Small appliances volume sales will surpass major appliances and grow by 22 percent globally by 2019, according to research by Euromonitor International. Global consumer interest is turning towards small appliances, such as air treatment, cooking appliances and vacuum cleaners, which reflects the huge demands for health care and life-enhancing products. More than half of global sales of these products are coming from China, followed by France, Japan and Turkey.
Replenish Bottling LLC has launched a sustainable product line that has the potential to change how many water-based consumer products are designed, manufactured and sold. The packaging technology can be found in a new line of concentrate household cleaning and personal care items sold under the CleanPath brand.
Those watching the 3D printing category can now look beyond office supply retailers. Target is now offering 3D printing for small decorative and gift items for the holidays.
Manufacturers are becoming more diverse in their product mixes and geographic reach. But they haven't necessarily responded with the kind of initiatives that drive total integration across the supply chain, says Ben Yokell, principal for demand planning with Chainalytics.
In recent years, a growing number of retail RFID use cases have clearly demonstrated the benefits of being able to track inventory at the item level, leading to better shelf replenishment and fewer out of stocks. Many retailers quantify the benefits of reducing out of stocks not just at the item level (potential lost sales) but at the transaction level, since retailers closely track the number of items that comprise the average transaction (e.g. 3.6 items/sale). Using that example, an out-of-stock item (especially in a core category such as denim) could result in lost sales of an additional 2.6 items that were to be purchased with it.
By 2019, retail sales from all channels are expected to hit $19.6tr, according to market research company Euromonitor International, and beginning five years from now as much as a third of new retail sales will come from China.
Four years ago, when its little card reader attachments for phones and tablets began to show up in cabs and at farmers' markets, Square was one of the coolest, most innovative companies in Silicon Valley. That's over.
Research reveals vast age differences in U.S. consumers' attitudes toward mobile payments, with Generations Y and Z - often referred to as Millennials - twice as likely to view them as faster, easier or more efficient than other types of transactions. These younger consumers also show more confidence in the security of mobile payments - although Generations Y and X are actually more concerned than Baby Boomers about the possibility of a personal information breach via mobile payments.
