Articles
E-commerce
Finding a Home for Holiday Returns
Record retail sales, including a growing share of online purchases (see chart), mean that more returns than ever are flooding warehouses. U.S. holiday retail sales were up 8.5% compared to 2020, says data from Mastercard, and 66% of consumers will likely return at least one gift. At 18%, the e-commerce return rate is almost twice […]
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NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief
Green Seeds Container shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, one decade earlier than previously announced, as shipper demand for green transportation rises. The target now covers not only the company’s vessels, but its entire business, including indirect emissions. A.P. Moller-Maersk has ordered 12 vessels that run on carbon-neutral methanol […]
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Is There an End to Amazon’s Impact?
The absorption of industrial real estate is setting all-time highs as consumer demand, with COVID-19 as its catalyst, has shifted to a greater dependency on consumers having products shipped to them rather than them visiting brick-and-mortar retailers.
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Bright Ideas: 3PLs Manage Growth Through Innovation
By thinking creatively and embracing new solutions, third-party logistics providers support shippers through demand surges, labor shortages, cost increases, and capacity constraints.
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Services RK Logistics Group, a provider of warehousing, e-commerce fulfillment, and supply chain management services, opened a new facility in Hayward, California. The facility provides warehousing, product staging, and distribution services for Silicon Valley manufacturers, suppliers, and retail e-commerce shippers. BioCare, a therapeutics distributor, launched LogiCare3PL, a third-party logistics (3PL) offering that provides specialty pharmaceutical […]
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4 Tips to Master Reverse Logistics
Up to 40% of online purchases made in the past year were returned, finds recent research. Whether you’re diving into e-commerce for the first time or finding your footing after the accelerated industry growth amid the pandemic, mastering reverse logistics is an essential function of your operation, now more than ever.
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Last Mile Predictions and Priorities
Since COVID-19 shut down the world, the delivery industry as a whole experienced exponential growth. The rise of e-commerce platforms stretched last-mile delivery to its limits. The pandemic forced more people to consider delivery services and now consumers love the convenience. This preference for delivery over in-person shopping will continue into the future even after the pandemic.
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How to Combat Logistics Logjams
Nearly two years into the pandemic, today’s congestion issues and logistics logjams are not expected to end anytime soon. It is imperative brands fortify their supply chains to best navigate the current environment and prepare for what unexpected challenges may lie ahead to limit future disruptions.
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Strengthening Omnichannel Capability to Address Fundamental Shifts in Consumer Behavior
Q. What have the past few years revealed about consumer trends? A. With the rise of e-commerce came the demand for next-day or same-day shipping with a catch—no added cost. Consumers crave the instant gratification they would have experienced from going to the store, without leaving their house, and as large online retailers began offering […]
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Right-Sizing and Leveraging Fulfillment Automation
Q. How can right-sizing automation addresslabor shortages? Does it lead to increased employee engagement? A. Automation, when correctly applied, should have two benefits: performing tasks with fewer people, and increasing the value of (remaining) employee tasks. Consider automation as a tool, doing the heavy lifting with repetitive tasks and the heavy thinking that goes into […]
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