Consumer Packaged Goods

Manufacturers Slow Investment Amid Uncertainty

November 16, 2016

Spending by manufacturers on plant and machinery is expected to slow over the coming two years, according to research. Manufacturers' organisation EEF said "elevated levels of uncertainty are clouding the ability of businesses to forecast future demand," though this was an underlying trend not altered by June's Brexit vote.

CIPS Risk Index Rises As Global Commitment Slides

November 15, 2016

Supply Management

Supply chain managers are facing a new wave of impediments to the flow of goods across borders, said John Glen, economist for the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, as the latest CIPS Risk Index continued to climb to levels not seen since 2013.

Organics Raising the Steaks for Food Manufacturing

November 15, 2016

Dave Gustovich, Area VP, NetSuite's Manufacturing Center of Excellence

Consumer appetites for organic foods are at an all-time high. As grocery shoppers buy more goods labeled as organic, pesticide-free, non-GMO and other attributes of healthier foods, food manufacturers need to adapt to the complex challenges of the organic products supply chain.

Sap Aims to Simplify Innovation With Update to In-Memory Database

November 14, 2016

CIO

SAP says it wants businesses struggling to keep up with the pace of innovation in its HANA in-memory database to relax as it readies a new version, HANA 2. Since introducing HANA in 2010, the supply chain software company has been releasing updates twice a year, providing customers with new capabilities but also pushing them to keep their software current to benefit from continuing support.

FootLocker, Urban Outfitters Rank Worst in E-Commerce

November 14, 2016

RIS News

To uncover which retailers have the best customer experience and which are lacking, consumer-opinion analyst Aspectiva examined the reviews of over 40 of the most popular e-commerce sites. Through the use of new AI technology, Aspectiva examined over 75,000 individual reviews, averaging over 1,800 reviews per site.

Wal-Mart Sets Environmental Plan as People Seek Green Items

November 14, 2016

The New York Times

Wal-Mart is laying out its environmental map for the next several years as it tries to satisfy customers who want green products at affordable prices. The world's largest retailer says it will seek to reduce emissions in its own operations by 18 percent by 2025, and work toward adding no waste to landfills in key markets like Canada and the United States. It also plans to be powered by 50 percent clean and renewable energy sources.

Post-Election, Can Trade Stop Being a Dirty Word?

November 14, 2016

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

In the political heat of this year's presidential election, the term "global trade" rarely carried positive connotations.

Scandit Launches Mobile Barcode Scanner With Improved Speed, Range

November 10, 2016

Scandit

Scandit is launching a new version of its barcode scanner software development kit (SDK), which will allow retail, manufacturing and supply chain enterprises to replace traditional barcode scanners and mobile computers with more flexible and cost-effective mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and wearables, the barcode software company says. The result: equivalent or improved scanning performance on a smart device at a fraction of the total cost of ownership of traditional scanners.

Instagram Wants to Be a Place Where People Go Online Shopping

November 10, 2016

Los Angeles Times

Instagram is making it easier for retailers to promote and sell products through photos. The photo-sharing service is giving 20 retailers the ability to add tags to pictures to convey additional information such as prices and available colors. Brands participating in the trial run include Kate Spade and Warby Parker.

Retail Tackles the Omnichannel

November 9, 2016

Robert J. Bowman, Managing Editor, SupplyChainBrain

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.