Articles

E-commerce

Supply Chain Efficiency: Packaging for the Automotive E-Commerce Era

According to the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the e-commerce automotive aftermarket sector is currently growing at a rate of $1 billion annually, and is expected to rise to $15 billion by 2020. For the most part, the sector is focused on two primary customers: those seeking accessories for upgrades and those interested in purchasing […]

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H&M Tries on Supply Chain Improvements

The world’s second-largest fashion company, Sweden’s Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), says it will increase supply chain investments and continue cost control measures to address slow growth in 2017, and keep pace with e-commerce rivals. After a supply chain reorganization in 2016, H&M’s new focus includes investing in data analytics and intelligence to enhance retail assortment […]

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Inventory Strategies That Satisfy and Retain Customers

The Amazon Effect continues to weigh heavily on the supply chain. Consumers expect to receive packages within a few days—or within one day—of placing an order. The demand for lightning-quick fulfillment, coupled with myriad small-order additions, has led to a complex operating environment. Shipping is the second-most widely reported reason for consumer dissatisfaction when shopping […]

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Realigning Logistics

Realigning Logistics

FedEx Corp. will realign its specialty logistics and e-commerce solutions in a new structure under FedEx Trade Networks, Inc. (FTN), beginning March 1, 2018. The goal is to create an organization focused on serving the unique needs of this important growth driver. "In order to improve our ability to leverage the unique capabilities of our […]

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Shopper Expectations Outpace Retail Investments

Shopper Expectations Outpace Retail Investments

Overall shopper satisfaction has significantly improved over the past decade, although shoppers are still not thrilled with retail staff availability and customer service. While four in 10 shoppers surveyed in Zebra Technologies Corporation’s 2017 Global Shopper Study cite being better connected to consumer information than store associates, more than half believe store associates armed with […]

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Acquiring Shipt Will Bring Target Shoppers Same-Day Delivery

Acquiring Shipt Will Bring Target Shoppers Same-Day Delivery

Target recently acquired Shipt to leverage the same-day delivery company’s proprietary technology platform and community of shoppers, and quickly and efficiently bring same-day delivery to customers across the country. What does this $550-million deal mean for Target and other retailers? "We are now at a point where same-day delivery service is becoming the rule for […]

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E-Commerce Warehouses: SuperSize Me

E-Commerce Warehouses: SuperSize Me

Thanks to e-commerce, the average footprint of warehouses built in the United States since the early 2000s has more than doubled. The largest expansions are in metro areas with the big populations that online sellers covet and the ample land that developers need, according to a new CBRE report. The real estate firm analyzed the […]

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5 Ways Your 3PL Can Help Meet E-commerce Challenges

With unlimited e-commerce potential on the horizon, it is worth exploring if an experienced third-party logistics (3PL) provider can help you accommodate growth and ensure an optimal customer experience. If you’ve just launched your e-commerce channel or are striving to make that channel more seamless, scalable, and cost-effective, an experienced 3PL can be a valuable […]

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Status Quo? No.

The coming year is destined to be one of some major and minor changes in business operations. Given your role in logistics, you will face a perfect storm of new. Here are some events and trends that will drive change and the need to think flexibly and laterally, and adapt operations accordingly. Domestic trucking capacity […]

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Supply Chain Commentary: Satisfying Customer Demand in a 365 E-Commerce Market

Today’s connected world has created catalysts of change from consumer shopping habits all the way to the last mile. Omnichannel retailing, combined with Amazon’s domination of the e-commerce world impacts shippers’ decision-making, driving change throughout the supply chain. This change has been so monumental that the term, Amazon Effect – relating to customer expectations of […]

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Simplifying Trade Complexity

Global trade professionals experienced a great deal of disruption during 2017, with trade agreements being canceled and renegotiated, regulatory enforcement on the rise, the timeline for Brexit approaching, political instability a growing concern, and more. Networks that had been relatively stable for years are now in flux. To respond to these global market forces, companies […]

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CX in the Era of Supply Chain Impatience

Whether your customer is the end consumer or B2B buyer, supply chain and customer service performance expectations are converging. Providing an excellent customer experience (CX) requires super-expedited and sometimes free delivery. E-commerce customers increasingly choose to pay for same-day delivery, according to a DHL survey. Here at Inbound Logistics, we call that supply chain impatience […]

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