Warehouse Management
From October to December, peak retail traffic creates transitory headaches for warehousing and logistics managers — and those headaches are getting peskier by the year. In 2023, shoppers spent 3.8 percent more than during the previous peak season. Meanwhile, peak-era spending has increased by 63 percent in the past decade, aided by the rising trend…
2023 was a challenging year for retail logistics. The industry was still recovering from a pandemic-fueled supply chain crisis, as well as a crippling labor shortage. Technology changed, HR strategies shifted, and retail logistics providers evolved to move past the challenges of 2023 and towards the opportunities of 2024. What could the new year bring?…
While holiday shopping sprees are still months away, it’s prime time for brands to evaluate their fulfillment needs. Whether a brand is in the market for a new third-party logistics (3PL) partner or plans to bring on additional fulfillment support to manage peak season, it’s critical they conduct their due diligence now. Before diving head…
There's a maintenance strategy for every major purchase you’ve made. You know when your car needs an oil change. You know when the filters on your appliances should be swapped. You know when your pick process needs to be reviewed ... you don’t, do you? Do You Have a Warehouse Management Maintenance Schedule Ahead of…
With increasing pressure to move e-commerce goods faster while reducing costs, combined with strained labor markets, the allure of automation technology is clear — get more done with less pressure on your warehouse staff. Not all automation is created equal, however, these tools — from autonomous mobile robots and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS)…
As the demand for online goods continues to rise and supply chains are pushed to their limits, the importance of having an efficient and profitable warehouse operation also increases. Without intelligent fulfillment technology, warehouses will find it increasingly difficult to keep up with order demand while maintaining customer satisfaction. In short, a warehouse dependent on…
A new law in New York will require companies that operate distribution centers to be more transparent about their work requirements, aiming to protect warehouse workers from possibly unlawful quotas. Gov. Kathy Hochul last week signed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, which is modeled after a similar, first-in-the-nation law signed in California last year. The New York…
Retail warehouse space during the holiday season is absolutely essential. The busiest time of the year typically sees retailers increase their inventory three to four times normal just to meet consumer demand. This year’s inventory glut created a tricky situation for the retail market. U.S. retailers saw a record $732 billion of inventory in 2022,…
E-commerce sales rose steadily the first half of 2022, with sales increasing 2.7 percent between Q1 and Q2. But even with the coming holiday sales surge, that trend might not continue. In fact, some reports predict that the number of online orders this holiday season will be down 5 percent compared to 2021. Why? And…
Each and every day automation is changing the way in which we operate. Retail distribution and fulfillment centers understand this firsthand, as they're increasingly integrating automated solutions into their day-to-day operations as consumer demand continues to increase. A recent report from Futurum Research interviewed industry leaders and executives to gather their thoughts on the challenges…