A guide has been published by Sourcing Journal Online and TradeCard to help supply chain executives in the apparel industry take advantage of sourcing locales in Latin America as they pursue strategic initiatives requiring faster turnaround and more reliable delivery of goods.
A whopping 94 percent of B2B purchasers surveyed in the 2012 hybris State of B2B E-Commerce study said suppliers need to create an online buying experience as simple as using a B2C website.
Imagine a day in the not-so-distant future:
A woman strolls past "dress shop #12." A GPS application on her smartphone pings the store's CRM system, alerting it of the woman's proximity to the store. The system automatically searches her purchasing history, connecting her most recent internet search for floral, pleated skirts to the last such skirt in stock now at Dress Shop #12 - in her exact size. The system then texts her a 10-percent discount on the desired item, along with the store's address.
The woman sees the store, enters and purchases the item. The transaction is processed and the sale is reported to the inventory system. A replenishment order is sent to a 3PL warehouse in the Philippines, and on the next delivery, a new floral pleated skirt arrives at the store.
The woman leaves with the merchandise, and before she gets home, an email is already waiting in her inbox providing a coupon for her next store visit.
The 15 member lines of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA), who until now have limited their rate and service discussions to eastbound container movements from Asia to the U.S., are seeking to expand the group's scope to include the westbound trade.
The payment point in a retail environment is an under-utilized opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell. It says that both retailers and brands could benefit from considering ways to capitalize upon this crucial step in the consumer journey, as apart from driving sales, it is an excellent moment to increase customer loyalty.
A survey that examines manufacturer and consumer perceptions about how products are made, sold, bought and consumed reveals a focus on quality, supply chains that are more transparent than ever but a decline in overall optimism, according to Underwriters Laboratories.
Revenues accumulated by the global mobile application market are expected to pass the $30bn milestone by the end of this year, according to new market data from ABI Research.
The National Council of Chain Restaurants is urging repeal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), claiming it is disastrously costly for the restaurant industry, commodity prices and the food supply chain. The lobbying group released a 32-page report, which can be read in its entirety at http://www.NCCR.net.
China is transforming itself from a source of low-cost manufacturing for western consumers to a potentially huge market for domestic production. Ron Tarter, senior vice president and general manager of Flextronics, discusses how his company and others are adjusting to the shift.