Cost reduction/cost containment is the top supply chain strategic initiative this year for 76 percent of the participants at the 2011 National Retail Federation Foundation's Retail Horizons conference.

When you talk about cost reduction, said PETCO CIO Herman Nell, you can either do things less or do things smarter. He said PETCO focused on doing things smarter and more efficiently. It took a step back and looked at its supply chain as a whole, including exploring updating the system and revisiting its processes.

A host of other issues were discussed during a session led by Mark Lawson, Global and U.S. Head of Retail for KPMG. Session panelists included Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president of Half Price Books; Bruce Besanko, executive vice president of OfficeMax; and PETCO's Nell.

Read Full Article