JDA Software Group Inc. has released six JDA Cloud Optimize Services for supply-chain management.

Import volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to increase 3.3 percent in May over the same month last year, but growth could trickle to a standstill by the end of the summer, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Digital coupon users spend 42 percent more per year at supermarkets than the average shopper - a differential of $1,029, according to a GfK report, based on more than 120 campaigns run by Coupons.com in 2012. This reflects a 7-percent increase compared to 2011.

A new U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) case illustrates how retail chains can get in serious legal troubles when they use third parties to help mine shopper data.

Amazon will open eight new U.S. distribution centers between now and the holiday selling season, bringing the total to 54. The result of the ferocious building spree is that Amazon will then have a DC within five miles of most major U.S. cities. That means Amazon will very likely have a DC closer to your customers than many of your stores.

Consumers today want the ability to purchase and return products via any channel, at any time, at the best price. To meet those expectations, companies that traditionally have had disparate fulfillment models must now merge both the informational and operational aspects of those models into one, says Todd Peters, CEO and vice chairman of GENCO.

The rapid growth of e-commerce and, in some cases, declining store sales raise difficult questions for retailers around whether and how to integrate their various distribution channels, says Andrew Breckenridge, executive vice president of Fortna. He outlines key issues influencing these decisions and identifies other retail trends to watch in the coming year.