Articles

Retail Logistics

Automation: From Benefit to Necessity

Automation: From Benefit to Necessity

Even prior to the pandemic, consumers were demanding. Since the rise of e-commerce, end users expect the ability to order what they want, when they want it, via the channels they want. Brands are adapting to this demand by offering curbside pickup, third-party delivery services, direct-from-social media purchasing, and a variety of other channels to cater to different consumer preferences.

Read More
Logistics Technology: The Unsung Hero of Convenience Commerce

Logistics Technology: The Unsung Hero of Convenience Commerce

As consumers embraced online ordering during the pandemic, e-commerce sales ballooned from $571.2 billion in 2019 to $815.4 billion in 2020—a 43% jump—according to a recent Census Bureau retail survey. Although online sales have cooled since the initial pandemic-driven fervor, consumers continue to drive convenience commerce, with e-commerce sales increasing 6.7% in Q1 2022. More than 20% of consumer spending from January to March occurred online.

Read More
How Macy’s Avoids Inventory Glut

How Macy’s Avoids Inventory Glut

Retailers across the country are struggling with inventory pileup due to 2021’s massive supply chain delays. Unloading these previous-season goods has become a top priority for the upcoming holiday and winter season. But Macy’s is singing a different tune: the retailer managed to avoid most of this inventory glut, and reported to the Wall Street Journal that more than half of its offerings for the holiday season will be new.

Read More
White Glove Delivery Strategies and Techniques

White Glove Delivery Strategies and Techniques

When consumers were sent home to work, big and bulky e-commerce orders took off, along with white glove delivery expectations. The right combination of technology and strategy can help retailers meet them. Saying that e-commerce shipping has had an eventful two years would be an understatement. The pandemic accelerated the shift toward online retail by […]

Read More
Are Labor Shortages Straining Your E-Commerce Business? Strengthen Operations with an Automated Returns Management System

Are Labor Shortages Straining Your E-Commerce Business? Strengthen Operations with an Automated Returns Management System

These days, returns have become a non-negotiable standard part of the e-commerce experience for B2C and B2B customers alike and are a key factor for vendors looking to maintain customer satisfaction and increase loyalty. While they can be costly and laborious, successful returns processes can showcase customer service, achieve long-term consumer loyalty, and provide invaluable […]

Read More
Vertical Focus: Footwear

Vertical Focus: Footwear

China SC Woes Have Footwear Industry Tied In Knots The impact on the supply chain from lockdowns in China was a major themefor footwear retailers in the first half of 2022. Largely reporting lower-than-expected earnings, many major footwear brands pointed a finger at the lockdowns to explain their disappointing performance levels. Strict and extended COVID-19 […]

Read More
How can retailers compete with the logistics dominance of the e-commerce behemoths?

How can retailers compete with the logistics dominance of the e-commerce behemoths?

Don’t view this as a competition with e-commerce behemoths, but as another sales channel in your omnichannel strategy. Treat it as such and develop your strategy to provide differentiation on customer service and trust to be able to drive direct sales, while still leveraging other channels to build brand awareness. —Scott Hebert CEO SYSPRO USA […]

Read More
Troy Prothero

How to Ensure Delight in the Grocery Aisle

Fulfilling customer needs and maintaining their ongoing satisfaction remains a critical priority. Disappointing a customer doesn’t sit well with a retailer or store associate, and that sense of frustration is something retailers should be working to prevent, starting with the following strategic supply chain enhancements. Improve demand forecasting to reduce unwelcome surprises. Typical seasonal products, […]

Read More
Finding a Home for Holiday Returns

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 […]

Read More

What’s The Word? The Language of Logistics

Upstream vs. Downstream Some organizations divide the supply chain into two parts to simplify management: upstream and downstream. The upstream supply chain includes all activities related to the organization’s suppliers, which source raw material inputs to send to the manufacturer. The downstream supply chain refers to activities post-manufacturing, namely distributing the product to the final […]

Read More