Order Fulfillment

Amazon.com announced plans to open two fulfillment centers in Virginia, investing a total of $135 million. The company said it will invest $85 million and create more than 1,000 jobs in Chesterfield County, and invest $50 million in Dinwiddie County, creating more than 350 jobs.

Behind the piles of smiley-faced Amazon.com boxes arriving on doorsteps this holiday season are workers like Ray and Sarann Williams. The retired couple are part of the swarm of seasonal employees taking up temporary residence in this small desert city — home to one of Amazon's warehouses — to help the online-retail giant fulfill its influx of holiday orders.

Ever wondered how your Amazon order gets to you, or what's involved? We show you what happens, step-by-step, from when you click to purchase to when the van arrives at your door.

With a 60,000 square-foot facility in Fayetteville, Ark., Acumen Brands’ current warehouse and order fulfillment system is light-years from where it was just two short years ago when the company was founded.

Dick's Sporting Goods said it will build a new distribution center in Goodyear, Ariz. that will service the western United States. The new distribution center, which is expected to bring approximately 120 jobs to the area, is slated to open in early 2013.

Supply chain investments by Home Depot are putting more product within customers' reach. The retailer's 19 rapid deployment centers play an important role in improving both stores' efficiency and in-stock levels.

With most holiday season merchandise already on its way to store shelves, import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports has started to decline for the fall, and November is forecast at 1.9 percent below the same month last year.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 2.6 percent in October over the same month last year and should reach its highest level of the year as retailers stock up for the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Target is a victim of its own success. The discounter drummed up so much hype around its exclusive, limited-time line by upscale Italian designer Missoni that its website crashed and was down most of the day on Sept. 13 when the collection was launched, angering customers. More than a week later, some shoppers who bought the Missoni for Target line are posting on social media websites Facebook and Twitter that they won't shop at Target again because their online orders are being delayed — or worse, canceled — by the retailer.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is beginning to see cautious increases over last year again, ending a summer-long downturn as retailers prepare for the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.