Supply Chain

From ports clogged with containers and raw materials running low, to factories shutting down and truck drivers being in short supply, retailers have faced a steady stream of devastating supply chain issues over the last year. And the worst part? Industry experts and economists now believe the problems could continue into 2023 and beyond, with…

Retail has significantly changed in recent years. Consumers were already moving away from in-person retailing before the pandemic hit, and it's a shift that has picked up considerably since then. For those remaining brick-and-mortar stores, technical advances have been employed to keep customers happy — and keep them coming back. Many of the biggest trends…

The supply chain crisis disrupted shopping experiences for the vast majority of consumers last year and caused them to question their relationships with brands. In fact, a 2021 Oracle study found that 92 percent of consumers believe even more disruptions are on the way, and 80 percent said delays could lead them to abandon their…

For small-to-medium businesses (SMBs), exceptional customer experiences are the key to building and growing a loyal customer base. Experiences like faster delivery options are attractive to customers, but as technological and cultural preferences evolve, it can be challenging for SMBs to keep up without sacrificing quality of service. As superior customer experiences can’t exist without…

The past 24 months have been challenging and, as a supply chain professional, you know this better than anyone else. You’ve seen the pandemic’s economic impact first-hand by battling labor shortages, supply uncertainties, inflationary forces, and limited carrier capacity — all while trying to solve for a dramatic increase in consumer demand and online buying…

The digital grocery sector is booming, and 2022 will be the year that this food fight becomes more intense than ever. The market is worth an estimated $800 billion, and we’re seeing more and more hungry consumers ditching their carts for smartphones and laptops to do their weekly grocery shopping. As recent research of U.S.…

Join Quantum Metric and Google Cloud as they highlight some of the biggest retail trends for the year in back-to-school shopping.

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Marie Albiges report live from the Women in Retail Pavilion at Shoptalk 2022, which was held this week in Las Vegas. They share their experiences at the industry trade show, including a few of the main themes that emerged during the event, including…

While retailers have been grappling with reverse logistics challenges for years, the current global supply chain disruption and ensuing logistics chaos are shining a spotlight on the issue. The pandemic shifted consumer spending away from service-based expenditures (e.g., restaurants, travel) and towards the purchase of goods. As a result, the e-commerce market skyrocketed — and…

Increased consumer interest in outdoor lifestyles during the pandemic contributed to double-digit revenue growth for L.L.Bean in its 2021 fiscal year, according to company press release published on March 18. Sales for the outdoor retailer totaled $1.8 billion, a 14 percent increase over 2020, and making it one of L.L.Bean’s most successful years in company history. In…