E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

UPS and FedEx Handle Record Holiday Surge With Minimal Delays

January 2, 2018

United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. delivered almost all of people’s presents by Christmas Day, with the former company finishing strong after a bruising late November.

Many Unhappy Returns? Online Holiday Shopping’s Big Hangover

December 28, 2017

The New York Times

Kristina Nicolas will proudly tell you that she’s been doing practically all her shopping online for years now. She will also tell you, in a more exasperated voice, that this has not remotely abbreviated the amount of time she spends going to stores.

Retailers Feel Shoppers’ Christmas Cheer

December 28, 2017

The Wall Street Journal

Retailers are enjoying some extra Christmas cheer.

Holiday E-Commerce Demand Got an Early Start in 2017

December 27, 2017

Air Cargo World

The growth of e-commerce around peak shopping season is no longer a new story, and this year was no exception. But 2017’s peak season did raise some eyebrows for getting off to an unusually early start, with sales from Nov. 1 to Nov. 22 up 17.9 percent, year-over-year, according to Internet Retailer’s report on the peak shopping season.

This Huge, Bustling Mall Has a Hole to Fill — Just Not With More Stores

December 27, 2017

Bloomberg

The scene at the East Coast’s largest mall on a recent Friday morning would seem to fly in the face of the doomsday narrative surrounding U.S. retail centers. A steady stream of holiday shoppers walked the lacquered halls, browsing stores from Gap to Gucci. By noon, a line was snaking out of an outpost of the Shake Shack burger chain.

As Millennials Embrace Renting Over Owning — Even Clothes — Stores Are Taking Notice

December 22, 2017

Los Angeles Times

The millennial generation's embrace of renting rather than owning has spread far beyond housing and ride-sharing, and even some traditional major retailers are taking notice.

Best Buy v. Amazon: Holiday Edition

December 22, 2017

The Wall Street Journal

There are a lot ways to judge retailers during the holiday season. Is store inventory overflowing, as it was a couple of years ago? Are chains discounting like crazy? But what really matters for most retailers is whether they are successfully fighting off Amazon.com Inc.

Little Unicorn Takes Baby Steps to Survive Among Omnichannel Giants

December 22, 2017

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

The young seller of high-end baby products seeks a way to reach consumers and retailers without being swallowed up by Amazon.com and Wal-Mart.

Amazon Faces $11M Fine Over Supplier Treatment

December 21, 2017

Supply Management

The French Ministry for the Economy is taking Amazon to court, accusing the e-commerce giant of imposing unfair contracts on suppliers.

Drone Tracking Plan Moves U.S. Delivery by Air Closer to Reality

December 21, 2017

Bloomberg

Deliveries by drones took a step closer to being allowed in the U.S. after a federal advisory panel agreed on a framework for allowing law enforcement to routinely track the small devices.

E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

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.