Articles
Retail
Automation Is a Game Changer for E-tailers
E-commerce is on the rise and only gaining momentum. According to a report by eMarketer Retail, in 2017, retail e-commerce sales worldwide reached $2.3 trillion, a 25% increase over the previous year. Besides discounts on products and the availability of tools for comparing product features and prices, what has really helped boost e-commerce, is the […]
Read MoreNot So Fast: Rethinking Multi-Item Orders
In the name of speed and satisfaction, many retailers think they’re doing the right thing by delivering products to customers as quickly as possible, shipping partial orders, but that isn’t always the case. High on the list of shopper frustrations is placing a multi-item order online only to have it arrive in multiple shipments over […]
Read MoreThe Changing Logistics of Grocery Delivery: It’s In The Bag
Food retailers are working to satisfy consumers’ growing appetite for rapid delivery of everything from tomatoes to orange juice. To feed this demand, they’re educating personal shoppers, developing new technologies to handle the last-mile, rethinking distribution networks and inventory planning, and partnering with technology companies.
Read MoreAccuracy and Time Savings Through AI-Driven Forecasting
Despite a wealth of available solutions and methods, retailers still struggle to produce accurate and timely demand forecasts. Existing challenges are further complicated by the idea of unified commerce, as shoppers choose from a variety of more convenient fulfillment options. There are adverse effects throughout the supply chain resulting from inaccurate forecasts, but today’s retailers […]
Read MoreHow Retailers Earn 5-Star Reviews
The human touch, product education, smooth delivery, sturdy packaging, and good cup of coffee help retailers rate high with customers.
Read MoreSupply Chain Remains the “Next Big Thing”
Symphony RetailAI, a global provider of Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision platforms, solutions and customer-centric insights that drive validated growth for retailers and CPG manufacturers, announced the findings of a benchmark report, “Supply Chain Management 2018: In Service of the Customer.” The fourth annual study, conducted by Retail Systems Research (RSR) and sponsored by Symphony RetailAI, shows […]
Read MoreWhat Will Retailers Find Under The Tree?
A common theme connects several strategies retailers are using to prepare for the holiday season: Enhanced capabilities to seamlessly cater to shoppers in stores, online, and on mobile devices. CBRE’s annual Holiday Retail Trends Guide outlines four trends shaping this season as it unfolds: 1. The optimistic shopper. In a strong economic environment, retailers who […]
Read MoreClick & Collect Not Clicking Yet
Fewer than half of retailers responding to an OrderDynamics survey provide shoppers with access to basic inventory visibility. Of the 2,000+ worldwide retailers participating in Omni-2000 Research: Global, only a surprising 38.1 percent show basic inventory visibility on product pages. A strict like-for-like, year-over-year comparison finds a 30.7-percent decrease in active online inventory visibility. This […]
Read MoreWalgreens Launches Home Delivery Program for Prescriptions
Drug store chain Walgreens will now expand home deliveries for prescriptions nationwide. The company plans to partner with FedEx to deliver prescriptions as soon as the next day for a $4.99 fee, and it also is providing same-day deliveries in several cities including New York, Chicago and Dallas. The Deerfield, Ill., company started offering deliveries […]
Read MoreKeeping up with B2B Fulfillment Demands this Holiday Season
According to a recent report by CBRE, the average U.S. warehouse is about 34 years old. While this may seem relatively “young” compared to other infrastructure still in operation within the U.S., in our digitally transformed world, any 34-year-old technology is practically a senior citizen. What’s more, within retail, the last five years has seen […]
Read MoreWhat’s Ahead for Retail Technology? Ask the Crystal Ball
What technology developments can retailers expect in 2019? Here’s some perspective from Adam Silverman, senior vice president of marketing for Theatro, and a former Forrester analyst with 20 years of industry experience. 1. E-commerce software will evolve into commerce software that powers both online and offline commerce. As retailers look to replatform antiquated point-of-sale (POS) […]
Read MoreBlack Friday Delivery Data
Consumer data is rolling in from Black Friday. Convey published data insights that show how deliveries are performing across various categories compared to year-over-year data from 2017. Some key findings include: Shipments way up – The number of shipments for each day last week dramatically increased over 2017, with Black Friday up 284%. This increase […]
Read MoreRetailers Plug Into AI
Nearly two-thirds of retail supply chain professionals struggle with disconnects between systems, finds Symphony RetailAI’s Strengthening the Retail Supply Chain survey of North American retailers. The majority of retailers surveyed have confidence in their allocation and inventory planning software, but 48 percent rate their forecasting technology as average to very poor. While they would prefer […]
Read MoreHello, Good Buy
Today’s retail environment is more complex than ever, given the rise of e-commerce and a rediscovery of the age-old truth that the customer is king. As retailers across the globe struggle with demands for both personalization and convenience, balanced with consumer skepticism on data privacy, JDA Software and Centiro explored consumer trends in key markets […]
Read MoreShipping and Delivery: How to Get it Right
Thanks to the rise of e-commerce and heightening customer expectations, shipping and delivery have become key drivers of overall customer satisfaction. An e-commerce company’s ability to meet customer expectations can be a source of competitive differentiation. Executing against the wrong strategy—or not having a strategy at all—is a recipe for higher costs and lower customer […]
Read MoreStore Delivery Keeps Retailers in the Game
Multi-channel retail and fulfillment is typically based on the assumption that customers choose a main way to connect, whether physical stores or a website. Many retailers manage each channel separately with different teams, budgets, processes, tools, reporting structures, and revenue goals. In multi-channel retail and fulfillment, stores have their own stock and sell directly to […]
Read MoreSend It Back! How to Manage E-Commerce Returns
Up to 30 percent of e-commerce orders shipped to customers wind up coming back. Here’s how smart retailers box up their reverse logistics strategies.
Read MoreReturning Experience
The war between the retail/e-commerce customer experience and increasing costs is heating up, thanks to the impact that rising transportation prices are having on the retail process. That trend plagues e-commerce players and retailers, both large and small. For example, in July 2018, spot market trucking costs were up 30 percent year-over-year, according to DAT. […]
Read MoreReturns in the E-Commerce Retail Supply Chain – MD Logistics
In recent years, a rise in e-commerce sales has led to an increase in the amount of items returned. This increase in returns creates a challenging situation for retailers and an opportunity for their 3PL providers. Q: How does the reverse logistics process work? A: 3PL providers engineer returns solutions that are specific to their […]
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