With expectations higher than ever for a merry omnichannel holiday season, retailers are assertively preparing their shipping operations to avoid delivery and service hiccups.

A shortage of transportation equipment and possible labor disruptions at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, the nation's busiest, is delaying shipping containers for up to three weeks, threatening timely delivery to retailers for the holiday season.

Twenty percent of American adults already own a wearable device and the adoption rate - on par with tablets in 2012 - is quickly expected to rise, according to PwC's Consumer Intelligence Series-The Wearable Future report, an extensive U.S. research project that surveyed 1,000 consumers, wearable technology influencers and business executives, as well as monitored social media chatter, to explore the technology's impact on society and business.

Bellwether retailers eBay and Wal-Mart have reduced their expectations of sales growth for the current fiscal year, blaming the lower outlooks, in part, on the stronger dollar.

Amazon announced it plans to hire 80,000 seasonal employees at its 50 fulfillment centers and 15 sortation centers in the U.S. to handle peak demand.

Collaboration among private-label partners has never been more important, and recent research suggests that in addition to improving organization, communication, safety and compliance, better collaboration among private-label stakeholders can also lead to improved production and cost efficiencies.