Product Sourcing

Alibaba is at it again, this time partnering with Brightpearl, a multichannel retail management system that was created by retailers for retailers, that will allow merchants using Brightpearl to not only source goods from Alibaba.com, but to also list them automatically on their own sales channels as well.

Nike Inc. has settled a lawsuit against three former shoe designers it accused of stealing its commercial secrets and taking them to German rival Adidas AG with plans to open a footwear design studio in Brooklyn. The designers' attorney, Matt Levin, said in a statement Tuesday that the case had been resolved through a confidential…

J.C. Penney wants people to know that it had no supplier relationships with factories housed in the building that collapsed in Banglade

Up-and-coming designer Moziah Bridges of Memphis, Tenn., age 13, runs a successful fashion business, raking in revenues of over $200,000 per year. Bridges founded Mo's Bows when he was just 9 years old, selling unique handmade bow ties. Uninspired by the options currently on the market, Bridges asked his grandmother to teach him to make his own bow ties from her leftover scrap fabrics. Since then, his business has expanded and hired five employees, including his mother. Mo's Bows started out on Etsy, and now are sold in Neiman Marcus stores and on the retailer's website.  

New York Senator Charles Schumer wants federal regulators to look into allegations that Lumber Liquidators' Chinese-made laminate flooring is tainted with formaldehyde. Schumer made the announcement in front of a New York City Lumber Liquidators showroom on Sunday. "The federal government must step in to investigate whether this product is dangerous and if a recall or other disciplinary action must be taken," he said. Schumer asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission to initiate an investigation about formaldehyde in the company's laminate flooring, following a "60 Minutes" report that said high levels of the chemical were found in Chinese-made laminates.

Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc, a retailer of hardwood flooring, said the U.S. Department of Justice may seek criminal charges against the company under an Act aimed at curbing illegal harvest of tropical hardwoods. The company's shares plunged as much as 24 percent after CEO Robert Lynch also said that CBS's "60 Minutes" news program will feature the company in an "unfavorable light with regard to sourcing and product quality, specifically related to laminates."

With the holiday season accounting for 20 percent to 40 percent of a retailer's annual sales, the 26 days between Black Friday and Christmas this year are crucial. This is especially true for electronics retailers, which are hard-pressed to deliver the season's most anticipated devices, such as wearable technologies, smartphones and tablets. Without having the right products at the right place at the right time, capturing peak spending is next to impossible. Therefore, the following supply chain guidelines are essential for retailers’ holiday success as well as building customer loyalty:

Retailers are rushing to bring holiday merchandise into the U.S., to protect against potential disruptions arising from ongoing contract talks between West Coast longshore labor and marine terminal operators. U.S. ports currently are experiencing their highest monthly container volumes in at least five years, according to figures released yesterday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. They reported a total of nearly 1.5 million boxes moving through the ports in June.

Five hundred suppliers, 200 merchants and 800 meetings equaled made in U.S.A. magic for Wal-Mart as the retailer looks to accelerate domestic sourcing with a first-ever event dubbed Open Call. Wal-Mart held the event at its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters yesterday to discover domestically sourced products from new and existing suppliers that can help the company meet its goal of buying an additional $250 billion in American-made products in the next 10 years.

Under Armour is fending off accusations by the U.S. speed-skating team that its new high-tech suits are at fault for the skaters’ disappointing performance in Sochi. The suits may have a design flaw that could be slowing down skaters, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing three people familiar with the U.S. team. The U.S. Speed Skating Federation said it would drop the controversial new suit and switch back to previous uniforms for the remainder of the Olympics, saying some athletes "lack confidence" in the uniforms. Both of the suits, new and old, are made by Under Armour.