E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

Why Cheaper Food in 2016 Was Not Necessarily Good News

January 6, 2017

For food shoppers, 2016 was a back-to-the-future experience, with retail prices deflating for the first time since Lyndon Johnson was president. The year is expected to end with an annual drop of between 0.5 and 1.5 percent in the retail price of food prepared at home, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.

Retail CFO Turnover Could Be a Sign of Changing Times

January 6, 2017

Bloomberg

What did retailers want for Christmas? Apparently, new Chief Financial Officers. Neiman Marcus Group Inc. is on the hunt for a new CFO. So are Kohl's Corp., Coach Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. Whole Foods Market Inc.'s CFO of 29 years - and the longest-serving female CFO in the Fortune 500 - will be leaving in 2017.

Retailer Asos Boosts U.K. Sourcing After Pound's Brexit Fall

January 5, 2017

Bloomberg

Asos Plc, Britain's largest online-only fashion retailer, plans to double its U.K. manufacturing as the pound's post-Brexit plunge makes domestic production more affordable.

A Custom Shirt Is No Longer So Hard to Find

January 4, 2017

The New York Times

Seph Skerritt bought his first custom shirt in Shanghai, during an internship after college. It got him thinking why the same service wasn't available to a wider audience. "I told them exactly what I wanted, and that's what I got," he said.

Retail: Transportation, Tech & Other Trends

January 3, 2017

Russell Goodman, Editor-in-Chief, SupplyChainBrain

10 Signs It's Time to Automate Your Warehouse With WMS

December 29, 2016

ChainLink Research

Warehouses and distribution centers are dynamic environments where many different challenges arise. Sometimes those challenges go beyond the normal issues to become overwhelming, and start to impact the performance of the business. A Warehouse Management System (WMS) can help a business with many of these challenges, yet many smaller and medium-sized businesses hesitate to move from a manual paper-based approach to even a rudimentary WMS, based on fears about cost and disruption.

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

December 29, 2016

JLL

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.

Carriers Project Double-Digit Shipping Increases for Peak Season

December 22, 2016

MultiChannel Merchant

Along with the projected increase in holiday spending this season, especially e-commerce, major carriers are all expecting significant double-digit growth in parcel volume before the end of the year.

Traditional Retailers Tackle the Omnichannel

December 22, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

A conversation with retail industry thought leaders about how they're adjusting to the age of the omnichannel, and providing consumers with multiple options for ordering, picking up and receiving deliveries in a timely, efficient fashion.

In the Warehouse, Destination Maternity Embraces Omnichannel

December 21, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

The world's largest designer and retailer of maternity apparel saw the need to revamp its warehouse and fulfillment systems to reflect the modern-day needs of omnichannel customers. A brand new, automated facility was the result.

E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the e-commerce/omnichannel industry — which consists of companies engaged in internet retailing, including those with auxiliary brick-and-mortar stores. Learn how e-commerce/omnichannel companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.