Supply Chain

After a roller coaster of a week last week, Amazon.com is providing some clarification on "brand-gating" and what it means for merchants. As a quick refresh, Amazon implemented new rules last week requiring merchants to supply dozens of invoices and pay up to a $1,500 fee to sell certain popular (and frequently counterfeited) brands, such…

Amazon.com is addressing its counterfeiting problem, but it's going to cost sellers a pretty penny. CNBC reports online stores on Amazon that sell name brands, such as Adidas and Nike, are being told they have to pay a one-time, nonrefundable fee of $1,500 per brand. In addition, online sellers are being asked to give invoices from…

Signet Jewelers said last week that it would test new technology in some of its Kay Jewelers locations that will confirm the authenticity of the gems it sells. The move comes after allegations arose in May and June that the company was swapping diamonds. During its second-quarter earnings call, Signet CEO Mark Light said that…

Sports Authority limped into bankruptcy in March with a straightforward plan to survive as a smaller, more nimble purveyor of sporting equipment and apparel. The first step — close unprofitable stores and sell off its inventory. But almost immediately a fight broke out over who owned some of that inventory: the retailer or the vendors…

Amazon Launchpad announced last week the creation of a Kickstarter Collection, featuring more than 300 Kickstarter products available for purchase on Amazon.com. Startups featured include Piper, Zivix, Prynt, MudWatt, among others. Consumers shopping the Kickstarter Collection can browse categories such as electronics, wireless accessories, home and kitchen, books, movies and TV, and toys and games,…

Birkenstock will stop supplying products to Amazon in the U.S. and will no longer authorize third-party merchants to sell on the site.

Nordstrom made a bold move this week by acquiring a minority stake in supply chain software firm DS Co. The platform provides a cloud-based service that will make it easier for suppliers to directly ship orders placed through Nordstrom’s retail partners — i.e., drop shipping. For example, if a customer purchases a shirt from Nordstrom’s website,…

Trunk Club will close down its Goose Island, Ill., distribution center and work more closely with its parent company, Nordstrom, cutting 250 jobs in the process, the retailers said in a news release Tuesday. Trunk Club, which was acquired by Nordstrom in 2014, will begin shifting order fulfillment and distribution operations currently handled at its Goose…

Retailers are dealing with changes in consumer habits and the explosive rise of e-commerce, which have transformed not only the small parcel economy, but the entire supply chain. Understanding the following six key supply chain realities will help improve efficiency, customer satisfaction and, ultimately, the bottom line. We're not slowing down: According to a Sealed Air…

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our newest feature, Total Retail Report’s In the News section, where we will highlight and offer our take on the top retail-related news articles of the day. Please let us know what you think about this new feature by posting a comment below. Walgreens Ends Theranos Partnership Walgreens announced last week that it…