Consumer Packaged Goods

Ikea Enters 'Gig Economy' by Acquiring TaskRabbit

October 4, 2017

Ikea, the Swedish home goods retailer, says it has agreed to acquire TaskRabbit, a company known for, among other things, sending tool-wielding workers to rescue customers befuddled by build-it-yourself furniture kits.

Toymakers Say There Is 'Widespread Panic' Following Toys "R" Us Bankruptcy

October 4, 2017

The Washington Post

Within hours of Toys "R" Us's bankruptcy filing last month, the maker of Max Tow Truck and Animal Babies Nursery sounded a financial alarm of its own: Jakks Pacific, the company said, expected to swing to a loss this year as a result of the mega-retailer's bankruptcy.

Terminal Operators Seek Changes to Los Angeles Clean Air Plan

October 3, 2017

Maritime Executive

The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA), a non-profit group that represents West Coast terminal operators and shipowners, has called for changes to the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) put forward by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

When Fines Fail, How Can Companies Be Made to Pay for Deforestation?

October 2, 2017

The Guardian

Nearly a year after an Indonesian court ordered a timber company to pay country's largest ever fine for deforestation, the government has been unable to collect the money, prompting campaigners to call for tougher sanctions against illegal loggers.

Best Buy's Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age

October 2, 2017

The New York Times

While running errands the other day, I ducked into a local Best Buy to pick up a pair of new headphones. What I saw inside was shocking.

Why Neighborhood Toy Stores Are Thriving While Toys "R" Us Goes Bankrupt

October 2, 2017

The Washington Post

Ella Wiesenfelder has been coming to Barstons Child's Play her whole life, so naturally it's where she wanted to be on the afternoon of her 8th birthday.

How Grocery Giant Aldi Plans to Conquer America: Limit Choice

October 2, 2017

The Wall Street Journal

Dim lighting bounces off brownish-tiled floors. The shelves are sparsely filled with cardboard boxes. Checkout lines stretch to oblivion. There is nothing super about these stores.

How REI's Green Obsession Sparked D.C. Innovations

October 2, 2017

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Companies seek to burnish their brands in a variety of creative ways. In the case of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), that desire extends deep into the supply chain.

Companies Trialing NFC With Workflow-Management Application

September 29, 2017

RFID Journal

As Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality becomes more ubiquitous in mobile devices, workflow applications provider Flowfinity Wireless Inc. has added NFC to its enterprise mobile application software to enable users to capture and store information faster. The technology is now being tested by several of the company's consumer goods manufacturing customers.

Clean Energy Is Approaching a Tipping Point

September 29, 2017

Bloomberg

The cost of renewables is plunging faster than forecasters anticipated just a few years ago as as technologies like gigantic wind turbines arrive on the market.

Consumer Packaged Goods

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the consumer packaged goods industry. Learn how consumer packaged goods companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.