E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

Where Have All the Pilots Gone? A Looming Shortage May Curtail E-Commerce

April 12, 2017

Bug smashers, nearjets, flippers, junkstreams. To most pilots, these names conjure memories of their first jobs in the business, flying small aircraft for regional carriers, often carrying cargo. "It's real flying, the sort that puts hair on your chest," a seasoned American pilot named Dover explained. "There's nothing glamorous about it. You are the dispatcher, it's your job to check the weather, and if it's legal to go, you go. But at the end of the day, I wanted to be there because I wanted to fly. I wanted to be a pilot."

The Weakness of an Omnichannel Retail Strategy

April 12, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Omnichannel is now the cost of entry, although it cannot be the core of your strategy to survive and grow in today's e-commerce environment. This is a defensive strategy. In this digital age you face more competition chipping away at your revenue and profitability. You must take advantage of e-commerce by growing into new retail market segments, experimenting with creating new retailer brands, and making acquisitions to expand into segments where your brand is lacking. - Steve Wilson, digital supply chain analyst, Tompkins International

Cross-Border Hubs Hustle to Keep Up With E-Commerce Demand

April 11, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: International e-commerce, also known as cross-border e-commerce, is growing at a rapid rate, but is faced with a number of challenges such as currency, delivery times, customs and returns. As a result, logistics providers such as FedEx, UPS and Pitney Bowes have acquired niche players to expand international e-commerce capabilities. Combined with these niche players, logistics providers are utilizing global gateways to reduce costs and delivery times. - Melissa Runge, vice president of analytical solutions, Spend Management

UPS to Build $200M Facility, Add Saturday Delivery

April 10, 2017

Air Cargo World

UPS has announced plans to build a $200m package operations facility in Arlington, Texas, just after it confirmed that it's pilot Saturday-pickup project would be expanded nationwide through 2018.

E-Commerce vs. In-Store: Using Supply Chains to Compete

April 10, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: According to marketing firm eMarketer, double-digit growth is anticipated for e-commerce through 2020 from a projected $1.915tr in sales in 2016 to $4tr by 2020. Brick-and-mortar stores are investing heavily to compete with e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Alibaba, but will it be enough? Supply chains continue to play a major role as brick and mortar stores invest and transform their businesses to meet today's retail challenges. - Kim McQuilken, COO, Spend Management

Shoe Retailer Uses RFID to Bring Omnichannel to Physical Store

April 6, 2017

RFID Journal

Italian footwear retailer Store of the Future (SOTF) opened its new Florence shop in September 2016, with an EPC ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID-based system to bring more personalized service to customers as they try on shoes, while also enabling omnichannel sales.

How Kohl's Is Connecting the Online and In-Store Experience

April 5, 2017

MultiChannel Merchant

Like many major retailers today, physical stores are a focus to move forward in this evolving retail climate while still maintaining an active online presence. Kohl's is one of these retailers as it strives to focus more on omnichannel.

Amazon Wants Cheerios, Oreos and Other Brands to Bypass Wal-Mart

April 5, 2017

Bloomberg

Amazon.com Inc. has invited some of the world's biggest brands to its Seattle headquarters in an audacious bid to persuade them that it's time to start shipping products directly to online shoppers and bypass chains like Wal-Mart, Target and Costco.

Retail in 2020: What Comes After Omnichannel?

April 5, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The need to enable omnichannel capabilities has driven significant capital investments and will continue to do so. We are seeing the first wave of omnichannel investments reach maturity and paying dividends. Those companies whose investments were too little or came too late are struggling. But as e-commerce growth continues, steadily carving out more of the retail sales pie, companies will need to re-evaluate their networks and make additional investments to drive competitive advantage. - Jason Denmon, retail industry leader, Fortna Inc.

Retail Revolution: Four Ways Supply Chains Are Evolving

April 4, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: As consumers' relationship with retailers changes, supply chains need to become more agile and responsive to fulfill the promise of an omnichannel world. Wholesale, retail and e-commerce supply chains, which have grown independently over the years, are merging - but significant transformation is necessary to help make omnichannel execution more profitable. - Parag Jategaonkar, performance improvement principal, Ernst & Young LLP