Supply Chain

United Parcel Service Inc (UPS) told Reuters yesterday that it's in talks with at least one U.S. trucking firm to launch an in-home delivery service for large, heavy goods such as couches and treadmills, as the world’s largest package deliverer looks to cash in on one the fastest-growing segments of online retail. UPS and its…

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the world embarked on a journey toward connectivity and collaboration. The invention and burgeoning popularity of the internet brought together people from around the globe in both personal and professional spheres. Today, technology is still evolving and social platforms have continued to meet the increasing need for in-the-moment communication…

In this week's episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Caitlin Sullivan and Joe Keenan discuss the significance of announcements made this week by REI and Walmart regarding changes they're making to their supply chains, and specifically what's required of their product suppliers.

REI announced this week stricter rules for its product suppliers. The Seattle Times reports suppliers that can’t or won’t meet REI requirements in areas such as manufacturing labor safety and fairness, chemical usage, environmental impact, and animal welfare won’t be considered for its store shelves. REI's prefers all 1,000-plus brands it currently works with to…

The retail industry often serves as a principal driver of supply chain innovation, with companies continually looking for ways to get products to consumers faster and more efficiently. The key to a happy customer experience at a brick-and-mortar or online store lies in an effective and reliable supply chain. Automating certain supply chain processes can…

With the rise of e-commerce giants like Amazon.com projected to make up 50 percent of U.S. e-commerce revenue by 2021, online retail has changed the industry landscape significantly. Online stores and Amazon storefronts allow for retailers to forego the overhead costs of owning a physical store and rake in a majority of their sales without…

“What decisions can technology manage better than humans?” should be the question that drives your internal operational process. For example, is there a way to automate internally transferring inventory already in your supply chain to locations in need? What about building orders to supplier minimums or logistics constraints? Can allocation of insufficient quantities be taken…

The so-called “retail apocalypse” is completely overblown, but it does indicate that the retail industry is undergoing a transformation, driven by changes in the way consumers shop across all touchpoints. While it's true that e-commerce has certain advantages over traditional brick-and-mortar, physical stores have their own benefits, which aren't as easily replicated by the likes…

Driven by continuous changes in technology and consumer behavior, retail’s survival is dependent on the industry’s ability to adapt to the customer journey and accommodate the blurred lines of shopping. However, with Amazon.com disrupting the industry, store closures being announced regularly, and the phrase "retail apocalypse" continuing to permeate the headlines, it's unlikely consumers will…

J.C. Penney is closing its distribution center in Wauwatosa, Wis. and cutting 670 jobs. USA Today reports the retailer will begin shutting down the 2 million-square-foot warehouse and customer service operation this summer. The move comes as J.C. Penney looks to reduce its supply chain network, which "is oversized relative to its national store footprint," company…