Facility Location Planning

Retail: Transportation, Tech & Other Trends

January 3, 2017

Russell Goodman, Editor-in-Chief, SupplyChainBrain

Industrial Real Estate Set to Break Records in 2017, Economists Say

December 29, 2016

Low interest rates, healthy consumer spending and strong e-commerce are forming good conditions for industrial and logistics real estate growth in 2017, says JLL, an investment management firm that offers real estate services. Potential investment in infrastructure and continued company expansion are also expected to fuel demand for warehouses and distribution centers despite global economic uncertainty.

Google to Manufacture Smartphone in Africa

December 19, 2016

Industryweek

A Johannesburg startup is set to become the first company ever to manufacture smartphones in Africa, taking advantage of low costs and growing local demand to build handsets, tablets and other devices based on Google Inc.'s Android system.

Life After Brexit: The Future of U.K. Supply Chains

December 9, 2016

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

The U.K. is making a clean split from the European Union. How will its economy and trading relationships fare in a post-Brexit world?

Amazon Adding 120,000 Workers To Meet Holiday Demand

October 21, 2016

CRM Daily

The holidays are coming, and Amazon says it plans to add 120,000 seasonal workers in an effort to meet an expected spike in demand as more and more people trade bricks for clicks. The seasonal positions will be created at fulfillment centers, sorting centers and customer service sites in 27 states. The move marks a 20 percent boost from the 100,000 seasonal hires a year ago.

While New Tech Reshapes Supply Chains, Facility Planning, Location to Remain Important

September 16, 2016

CBRE Group

Rapidly emerging advancements in technology such as autonomous trucks, 3D printing and warehouse automation will foster dramatic changes in how shippers, retailers and manufacturers configure their supply chains and distribution strategies, spurring a need for different formats and locations for industrial real estate, according to a new report from CBRE Group.

In Wake of Hospira Acquisition, Pfizer Consolidating DCs

August 22, 2016

FiercePharma

Pfizer has decided that it does not need the legacy distribution sites that it got with the $15bn buyout of Hospira last year and so will close four facilities across the U.S., consolidating distribution into two Pfizer logistics centers next year. In the process it will whack 104 jobs.

Retail Copes With Changes Taking Place in Every Aspect of the Industry

August 15, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

Leaders have to be nimble and agile if they are to keep on top of the evolution, particularly in the technology arena, that is roiling their vertical.

Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley Locus for E-Commerce Hubs Because of Proximity to NYC

August 12, 2016

Wall Street Journal

The rise of online shopping is forcing warehouse builders to redraw the map of logistics hubs on the East Coast.

Corporate America Does About-Face, Moves Back Downtown

August 8, 2016

New York Times

For decades, many of the nation's biggest companies staked their futures far from the fraying downtowns of aging East Coast and Midwestern cities. One after another, they decamped for sprawling campuses in the suburbs and exurbs. Now, corporate America is moving in the other direction.

Facility Location Planning

The latest news, analysis, services and systems for facility location planning and network design and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are planning their location of facilities and the underlying transportation network in order to deliver goods in a more timely and efficient manner than ever before. New technologies are transforming the way companies search for and choose the right location for a facility in a region — allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these services continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies are using facility location planning solutions to power their supply chains.