Supply Chain

The costs of the supply chain mess in the last two years have been staggering. Apart from the empty shelves of items like baby formula, consumers have had to pay a premium for cars and sometimes take the delivery of cars without certain parts and accessories. We've all read about the large number of ships…

Social life as we knew it is coming back. Consumers are leaving their homes, tossing their beloved pandemic sweatpants, and refreshing their wardrobes, allowing the apparel, fashion and luxury (AFL) industry’s sales to reach pre-pandemic numbers. Although the recovery is undeniable, it will not only be largely uneven but also costly. Uneven performances will vary…

The downturn is real and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. This single, scary issue was the elephant in the room and the big theme that hung over every retail attendee at the National Retail Federation event last month. Yet despite this, open and direct conversations about how to prepare for a…

There's nothing quite like that feeling of a package arriving. Whether it's new workout gear from a far off boutique or a poke bowl from down the street, discovering your order has arrived at your door on time is always a delight. From a consumer's point of view, the process of receiving what you ordered…

Starting Aug. 1, suppliers that rely on Walmart’s “Collect” program to move their products to the company’s warehouses will have to pay a pickup charge based on the cost of goods received. In addition, they will have to face a fuel surcharge based on daily price changes, according to a memo from Walmart to the…

We've all noticed many of the things we buy are in short supply. From our favorite foods to furniture, items that once seemed to be in abundance on store shelves or online are out of stock and often come with lengthy waitlists. Pandemic-induced supply chain plagues — like chip shortages, labor shortages, and backlogged cargo…

As a retailer you could argue that success is ultimately defined by your ability to get desired goods into your customers’ hands in a timely fashion. But how can you satisfy your customers in the face of supply chain disruption? How can you ensure that you're managing your inventory efficiently and cost effectively? According to…

In the most constrained and supply-challenged global transportation logistics landscape the world has likely ever seen, one thing is certain: it's more essential than ever to manage performance, control cost and, ultimately, optimize your operation’s total cost to serve. Optimizing the delicate balance of performance vs. cost across your entire operation is a strategic imperative.…

As more customers shop online, the cost of returns has increased alongside it. Fashion giant Zara became the latest retailer to introduce charges for shoppers who return items bought online, with other stores predicted to follow suit. Fast-fashion brand Boohoo also recently warned its revenue was unlikely to grow in the first half of the…

There's an urgent need to increase sustainable shipping practices among e-commerce retailers. Research shows e-commerce has grown two to five times faster than before the pandemic. And while this surge in online shopping has been positive for retailers, fulfilling these orders has material consequences for the environment. In fact, the World Economic Forum predicts emissions…