Retail

How Can Companies Respond Rapidly to Demand?

December 23, 2013

Trevor Miles, vice president of thought leadership with Kinaxis, details industry's major supply-chain management challenges - in particular, the difficulty of obtaining full visibility of supply and demand, and dealing with the volatility of markets.

UK Online Sales Slow Down For Christmas While Eurozone Sees Significant Expansion

December 23, 2013

Computop

Findings of a recent survey show a healthy growth in online holiday shopping in the main Eurozone markets, but a slowdown in overall UK online sales in the run-up to Christmas 2013.

Gridlock! Can Urban Logistics Escape It?

December 20, 2013

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

All hail the omni-channel. But how can logistics providers possibly keep pace with an explosion in the number of delivery points within a city that must be served?

Stop Getting By and Start Getting Smart

December 20, 2013

Extol International

Since computers and data automation first entered the workplace, integrating systems and information has been a constant challenge - and often a costly one.

Carrier Transicold Meets New CARB Emission Rules, Debuts Hybrid Trailer Reefer Unit

December 19, 2013

Carrier Transicold

Carrier Transicold has developed a new truck engine emissions system (EES) that has received conditional verification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Could It Be That Free Trade Is Coming to an End?

December 19, 2013

Business Week

Since the end of World War II and the birth of the modern global economy, business leaders have come to accept an iron law: International trade always expands faster than economic growth. Between the late 1940s and 2013, that assumption held true. Trade grew roughly twice as fast as the world economy annually, as fresh markets opened up, governments signed free-trade pacts, new industries and consumers emerged, and technological advances made international trade cheaper and faster. Now this iron law may be crumbling.

Retailers Can Celebrate What Pinterest Is Doing to Improve Their Sales

December 17, 2013

CNBC

A new study of Pinterest users by market research firm Lab42 finds that 54 percent spend more time on the site during the holidays and 94 percent say it has changed the way they make their holiday preparations. And people are turning to Pinterest to share ideas"”42 percent have a holiday-themed board.

Is Reshoring the Next Big Thing for Electronics Industry?

December 17, 2013

Manufacturing.net

Over the past few decades, the electronics components industry has seen countless companies pursue production overseas in an effort to reduce costs. OEMs have gone abroad to find the best value-added locations for building boards via offshoring: mainland China, Southeast Asia, and more recently Eastern Europe. However, this trend is shifting.

Alibaba Makes Significant Investment into Appliance Manufacturer

December 16, 2013

Today Online

Alibaba Group will invest HK$2.82bn (US$455m) in appliance maker Haier Electronics Group in a deal aimed at expanding the Chinese e-commerce giant's logistics reach to the millions of consumers in China's vast interior.

Could RFID Be Just What the Doctor Ordered for Healthcare Industry?

December 16, 2013

MedCity News

Less than 10 percent of hospitals have warmed up to RFID technology.

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.