Retail

Third-Party Logistics: Exploring the Direct-to-Consumer Cold Chain

February 12, 2014

Analyst Insight: Direct delivery of orders to the customer's doorstep is a hot topic for transportation and logistics executives"”from giants like Amazon to mom-and-pop specialty retailers. In particular, there is a lot of buzz around the direct-to-consumer cold chain. Free delivery and free returns, combined with the complexity and cost of cold chain distribution center (DC) and delivery assets, make for a chief marketing officer's dream and a chief financial officer's nightmare. How can you get this capability just right? - Don Anderson, Principal, Tompkins International

Finding Supply Chain Talent: Addressing the Perpetual Challenge

February 12, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

In her August 2013 report, SUPPLY CHAIN TALENT: THE MISSING LINK IN YOUR FUTURE? Supply Chain Insights' Lora Cecere noted that "Companies are feeling the pain of open positions... The talent shortage is greatest for middle-management positions."

Ranking Suggests Some of the Biggest Online Retailers Have Worst Data Security

February 11, 2014

FierceRetailIT

Recent security breaches lead the news and consumers are increasingly suspicious of possible credit card fraud. When it comes to data security, retailers run the gamut from perfect to poor.

Packing Lean: Contract Packaging Projects Hitting Continuous Improvement Targets

February 10, 2014

Challenge: A global healthcare company sought to improve packaging and display operations and increase utilization of equipment. The operation was housed in a 140,000 sq.-ft. facility, and suffered from frequent bottlenecks and minimal visibility to productivity reports.

Recession - What Recession? Spending on Luxury Items Topped $1.8Tr Last Year

February 7, 2014

Boston Consulting Group

Consumers remain smitten by luxury. Their urge to splurge was revealed in a 2013 study by The Boston Consulting Group, which found that consumers spent an annual aggregate amount of more than $1.8tr worldwide on items the respondents defined as luxuries.

Integrated Demand Planning at VF Corp.

February 5, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

An integrated setting for managing demand, supply and inventory involves working with people as much as with technology and information, says Todd Gallant of VF Corp. He explains how the Timberland division of VF is improving collaboration and communication among its associates up and down the supply chain.

How PepsiCo Created a Plant With "Near-Net-Zero" Impact

February 5, 2014

John Phillips, PepsiCo and Al Halvorsen, PepsiCo

Mobile Commerce Was Very Bright Spot in Holiday Retail Sales

February 4, 2014

Mobile Commerce Daily

Overall, holiday sales were weak, but from a mobile perspective, the results were phenomenal, with mobile traffic reaching 48 percent of all online traffic while mobile sales grew 40 percent to reach 29 percent of online holiday sales, according to data from IBM.

Managing Complex Seasonal Retail Logistics Networks

February 4, 2014

Jeff Brady, Director of Transportation, Harry & David

Transforming Supply Chain Operations at Kroger

February 4, 2014

Daniel Vasseur, Supply Chain Manager, The Kroger Co.

Retail

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the retail industry — which comprises companies that operate physical or internet stores with diversified product lines. Learn how pharmaceutical and biotech 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.