Articles
Retail
Product Returns: 5 Myths Busted
Retailers and manufacturers often avoid dealing with product returns until returned inventory clogs up the warehouse or write-offs hit their P&L. When the returns problem gets big enough to force action, they attempt to deal with it as quickly and cheaply as possible. Executives often avoid returns issues because they believe in one or more […]
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The New Retail: Three Legs to Stand On
Did you ever read a magazine or newspaper article and get the feeling that something was missing? It happened to me when I read several business press articles touting e-commerce as the savior of retailers. That "something’s missing" feeling bothered me as I read various vague descriptions of how e-commerce is the driving force behind […]
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New Retail Strategies: It’s a Store! It’s a Site! It’s a Warehouse!
E-commerce vendors and traditional merchants stake their claims in an evolving landscape.
Read MoreDiving Into Multi-Channel Fulfillment
KaiKini Bikinis’ integrated inventory control and shipping operations solution brings savings that are anything but itsy bitsy teeny weeny.
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3PL e-Volution Continues
While the editor of Inbound Logistics is content to use her column to take you on an archeological journey through 3PL history, I prefer to take you on a trip forward. We all know Amazon and eBay as e-commerce titans that match millions of customers with the products they demand, when they want them. Both […]
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Bruce Kulp Scores Big
Bruce Kulp is senior vice president, supply chain and refurbishment, at video gaming and consumer electronics retailer Game Stop, in Grapevine, Texas. He has held this position since 2010. Responsibilities: Procurement, distribution, store allocation, transportation and logistics, refurbishment, materials management, research and development. Experience: Vice president of distribution, vice president of logistics, Electronic Data Systems […]
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Retailers, Watch Your Waste Lines
Hazardous waste is no longer an issue facing only industrial manufacturing companies. It has become an area of significant concern for retailers, too. When it comes to managing hazardous waste, retailers must strike a precarious balance between complexity and control. The repercussions of achieving this balance can be significant. Not only do such infractions place […]
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Forecasting Seasonal Surges Keeps Products on the Shelf
During busy retail periods, news of retail imports and spot transportation rates tends to grab all the attention. Less prominent, but more interesting, is the constant seasonal and promotional flux in domestic consumer packaged goods (CPG), and how manufacturers manage the resulting transportation surge. For CPG companies, seasonal volume typically represents one-third of annual shipments, […]
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Why Every Manufacturer Needs a Reverse Logistics Solution
The average manufacturer spends nine to 14 percent of total sales on product returns each year, according to an Aberdeen Group study. Yet an estimated 45 percent of manufacturers do not have a reverse logistics solution. They rely on retail or wholesale partners to deal with customer returns, recalls, and seasonal overstocks. Until the mid-1990s, […]
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Rolling Back the Walmart Way
As Walmart continues to evolve from five-and-dime regional retailer to global powerhouse, Kevin X. Jones stays focused on supply chain best practices that guarantee the consumer everyday low pricing.
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