Supply Chain

Walmart Rolls Out Fulfillment Services for its Marketplace Sellers
February 25, 2020 at 1:46 pm

Walmart announced today that it's rolling out a new service called Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) that offers selected marketplace sellers access to its supply chain capabilities, including storing, picking, packing and shipping items, as well as the handling of returns and customer service. The retail giant said in a statement emailed to Total Retail that WFS…

What the University of California Case Means for Retailers and IP in the Supply Chain
February 13, 2020 at 9:59 am

In July 2019, the University of California sued Amazon.com, Walmart, Target and other major retailers for patent infringement related to “filament” LED lightbulbs. Not only is the university seeking damages, but it has also asked the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to investigate the retailers’ conduct. While the case is currently on hold pending the…

2020: Set Your Supply Chain for Success
January 29, 2020 at 12:37 pm

Here’s the thing about time: we never have enough of it. This couldn’t ring any truer for U.S. retailers looking to bounce back from a challenging 2019 holiday season. With Thanksgiving landing on Nov. 28 — six days later than the holiday in 2018 — retailers were left with far less time to strategize and…

Why Retailers Shouldn’t ‘Break the Wheel’ in 2020, But Rather Discuss the Wheel
January 23, 2020 at 2:25 pm

As we move further into 2020, the line between how retailers define luxury, especially as it pertains to consumer taste and expectation, has become an increasingly communal process. In order to achieve success, brand representatives and buyers have gravitated towards listening to their customers, engaging with them via social media, and including their feedback throughout…

Set Yourself Up for Retail Success in 2020 With Proper Fulfillment Planning
January 17, 2020 at 9:19 am

The rush of the holiday season has passed and your retail business is ready to dive headfirst into 2020 sales. If, like most retailers, you're planning to make this your best year yet, you're probably looking to significantly increase your volume of orders. It's a noble aspiration, however, if you're unprepared to meet these ever-growing…

Preparing for 2020? Check Your Supply Chain
January 10, 2020 at 10:15 am

As retailers contemplate 2020 and what it will bring in terms of trends, technology and customer demands, the overall supply chain requires further examination to better align it to the new normal for the next decade. The supply chain remains retailers’ best means of driving customer satisfaction and loyalty, not to mention efficiency and profitability.…

The Next Big Thing: Programmatic Retail
January 9, 2020 at 12:17 pm

The advertising industry is undergoing rapid change, and buckle your seatbelts, retail is next. The new era of advertising is called “programmatic,” which simply means the work done by yesterday’s ad agencies and media buying firms is now done by computers. We’re entering the programmatic era of retail, and the survivors will be masters of…

Will Drop-Shipping Still Be a Viable Business Model in 2020?
January 8, 2020 at 3:05 pm

For many years, drop-shipping was touted as the best possible business model for online entrepreneurs who wanted to start lucrative, yet lean businesses from the convenience of their own homes. But with so much saturation, is it still a profitable idea? What is Drop-Shipping? According to Shopify, “drop-shipping is a retail fulfillment method where a…

Keep it Simple: How Retail Can Retain Convenience
December 20, 2019 at 12:29 pm

I don’t know about you, but I love convenience. I love ordering my groceries from Whole Foods while at the office, and have them waiting on my doorstep by the time I arrive home. Recently, I’m loving being able to pick up online purchases in-store. I order shoes on Nordstrom.com, wait a couple of days,…

Amazon Blocks Sellers From Using FedEx Ground for Prime Shipments
December 17, 2019 at 10:51 am

Amazon.com is blocking its third-party sellers from using FedEx's ground delivery network for Prime shipments, citing a decline in performance heading into the final stretch of the holiday shopping season. The ban on using FedEx’s Ground and Home services starts this week and will last “until the delivery performance of these ship methods improves,” according…