Supply Chain

Retail has become one of the most difficult industries in which to survive. Behemoths such as Amazon.com increasingly sweep weaker competitors off the map. So, how can retailers compete in the age of Amazon? Unfortunately, there's no “silver bullet” technology that can help here. The key is being able to adapt quickly and experiment with…

Best Buy has sent out special delivery trucks of nothing but TVs — hundreds of thousands of TVs — to its stores in recent days to be ready for Black Friday crowds. At the same time, its distribution centers are packed full of thousands more TVs stacked high, ready for the crush of online orders expected…

People working in the retail supply chain typically don’t like the words “block” and “chain” used in the same sentence. These words imply a disruption in the seamless flow of goods from producer to consumer. However, taken as one, the term "blockchain" may bring new life to the interconnectivity of the retail supply chain. Blockchain…

Amazon.com has quietly launched an app designed to help delivery drivers get in and out of its warehouses faster, according to CNBC. The app, called Relay, debuted late last month and is available on Apple and Android devices. Drivers enter cargo information into the app, allowing them to check in with a QR code and…

The 2017 Global Sourcing Reference report from Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy, highlights that retailers which shift production to alternate locations with cheaper labor costs are chasing a temporary fix to a bigger problem, as costs rise in sourcing regions globally. Instead, retailers must move away from a sourcing cost obsession and focus on reinventing their operating model to unlock trapped value in their supply chains. Technology innovation — across analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3-D printing and other areas — will be the key enabler on this path forward, fostering better collaboration and visibility across the value chain while greatly improving product innovation, time to market, reliability, execution and quality.

This Saturday, Nov. 11, the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will hold its annual Singles Day event, which last year grossed $17.8 billion (USD) in sales, up from $14.3 billion in 2015, according to a report from Fung Global Retail & Technology (FGRT). The 24-hour phenomenon has quickly become the world's largest shopping day, consistently surpassing…

Fashion retailer Zara says it's working on establishing a “hardship fund” to help a group of Turkish workers who were left unpaid when an outsource factory closed down. The workers went into Zara shops in Istanbul, leaving tags inside garments that read: “I made this item you are going to buy, but I didn’t get paid…

Jet.com launched its private-label business, Uniquely J, as it continues its push to tap urban millennials and its corporate parent Wal-Mart fortifies its fight against Amazon.com. Uniquely J will offer a variety of goods, including toilet paper, coffee and laundry detergent. In keeping with its focus on "metro millennials," Jet has placed emphasis on items that are…

With retail supply chains growing more complex by the day, it’s no wonder retailers are struggling to get their products to market faster and at a lower cost than their competitors. The industry is evolving at a rapid pace, producing intense competition like we’ve never seen before. As a result, retailers are finding it necessary…

Costco announced last week that it's offering customers same-day grocery delivery. On Thursday, the company announced two new delivery options: two-day delivery for dry goods, and same-day delivery for orders that include fresh foods. The same-day service will be powered by grocery delivery company Instacart. The same-day delivery option, available in “most metropolitan areas,” lets…