Articles
Demand Planning
What’s the Holiday Sales Scenario?
The holiday retail season will play out in one of two ways—a relatively stable year-over-year sales increase of 0% to 1%, or a jump of 2.5% to 3.5%—both of which are lower than prior years, according to Deloitte. Scenario one: Consumers experience growing anxiety about their health and finances. This reinforces the current high savings […]
Read More5 Must-Take Actions to Prepare for the 2020 Holiday Season
This year has been, and continues to be, unprecedented. Not since the Second World War have global supply chains been so dramatically interrupted. And given the integration of these global supply chains (thanks to the marvels of the integrated circuit) and advances in modern transportation, the disruption caused by COVID-19 is, arguably, unprecedented in modern […]
Read More3 Ways Retailers Can Fully Prepare for the Holiday Season
Retailers know Americans will still be spending this holiday season, even if it is in a wildly atypical manner. Smart retailers are taking the following steps to ensure they’re not left with a lump of coal this holiday season. 1. Finalize any online fulfillment and inventory management decisions. Retailers of all sizes are aggressively wrapping […]
Read More
Building Resilience With Dedicated Transportation Solutions
In today’s volatile economic environment, shippers need reliable, cost-effective solutions to meet customer demand. Dedicated transportation solutions, which mitigate capacity risk and improve on-time delivery, are often a preferable option. Q: What are the factors driving demand for dedicated transportation solutions? A: First, companies understand, now more than ever, they need reliable partners. Interruptions in […]
Read More
Supply Chains Need Long-Term Resilience
Before COVID-19 struck, supply chains were praised for their just-in-time capabilities. Now entirely new levels of supply chain resilience are needed, according to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ (CSCMP) 2020 State of Logistics Report. In 2019, the U.S. economy achieved 2.3% growth, and the logistics sector grew to $1.65 trillion in expenditures. Productivity […]
Read More
Reading the Room
Annette Danek-Akey is executive vice president of supply chain at multinational publishing company Penguin Random House. Responsibilities: Manage distribution, transportation, customer service, fulfillment, reverse logistics, and remainder sales. Oversee 1,700 employees in three distribution centers that ship 1.5 million books per day. Experience: EVP and SVP, supply chain, Penguin Random House; SVP and VP, fulfillment, […]
Read More
Shaking Up Subscription Services
During the lockdown, some subscription services unboxed a demand surge while others were forced to close the flaps. Here’s how successful services deliver the goods.
Read More
Addressing Shippers’ Top Concerns
Due to the current uncertainty of the global economy, shippers are experiencing new, unique challenges. As they navigate these challenges, understanding the shifts in consumer behavior and how they impact their supply chain is critical.
Read MoreFocus on the Future
Robert Johnson is a collaborative leader and considers himself part of the team. His advice: “Don’t assume someone else is steering the ship” and “treat the company as though you own it.”
Read More