E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

Salesforce: Brands Must Harness Technology to Build Loyalty

June 17, 2016

If you think that most consumers prefer shopping online these days, you might want to think again. Most consumers still prefer to buy their goods the old fashioned way, in brick-and-mortar stores if price isn't a factor, according to a new study on consumer buying patterns from cloud CRM (customer relationship management) giant Salesforce.

Sales of Online Fraud Detection Solutions to Soar, Study Says

June 16, 2016

Juniper Research

E-commerce merchants and financial institutions will be investing heavily in online fraud detection solutions over the next five years, with annual spending reaching $9.2bn by 2020, up by 30 percent on current levels.

Market for Automated Material Handling Equipment Predicted to Approach $45Bn by 2022

June 15, 2016

Research and Markets

The automated material handling equipment market is expected to reach $44.68bn by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.9 percent between 2016 and 2022, according to analysis firm Research and Markets. Market growth is propelled by increasing demand for automated solutions, advancements in technology; the need to ensure a safe working environment; and reduction in labor cost through advanced robotics.

Free Shipping, Easy Returns, In-store Cell Phone Notifications Among Tech Retailers Should Invest In, Study Says

June 14, 2016

Walker Sands

The 3rd annual Walker Sands Future of Retail Study analyzes the rise and adoption of emerging retail tech, with a heavy focus on gauging consumer reaction to potential tech game-changers (cue drones) and exploring consumer spending habits.

Brick-and-Mortar Accounts for 92 Percent of Retail Sales in First Quarter 2016

June 14, 2016

Harvard Business Review

Retail profits are plummeting. Stores are closing. The internet is apparently taking down yet another industry. Brick-and-mortar stores seem to be going the way of the yellow pages. Sure enough, the Census Bureau just released data showing that online retail sales surged 15.2 percent between the first quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016.

Schneider Acquires Watkins & Shepard, Lodeso

June 13, 2016

Schneider National

Schneider National has made two simultaneous acquisitions, of Watkins & Shepard and Lodeso.

Shoppers Buying More Online, But Don't Want to Give Up Physical Stores, Study Says

June 13, 2016

UPS

Avid online shoppers, who make two or more purchases online in a typical three-month period, are leading a retail revolution. These consumers are shopping more with their smartphones and demanding a more seamless experience between virtual and physical stores, according to the Fifth Annual UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study.

Father's Day Spending Expected to Double That of 2015

June 9, 2016

FierceRetail

Spending on dad is expected to climb 6 percent this year - twice the increase of 2015.

Online Shoppers Define E-Commerce as 'Basic Essential', Study Finds

June 9, 2016

Chain Store Age

Ninety-six percent of Americans are shopping online, they spend an average of five hours per week making online purchases and allocate an average of 36 percent of their shopping budgets to e-commerce.

GS1 US Releases New Guideline to Harmonize E-Commerce Fulfillment

June 8, 2016

GS1 US

GS1 US has developed a new guideline focused on e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment processes.

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.