Analyst Insight: Omnichannel customer expectations continue to drive complexity in inventory planning and management. Expectations for faster fulfillment and free shipping, coupled with pressure to minimize inventory carrying cost, are driving companies to rethink inventory strategies to profitably service customers and ensure inventory is deployed in the right quantities to the right place at exactly the right time. But omnichannel flows like ship-from-store and buy-online-pick-up in-store (BOPIS) are complicating things and creating a new threshold for inventory planning requirements. - George Swartz, vice president, Fortna Inc.

After more than two decades of bad blood and legal wrangling between states and the online giant, Amazon will collect sales tax in all states that have such a levy. Collection in Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, and New Mexico, the final four states where shoppers don't pay required tax through the site, will begin on April 1st.

Walmart launched its own startup incubator program in Silicon Valley, with a keen eye on last-mile delivery, according to Mobility Buzz.

eBay is wading into the fast shipping wars, taking on Amazon Prime and Walmart with its new Guaranteed Delivery offering that will launch this summer on its selling platform with more than 20 million eligible items. Shoppers on eBay will also be able to search and filter items by one- and two-day delivery.

Analyst Insight: Defining success for retailers today is pretty straightforward: Respond more rapidly and efficiently to customers' demands, at a price they are willing to pay, regardless of order platform or physical location of the products at the time of purchase. - Karl Manrodt, logistics and supply chain management professor, Georgia College and State University, and Mary Holcomb, supply chain management professor, University of Tennessee

Once considered a competitive advantage, store footprints have now become a burden for many chains as more shopping moves online. This week, executives from several large retailers and online sellers, including Amazon.com Inc., were under the same roof at Shoptalk to discuss the future of retail - and where physical locations fit into the picture.