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.

Regional parcel carriers can fill an important market niche for many shippers, says Mark Magill, director of business development at OnTrac. By specializing in next-day deliveries within specific and often large geographic regions, these carriers can offer greater flexibility, faster transit and lower rates, he says.

The latest version of Isotrak's vehicle tracking solution enables fleet operators to improve trailer utilization and cut operational costs and fleet size by as much as 10 percent, the manufacturer says. The Active Transport Management System (ATMSi) gives round-the-clock visibility of all the trailers in the fleet, identifying those in use and those underutilized.

FedEx Express has expanded its alternative-energy vehicle fleet with 10 new all-electric commercial vehicles for use in Hong Kong.

Wal-Mart is considering a radical plan to have store customers deliver packages to online buyers, a new twist on speedier delivery services that the company hopes will enable it to better compete with Amazon.com.