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For almost thirty years, almost since the first wave of E-commerce began in the 1990’s, there has been constant stream of news that have heralded the closures of thousands and thousands of retail stores that would seem to have led to their complete extinction by now. In the industry, the term “Retail Apocalypse” (RA) was coined after one of those waves of big chain closures that started in 2010.

It’s not uncommon to picture trucks and trains when we talk about moving freight. But, what about planes or air freight? In fact, the global air freight market is valued at roughly $319 billion, with the potential for it to double over the next decade. This growth is fueled by things like eCommerce expansion, global trade, and shifting consumer demands. 

As online retail and eCommerce have become more popular in recent years, the practice of product returns has increased dramatically. For many reasons, consumers may wish to return items purchased online and ideally want to do so with as little resistance as possible. 

One of the most fundamental tools retail brands use to understand their marketplace positioning is point-of-sale data. From the moment a shopper places your product in their physical or online cart to the time they provide payment, the data you collect provides valuable information you can use to become more efficient and competitive. 

If you’re in the warehouse or distribution center business, you likely know that keeping deliveries on a predictable schedule can be challenging. Truck drivers and transportation companies have their own deadlines and agendas, which may not align with your internal priorities. What happens when you don’t have the internal capacity to handle unexpected deliveries or fail to get the items you need on schedule? 

Your warehouse loading dock is the gateway that basically all products must pass through. If something isn’t operating efficiently, it can put your operations and the entire supply chain on hold. Here is how poor dock management can impact your warehouse’s productivity, some common mistakes your business might be making in this area, and some best practices to improve efficiency.

When new items arrive at your warehouse, unloading them and getting them onto your inventory shelves as quickly and efficiently as possible is critical. But that’s not always as simple as it seems. In bustling warehouses with many incoming and outgoing shipments combined with heavy fulfillment operations, it’s easy for confusion to take over. 

Intense competition, rising customer expectations, and the need to control costs all put pressure on businesses to operate their supply chain and fulfillment processes more efficiently. Cross-docking is an interesting supply chain management strategy that many businesses are implementing. Here’s what you need to know about cross-docking and how it can cut down on your business’s inventory costs and storage needs.

Many warehouses invest significant time and resources in improving their inventory management and order fulfillment processes. These efforts can result in lower costs, more satisfied customers, and better profitability. But ignoring the reverse logistics part of the equation can prove costly and frustrating. Here’s what reverse logistics entails, some common reverse logistics challenges, and how your business can solve them.

Many businesses consider the delivery of a product to the customer to be the last stage of the fulfillment process or the supply chain. Many don’t consider, however, that reverse logistics often comes into play, which adds another layer of complexity and costs. Here’s what you need to know about the reverse logistics process and how it can impact your company’s profitability.