The holidays are coming, and Amazon says it plans to add 120,000 seasonal workers in an effort to meet an expected spike in demand as more and more people trade bricks for clicks. The seasonal positions will be created at fulfillment centers, sorting centers and customer service sites in 27 states. The move marks a 20 percent boost from the 100,000 seasonal hires a year ago.

Rapidly emerging advancements in technology such as autonomous trucks, 3D printing and warehouse automation will foster dramatic changes in how shippers, retailers and manufacturers configure their supply chains and distribution strategies, spurring a need for different formats and locations for industrial real estate, according to a new report from CBRE Group.

The rise of online shopping is forcing warehouse builders to redraw the map of logistics hubs on the East Coast.

For decades, many of the nation's biggest companies staked their futures far from the fraying downtowns of aging East Coast and Midwestern cities. One after another, they decamped for sprawling campuses in the suburbs and exurbs. Now, corporate America is moving in the other direction.

Original equipment manufacturer sourcing decisions are typically based on total acquisition cost (TAC) formula comparisons. Because of this, such tools play a primary role in decisions about whether to purchase from domestic or overseas sources. TAC formulas attempt to take into account all cost factors related to buying from a particular source.

FastFetch North America has changed its name to NextGen DC Systems LLC.

As larger U.S. retailers continue to close underperforming stores with more customers choosing to shop online from their own homes, big-box store vacancies have increased in recent years. But with online sales only increasing and more small shop spaces mimicking the online sales environment, the biggest impacts are being reflected in warehouse space and logistics.