Supply Chain

U.S. retailers have faced numerous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic: shelter-in-place orders that closed all but essential retail, outbreaks of COVID-19 among employees for those remaining open and, naturally, supply chain shortages as vendors were hit by the same issues. For consumers this has meant some empty shelves — generally on sought-after items such as…

It’s been three months since COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and the world is continuing to adapt to what many are calling the “new normal.” All types of industries have been affected by the crisis, but retailers specifically are in a tough spot: consumer behavior has shifted seemingly overnight…

Whether you're a Fortune 500 retailer or an emerging direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brand, your customers expect ease and convenience when ordering online. The problem is, meeting these expectations can put a significant strain on your business. Traditional logistics networks weren’t designed for D-to-C fulfillment because they were built to get goods onto store shelves. To meet…

For 44 percent of respondents to one survey, the “Amazon effect” is having a dramatic impact on more than their logistics, supply chain and transportation operations. It begins with e-commerce, where consumers are able to find whatever they want, whenever they want, place their order, and then receive what they want within two days, or…

Part one of this series can be read here. The industry was reaching the age of next-generation fulfillment even before the global health emergency. Now fulfillment innovation is driven by surges in customer demand and dramatic market shifts. Companies that are able to answer the call for convenience will find lasting success. In this new retail…

In the last installment of this 10-part series, I focus on emerging technologies and trends that will shape fulfillment in the coming months and years. These innovations enable merchants to fulfill orders faster while reducing costs, especially in the last mile and warehouse operations. Many large e-commerce merchants have started to adopt these technologies, and…

The current pandemic has caused major disruption across the globe, especially for retailers relying on supply chains to keep essential products on shelves for consumers in a time of critical need. Many businesses are quickly shifting their focus toward maintaining supply to meet demands, which are rapidly shifting. However, leaders should also view this as…

In episode 247 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ismail Ozokur, CEO of Oz Medical Supply, a family-owned and operated medical supply and equipment distributor to all segments of the healthcare industry. Listen in as Ozokur discusses his career background, the history of the company, and Oz Medical's primary customers and products. He shares…

The COVID-19 outbreak has created unprecedented challenges for sellers of all sizes around the world. There are many businesses that have taken a hard hit as a result of these circumstances, but some sectors of the economy, like e-commerce, have experienced a boom in sales during the pandemic. Due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing,…

The COVID-19 pandemic has been causing havoc across the globe, with countries, economies, people and businesses all bearing the brunt of this unforeseen crisis. The retail industry has been turned upside down, and retail businesses are scrambling to adapt to this new reality by finding sustainable ways to ensure business continuity. With home quarantines and…