Supply Chain

Costco to Rent Own Container Ships to Bypass Shipping Issues
September 27, 2021 at 7:11 pm

Costco is renting its own container ships to prevent delays and keep costs down as the global shipping crisis continues, according to Business Insider. In a call with analysts Thursday, Costco CFO Richard Galanti said the retailer has chartered three ships to import products from Asia to the U.S. and Canada to help Costco avoid spending six times the normal price…

Creating Fulfillment Independence to Reduce Shipping Challenges
September 21, 2021 at 10:47 pm

Shipping challenges and carrier capacity issues driven by the rapid growth in e-commerce over the last year demonstrated to retailers the need to begin planning for peak season as early as January. For many retailers, it’s already too late to adequately prepare for peak holiday shipping season 2021. During the 2021 holiday season, delivery demand…

Ways to Reduce Returns' Costs, Increase Productivity, and Maintain Superior Customer Service
September 21, 2021 at 10:06 pm

As we conclude the back-to-school shopping season and prepare for the upcoming holiday shopping season, e-commerce sales continue to show tremendous secular growth. The search for online solutions has only intensified with the closing of brick-and-mortar locations across the globe. This flurry of unprecedented shifts carries both risks and opportunities for retailers as they grapple…

August Retail Sales Rise, Signaling Retail Resilience Entering Q4
September 16, 2021 at 6:04 pm

Retail sales increased during August as consumer demand outweighed the pandemic, supply chain disruptions and other factors affecting spending, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said Thursday. The U.S. Census Bureau reported overall retail sales in August were up 0.7 percent seasonally adjusted from July and up 15.1 percent year-over-year. Despite occasional month-over-month declines, sales have grown…

Five Freight Best Practices Learned From a Global Pandemic
September 16, 2021

Supply chain execution has grown increasingly more challenging as companies have expanded their supplier and customer bases internationally. The true extent of globalization, along with the fragility of logistics networks and capacity flows, have been thrown into stark relief by the effects of COVID-19.

Modern Supply Chains Belong in the Cloud
September 16, 2021

Modern platforms, such as the cloud--as well as modern tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT)--empower supply chain organizations to evaluate and implement decisions that drive the best possible outcomes.