Supply Chain

Imagine a shopper is getting ready to throw a party to celebrate their child’s college graduation. They may shop around several retailers' stores and websites before ordering new backyard furniture for the event. If the retailer that the shopper chose delivers the furniture after the party, the shopper will likely avoid that retailer in the…

Amazon.com plans to tap thousands of U.S. small businesses, from bodegas to florists, to deliver its packages by the end of the year, Axios is first to report. On Monday, the e-commerce giant will start actively recruiting existing small businesses in 23 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North…

Today’s brands are enjoying a once-in-a-century gold rush predominantly sparked by rapid digital growth and a discernible willingness on the part of consumers to take their shopping experiences, even those once thought to be sacred to brick-and-mortar retail, into an e-commerce environment. Add to that a seemingly endless number of sales and distribution channels —…

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands and legacy retailers are looking to increase profitability, and they can do so by improving operational processes and reducing inefficiencies. Focusing on profitability should, in theory, always be the case, but it is especially true today as economic headwinds have retail executives focused on operational cost-savings more than growth. DTC brands are…

The integrated use of IoT sensing and monitoring devices across the food retail supply chain has opened a myriad of new opportunities for organizations to minimize loss and enhance operational agility – both of which were strenuous pain points in the past. Connectivity is worth its weight in gold in an era of uncertainty where…

Ikea has set its sights on the U.S. in a new way: While the company has 52 retail locations in the country, it’s investing $2.2 billion to add more U.S. stores, expand its omnichannel options, and improve the customer experience for American shoppers. Speaking at the Home Delivery World conference in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Ikea's…

Dockworkers at West Coast ports are disrupting international trade, according to the Pacific Maritime Association. Two of the six marine terminals at the Port of Long Beach remained closed during the day shift Monday, as “operators of those terminals made the decision to close based on operational needs, and will reopen for the evening shift,”…

In April 2023, Walmart unveiled its plans to automate its supply chain network by 2026 to increase productivity and enhance the customer and associate experience. With customer expectations higher than ever and supply chain disruptions impacting inventory levels, we can expect many other companies to follow in Walmart’s footsteps by taking steps to automate their…

Consumers are posing an ultimatum to fashion and apparel brands: Start taking sustainability seriously or they’ll shop elsewhere. A new study of UK consumers found that 81 percent intend to boycott apparel brands that don’t prioritize sustainability within the next two years. These consumers are part of a clear global trend: Growing swaths of consumers…

The days when brands and retailers could turn a blind eye to where their products come from are over. Amid heightened awareness of social and environmental abuses throughout the supply chain, governments around the world are moving quickly to hold businesses accountable for the actions of their suppliers. New supply chain due diligence laws are…