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.

As customers waited for their much anticipated Apple Watches, it was reported that delays could be traced to a feared supply chain nightmare: a faulty part. Apple's supply chain strategy, though, likely mitigated the risk.

Consumers often balk at the prospect of trading in old versions of equipment, while vendors do their best to encourage the move. Steve Brown, global product lifecycle manager with Hewlett-Packard Co., offers tips on how to manage trade-programs for old and out-of-warranty products.

The Wireless Group of Anaren Inc. has launched a Cellular Machines product line.

A report from The Boston Consulting Group and the World Gold Council analyses the economic drivers of the global gold recycling market and highlights important future industry trends, including a shift in concentration of gold recycling from west to east, increased difficulty in obtaining gold from electronic products as less is used in modern devices, and potential consolidation within the recycling industry across the entire value chain.

Reverse logistics last year was punctuated by the record-breaking recall activity in the automotive industry, which created momentum that is now carrying into 2015. According to the Q4 Recall Index analysis from Stericycle, there was an unprecedented 74 million automotive units recalled throughout the year, an increase of 166 percent from 2013. Top affected products included air bags, which made up 34 percent of the total units recalled, and electrical systems, which impacted 31 percent of the units.