic changes
- Environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability
- Cyber risks
- Geopolitical unrest
- Natural disasters
- Climate change
- Regulation
- Reputational risk
By leveraging our risk and people expertise, we can help you address both existing and new risks, suggesting risk transfer and human capital strategies to keep expenses in check.
If you’re wondering what industry excellence means for our retail and distribution clients, watch this animation to find out more about our retail & distribution industry vertical.
Who we serve
- Retail companies with brick-and-mortar locations and direct-to-consumer or online sale channels
- Wholesale consumer product businesses
- Distributors of consumer product goods
Why WTW Retail and Distribution?
- Industry expertise through a dedicated industry division: Our experts dedicated to the retail and distribution industry understand the unique risks the retail and distribution industry faces. Our deep knowledge and proprietary analytics and data enable us to align with your strategies and goals.
- Connected teams: To meet the demands of an increasingly connected world, we’ve organized our teams to provide full end-to-end advisory services based on our understanding of your risk and people needs across different disciplines and areas of expertise. Our broking team is integrated globally, accessing the most efficient insurance capacity for your business.
- Integrated analytical broking approach: Analytics are an essential part of our process and are embedded across all areas of the business to help you make better informed decisions about your risk and people needs.
Deep retail and distribution industry knowledge
Our group of experts have a long history of working with firms across all the subsectors of the retail and distribution industry, including giant retail companies and large-scale international wholesale and distribution companies.
The retail and distribution team serves as a bridge between you and our international pool of consultants, risk professionals and insurance brokers in 140 countries.
Our risk management, claims, insurance placement and human capital expertise means we're well placed to support your business’ risk and people needs.
How we can help your business
We partner with you to understand your current operations, culture, strategy and goals. Coupled with our understanding of sector trends and our analytics, we'll identify the risks and obstacles that could stop you from meeting your objectives. This enables us to work with you to deliver improvements in business resilience and recovery, insurance program efficiencies and cost reductions.
We also provide:
- Cyber risk audits and cyber loss prevention consulting
- Ergonomics consulting and training
- Work analysis and design
- Career analysis and design
- Health and benefits
- Industry-specific seminars, training and networking events
- Mass-tort consulting
- Peer-benchmarking analysis and analytical modeling of risks
- Retirement plans and consulting
- Risk optimization modeling via our Connected Risk Intelligence platform
- Risk tolerance modeling and reviews
- Claims
- Business interruption
- Reputational risk
- Tailored policy wordings, giving you peace of mind in the event of a claim
- Total rewards
- Employee wellbeing
If you would like to go into greater detail regarding your risk and people needs, we'd be more than happy to speak with you and show you how we can assist you in executing the right plan for your company.
Disclaimer
Willis Towers Watson hopes you found the general information provided in this publication informative and helpful. The information contained herein is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice and should not be relied upon in lieu of consultation with your own legal advisors. In the event you would like more information regarding your insurance coverage, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. In North America, Willis Towers Watson offers insurance products through licensed entities, including Willis Towers Watson Northeast, Inc. (in the United States) and Willis Canada Inc. (in Canada).
