Articles
Retail
VERTICAL FOCUS | Fast-Moving Consumer Goods
4 Things FMCG Retailers Need to Know FMCG retailers need to be aware of four key areas as they build their future omnichannel supply chains, finds RSR Research’s Supply Chain Management 2018 report. 1. Change signals. Retailers are increasingly aware that new digitally enabled consumer behaviors are challenging a key operational assumption—that consumers will start […]
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Navigating Amazon’s Move into Freight
Amazon’s quiet but successful launch of a full-service freight brokerage has a number of implications for supply chain professionals—some obvious and some not so clear.
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How Is Coronavirus Impacting E-Commerce?
The number of people infected by the new coronavirus globally surpassed those infected in China as of February 2020. As the virus continues to spread, new ramifications are revealed daily. How is the coronavirus impacting e-commerce operations, and what can retailers do in response to those challenges?
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Ten Years From Now—Do You Have a Plan?
It’s a new decade and time to project and plan for the next one. Ten years from today, what will your market look like? What kind of customers will you have and where will they be located? What will they buy? How will they buy? And how will you adapt your supply chain operations to […]
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Winning Moves for the Last Mile
With direct sales on the rise, retailers seek fast and efficient ways to deliver product over the threshold and into customers’ hands.
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What if General George Patton was Walmart’s CEO?
General Patton would survey the e-commerce battlefield where Walmart competes and conduct a threat assessment of every major competitor, especially Amazon.
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Mitigating the Flood of Post-Holiday Returns
Businesses across the country spend months gearing up for the holiday season. And while they survived this year’s frenzy, many are now bracing for a flood of post-holiday returns.
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That’s a Wrap: Holiday Shipping Tied Up in Knots
During the holiday shopping season, all eyes are on shipping, with more than half of consumers (60%), and nearly three-quarters of millennials (74%) claiming they were disappointed with holiday shopping services in the past. Stats from Pitney Bowes’ 2019 Global Online Shopping Study reveal the top shipping frustrations: 1. Free shipping still reigns supreme, with […]
Read MoreHow Retailers Can Use this Holiday Season to Inform Future Supply Chain Strategies
The 2019 holiday season is here, and consumers are already mapping out their online and in-store shopping strategies for Black Friday and Cyber Monday to find the best deals. On the other hand, retailers have been gearing up their supply chains to support peak ordering and sales for months. Today’s technological innovations offer retailers tools […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS | Furniture
Sofa So Good What is the outlook for the U.S. furniture market moving forward? Here’s what to expect, according to Coresight Research’s U.S. Furniture Report, May 2019: A steady growth curve for the U.S. furniture industry is being driven by a strong economy. Consumer spending on furniture reached $114.2 billion in 2018, up 6.7% from […]
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Warehouse Automation Growing, But For How Long?
During the past few years, the warehouse automation market has seen double-digit growth rates driven in part by the rise of e-commerce and omni-channel retail, finds new research from market intelligence firm Interact Analysis. Consumer demand for faster and cheaper online delivery options has many retailers investing in warehouse automation to cut order processing times […]
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GOOD QUESTION | How Can Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Compete with Amazon?
Don’t try and compete with Amazon. Identify what your customers want most and over deliver. Optimize the supply chain to provide flawless execution.
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VERTICAL FOCUS | Apparel
Quick-Changing Supply Chains As trends in the fashion industry constantly change to keep up with evolving consumer needs and expectations, supply chain and logistics professionals need to be just as nimble and flexible to keep up. The apparel industry used to be divided into two seasons: spring/summer and fall/winter. Today, however, with the desire to […]
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Sneaker Supply Chain: Big Shoes to Fill
Now that consumers wear sneakers as everyday footwear, meeting the resulting supply chain challenges is no easy feat.
Read MoreSubcoms Focused on the Future
In a retail environment focused on customer experience and convenience, subscription commerce (subcom) companies are maintaining a foothold. According to the 2019 SnapFulfil and Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA) State of Subscription Commerce survey, 46% of today’s subcom offerings now have 2-5 years of operational experience; 40% have more than 5,000 customers, and 29% have more […]
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Green Supply Chains: Sustainability Sells
Companies can take good care of the environment while also turning a profit.
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Feeding the Baby Products Supply Chain
Managing the baby products supply chain is not child’s play. Here’s how manufacturers in this highly regulated product category stay hyper-vigilant to protect infants and toddlers while constantly adjusting to parents’ ever-changing color, style, and flavor preferences.
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Meeting Your Retailer’s Expectations
A leading CPG company uses Hub Group’s consolidation expertise to eliminate cost and improve service.
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Your Next Walmart Run: Don’t Forget the AI
A Walmart Neighborhood Market in Levittown, New York, featuring artificial intelligence-enabled cameras, interactive displays, and a massive data center is the retailer’s new Intelligent Retail Lab (IRL). While the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in e-commerce is now table stakes, few companies have physically explored its potential. Until now. Positioned within one of the company’s […]
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