Supply Chain

Retail CEOs Head to Washington to Fight Proposed Border Tax
February 14, 2017 at 9:58 am

Chief executives of some of the country's largest retailers, including Target, Gap, Best Buy and Autozone, are headed to Washington, D.C. this week to make their case that a controversial tax on imports would raise consumer prices and hurt their businesses, according to people familiar with the plan. The group of eight retail bosses will meet on Wednesday withโ€ฆ

Wal-Mart Ends ShippingPass, Launches Free Two-Day Shipping
January 31, 2017 at 11:44 am

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced today that it's ending its ShippingPass delivery subscription pilot and offering free two-day shipping on more than 2 million items without a membership program. The retailer is also lowering the minimum purchase required for free shipping to $35 from $50. Items shipped to stores have no minimum price threshold. Wal-Mart also offers same-day storeโ€ฆ

Data at the Center of Hickory Farmsโ€™ Transformation
January 19, 2017 at 11:37 am

In episode 70 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at this week's National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City, Gordon Jaquay, director, information technology at Hickory Farms, the specialty foods retailer, talks about how breaking down data silos is helping the organization become more efficient while also providing a better experience for its customers.

The Value of Allocation Accuracy
January 9, 2017 at 10:06 am

Itโ€™s among the most frustrating parts of retailing: You built a strong assortment plan. Great product mix. Good margin. Customer response is better than you had hoped for. You're ready for an outstanding selling season. Yet the allocation process drops the ball. Too many large dresses in store A while the racks are empty inโ€ฆ

How Retailers Can Better Manage Supply Chains in 2017
January 4, 2017 at 10:42 am

Consumer behavior and expectations have changed. The new buying experience with online shopping is putting retailers and their suppliers under pressure to deliver more goods, to more locations, faster. To compete in today's hypercompetitive landscape, retailers should reimagine the supply chain as a digital supply network that combines services, talent and information. B-to-B cloud technologiesโ€ฆ

Run-DMC Sues Amazon, Wal-Mart for $50M
January 3, 2017 at 11:17 am

Members of the rap group Run-DMC are suing Amazon.com and Wal-Mart for $50 million for trademark infringement. The suit, filed last Thursday in federal court in New York, accuses the retailers of manufacturing, marketing and selling products with the group's trademarked name, including glasses, hats, T-shirts and wallets. Run-DMC says in the suit that itโ€ฆ

Amazon Secretly Working on โ€˜Uber for Truckingโ€™ App
December 20, 2016 at 11:47 am

Amazon.com is building an app that matches truck drivers with shippers, a new service that would deepen its presence in the $800 billion trucking industry, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Business Insider. The app, scheduled to launch next summer, is designed to make it easier for truck drivers to find shippers thatโ€ฆ

Patagonia Commits to Overseas Workers With Fair Trade Program
November 28, 2016 at 10:54 am

Episode 63 of Total Retail Talks features a conversation with Helena Barbour, senior director of global sportswear at Patagonia, a designer and retailer of outdoor clothing and gear. Barbour talks about Patagonia's Fair Trade program, offering insights into the retailer's efforts to ensure the factory workers making its products across the globe are earning a fairโ€ฆ

Pilot Strike Could Disrupt Amazon's Holiday Deliveries
November 23, 2016 at 9:44 am

A pilot strike is threatening to ground flights carrying cargo for Amazon.com during the busy holiday season. About 250 pilots employed by ABX Air, a subsidiary of Air Transport Services Group, went on strike Tuesday morning to protest what they say are staffing shortages. Now Amazon and shipping company DHL Worldwide Express, which are both customers ofโ€ฆ