People increasingly want to spend their money in stores, which is bad news for parcel and last-mile delivery companies that benefitted from the online-shopping boom.

Analysts said October's rise could be a "false dawn" and the key Christmas trading period could be "difficult."

For many retailers, not-for-resale (NFR) expense management falls to the bottom of the long list of strategic priorities.

Target also unveiled a plan to save as much as $3 billion by streamlining operations, but stopped short of mass job cuts. 

With the continuing surge in e-commerce, rapid fulfillment and distribution are becoming key to meeting demand and ensuring customer satisfaction.

The proposal follows similar announcements on November 2 from the two largest U.S. pharmacy chains, CVS Health and Walgreen Co,

Retailers are dangling big sales well ahead of Black Friday, in a sharp reversal from a period in which scarcity allowed stores to charge full price for many products. 

Shekar Natarajan of American Eagle Outfitters, a finalist in the 2022 Supply Chain Innovator of the Year Award, describes building a successful fulfillment and transportation edge network.

The multinational fast fashion retailer has now succumbed to the online shopping revolution, but it is not planning delivery service.

The shift comes as merchants are stepping back from competition over who can deliver within a day or even hours after an online order is placed.