Growth of healthy snacks rose by 7 percent in 2014-2015 compared to "conventional" snacks, which only increased by 5 percent, according to research from Euromonitor International entitled No Sugar, Please: How Snacks Are Being Redefined.

Challenge: A leading brewing company with over 400 distributors was not able to meet retailer demands for automating critical supply chain processes from purchasing to replenishment. At the threat of losing precious retail shelf space, the brewer undertook a journey that would transform its manual processes to an industry-leading B2B integration program, which now has retailers calling it for supply chain advice.

Quick grocery trips - those "I need it now" excursions - account for two-thirds of shopping visits and one-third of grocery expenditures. And these trips are not made at one store or even one channel. In fact, there is a major shift in how consumers are approaching grocery shopping, because they are spreading their money across more channels and formats as they shop to fulfill their needs.

While sensor-laden containers, smart ships and 3D printing have grabbed the headlines, the start-ups making the biggest inroads are those working on something more basic - streamlining the interaction between shippers, freight forwarders and those actually transporting the goods.

Recent events, such as the Hanjin collapse, have shone a spotlight on the deeply interconnected nature of today's container shipping networks and demonstrated how little visibility many shippers have into the whereabouts and status of their cargo as it moves through a complex web of service providers.

MiX Telematics, a provider of fleet and mobile asset-management applications delivered under a software-as-a-service model, has developed a product for tracking valuable assets such as generators, light towers, storage tanks and pumps.

Americans are looking forward to splurging on their favorite candy and costumes this Halloween season. According to the National Retail Federation's annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $8.4bn, an all-time high in the survey's history.