Warehouse Management

How Retail Warehouses Can Bounce Back From ILA Strikes and Prepare for Future Disruptions
December 2, 2024 at 3:57 pm

The International Longshoremen Association's (ILA) strikes may be paused until January 2025, but the disruptions are far from over. For retail warehouses, in particular, the impact is being felt at a critical time during the peak holiday season. With key issues still up for debate and supply chain disruptions continuing to impact warehouses across the…

How Automation Can Unlock Greater Agility for Retail Peak Season 2024
August 26, 2024 at 9:14 am

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…

Retail Logistics Trends: Challenges of 2023, Opportunities for 2024
December 11, 2023 at 3:17 pm

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?…

5 Key Questions Brands Should Ask Before Signing a 3PL for Fulfillment This Peak Season
August 23, 2023 at 1:03 pm

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…

The Pre-Peak Season Warehouse Management Health Check-Up
August 17, 2023 at 1:18 pm

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…

The Pre-Automation Checklist: 4 Steps to Achieve a Smooth Implementation
August 15, 2023 at 4:45 pm

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)…

Choosing the Right WMS for Successful E-Commerce Fulfillment
March 7, 2023 at 9:27 am

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…

Amazon Warehouse Workers Get ‘Big Win’ With New York Law on Quotas
January 2, 2023 at 4:28 pm

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…

4 Ways Warehouses Are Surviving the Holiday Inventory Glut
December 8, 2022 at 11:38 am

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,…

Key Logistics Challenges E-Commerce Retailers Will Face This Peak Season
December 6, 2022 at 2:16 pm

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…