Amazon has opened warehouses on Chicago's South Side and Goose Island in order to facilitate same-day delivery.

As consumers grow accustomed to same-day and next-hour delivery services like Amazon Prime Now, e-tailers are waking up to the daunting reality that fulfilling ambitious delivery promises -- a key battle line in the increasingly competitive retail sector -- requires not only cutting-edge logistics, but also a warehousing network capable of meeting demand near major population centers. Even traditional brick-and-mortar stores are altering their business models to stay competitive, in some cases using store inventory to fulfill orders placed online. In a recent byline for REJournals.com, Ryan Phillips, director at Taylor Johnson client Transwestern, discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by e-commerce, and why Chicago is an ideal case study for last-mile warehousing.