Accenture has agreed to take over Javelin Group, a UK-based retail strategy consulting and digital transformation services provider. The acquisition will expand the capabilities of Accenture Strategy to help the world's leading retailers and consumer brands accelerate their digital transformation.

If any company has a proven formula for success, it's Walmart. The Bentonville, Ark.-based behemoth is the world's largest retailer, with nearly half a trillion dollars in annual sales and 2.2 million employees conducting business in 27 countries. Through its more than 11,000 stores and Sam's Club warehouses, Walmart rakes in more revenue than Costco, Kroger, Amazon, Home Depot, and Target - combined.

Before he became a billionaire in e-commerce, Richard Liu was a failure. As a student, Liu started a restaurant in Beijing but went bankrupt. When he took a second stab at business by opening an electronics store in 1998, Liu insisted on honesty. After seeing other shops overcharge customers and pass off counterfeit goods, he says he sold only genuine merchandise.

ModusLink Global Solutions Inc. has added a number of capabilities to its menu of software and services in support of electronic commerce.

Xerox Corp. has developed the Workflow Automation Solution for Supply Chain Optimization for retailers.

Getting customers whatever they need whenever they need it, and as quickly as they expect it, has become easier. Yet the returns process has some retailers winning and others floundering.