Companies continue to lose money by shipping air as a result of packaging that doesn't fit the product, says Tom Blanck, leader of the packaging optimization practice at Chainalytics. Blanck discusses optimization techniques that can save money and improve productivity.

A wet suit for surfers, made not from conventional, petroleum-based neoprene but from a natural rubber derived from a desert shrub, is one way Patagonia is trying to nudge along a sport that has not always been environmentally conscious despite its roots in the natural world.

In the early days of e-commerce, internet shopping was supposed to spell the demise of the physical store. Pure play online retailers would sweep all before them, rendering the retail store a historical curiosity. In fact, it hasn't quite worked out like that. Recent Accenture research confirms that more shoppers are planning to increase their purchases from physical stores this year than last. However, the positive news for brick-and-mortar needs to be tempered with the realization that what shoppers want from the in-store experience is changing fast, shaped by their digital experiences. Retailers who fail to understand those new needs and adapt accordingly will struggle.

Inventory optimization: Old in concept, but new in application. Chris Russell, vice president of Logility, discusses trends in the use of the practice, especially from a multi-echelon perspective.

The Highway Trust Fund will soon run out of money. Passing a new highway bill is critical not only to the trucking industry but to every shipper that relies on truck transportation and to America's competitiveness, says Randy Mullett, vice president of government relations and public affairs at Con-way Freight.