Why Retailer-Owned Marketplaces are Taking Over – and What to Watch Out For
The number of retailer-owned third-party marketplaces, in which retailers list products from other sellers within their platform or website, has risen over the past few years. Many big-name retailers now have their own marketplace platforms, including Tesco, Boots, Superdrug, B&Q, and The Range in the…
Retailers Beware: Returns Fraud on the Rise As Criminals Get More Creative
Returns already have a significant impact on retailers‘ bottom line. National Retail Federation (NRF) data reveals that for every $1 billion in sales, retailers incur an average of $145 million in merchandise returns. To make matters worse, returns fraud is also on the rise. Last…
Facing Industrial Manufacturing’s Dilemma: Nailing Down Forecasting Accuracy
It’s been two centuries since the Industrial Revolution transformed manufacturing, introducing machines that automated production and unlocked unprecedented efficiencies. But in the last decade, the industrial manufacturing sector has encountered a new wave of challenges and disruptions. From fluctuating demand and rising costs to material…
Are You Serving Today’s Shoppers on Yesterday’s Technology?
Category management has reached an inflection point. In a volatile context characterized by rapidly shifting customer demands and expectations, rising prices, strained margins, ongoing supply chain instability, and increasing fulfillment complexity, getting the right product into the right place at exactly the right time is…
Why Demand Planning in High Tech Manufacturing Needs a Reboot
The global chip shortage a few years ago shone a spotlight on the supply chain planning complexity that has always characterized High Tech companies. It is difficult for semiconductor companies, consumer device manufacturers, and other High Tech companies to profitability match supply with demand, especially…
From Aisle to AI: How CPGs Can Conquer Demand Variability
Extreme demand volatility and unprecedented supply chain disruptions make it tough for many manufacturers to get the demand-supply balance right. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies face especially difficult forecasting and demand planning challenges. Every day, CPG planners must contend with the complexities of omni-channel sales…
The ILA Walkout Emphasizes the Need To Be Prepared for Disruptions
On Tuesday, the U.S. lost half of its ocean shipping capacity when the 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) went on strike at 13 major East Coast container ports, stretching from Texas to Maine. While the walkout has been looming since June, the strike…
From Shortages to Surpluses: MedTech and Pharma’s Demand Planning Remedy
In the current business environment, a company’s global supply chain can make or break its success, regardless of industry. The stakes are especially high, however, for pharmaceutical, medical device, and health care manufacturers and distributors. If planners fail to accurately match supply with demand, the…
5 Industry Trends for Logistics Service Providers to Watch
Logistics service providers (LSPs) face unprecedented challenges in today’s fast-paced market. From industry consolidation to shifting trade routes, workforce shortages to sustainability demands, LSPs must adapt quickly. To thrive, LSPs need to stay ahead of these five trends so that they can turn challenges into…
7 Tactics to Drive Self-Service Parcel Drop-Off Adoption
Self-service solutions offer carriers great opportunities to expand out-of-home (OOH) delivery networks, provide automated journeys, and deliver a great customer experience while reducing staff dependency in pick-up and drop-off (PUDO) locations. While parcel lockers serve a dual purpose in automating both delivery and returns, when…