For retailers and distribution centers, the traditional method for coping with the chaos of the Christmas buying season has been to throw more bodies at the problem. But what if robots could do a better job of handling the surge of activity?
News out of the European Union these days seems to be all about divisiveness and imminent economic chaos. So it's easy to overlook the latest reforms that promise to make life easier for traders doing business in the region.
A message to shippers who have been paying rock-bottom rates for truck transport over the last couple of years: next year, that ride is likely to come to an end.
Federal regulators are mandating drastic reductions in emissions from heavy-duty trucks over the next 10 years. And truck manufacturers and big shippers alike are applauding the move.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. might be running a distant second to Amazon.com Inc. in the e-commerce race, but it's spending billions of dollars to close the gap.