Ocado, an online-only grocer and retail solution provider, has developed a 4G-based protocol to communicate with the thousands of robots powering its new automated warehouses. These highly-automated warehouses will be offered as part of a managed service called the Ocado Smart Platform which enables international partners to build scalable, sustainable and profitable online retail businesses, the company says.
Parcel shipping volume will grow annually at 5 to 7 percent between now and 2018, for a total increase of 20 percent, with the biggest gains coming in cross-border shipping, according to a study from Pitney Bowes.
This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday were bigger than ever. But the numbers could be concealing an underlying trend away from those key dates in the retail calendar.
Amazon may bring a very real threat to apparel brands banking on online sales this holiday season, according to a survey by e-commerce services provider Onestop Internet. Of the 57 percent of respondents saying they plan to purchase apparel online this holiday season, 64 percent said they intend to buy apparel from Amazon.
E-commerce has been the dominant force for change in the air cargo logistics business for the last several years, but online retailers, forwarders, carriers and integrators say they are still struggling with ways to keep up with the intense demand from international customers to deliver them the world instantly. This was the main theme of the plenary session, "Cross-border E-Commerce: Who Will Rule the Game?", at last week's Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference (ALMC) in Hong Kong.
Holiday shoppers eager to snag big discounts turned to the internet in record fashion this week, one tracking company said, driving online sales on Black Friday to a new high. Consumers spent $3.34bn shopping online on Friday, a 21.6 percent increase from the same day last year, according to Adobe, which tracks online retail transactions.
Macy's this month made its debut appearance within Alibaba's Singles' Day in China. Well, sort of. It participated via a virtual reality shopping tour app featuring Macy's New York City flagship, which bills itself as the world's largest department store.
The 2016 International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Thanksgiving/Black Friday Shopping Report shows that three quarters of Americans spent the same or more this year than last year, and 44 percent of that spend was on gifts for other people. Americans shopping on Thanksgiving and/or Black Friday spent an average of $373, including approximately $100 on dining and entertainment in a shopping center.
The latest membership estimates for Amazon.com's Amazon Prime service show that the e-retailer's bid to consolidate consumer spending onto one platform has now attracted almost one in six Americans, according to independent research by Cowen & Co. In addition to signing up some 50 million Amazon Prime customers, the company expanded into car sales last week, teaming up with Fiat to sell cars in Italy.
Lithium Technologies released findings from its State of Social Engagement 2016 study that uncovers how well Fortune 1000 retail brands are engaging with consumers across social platforms. The study showed that retailers are prioritizing engagement, collaboration with influencers and online communities in order to bolster customer satisfaction, and ultimately, sales.
The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the e-commerce/omnichannel industry — which consists of companies engaged in internet retailing, including those with auxiliary brick-and-mortar stores. Learn how e-commerce/omnichannel 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.
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