Retail

Walmart again led the list of top 100 U.S. retailers compiled by the National Retail Federation.

Bringing the policy talk down to the warehouse floor, a panel at Cart.com’s annual customer event outlined how brands are actually coping with the new reality of shifting tariff policies.

The Hobby Industry Coalition seeks targeted refinements to what it sees as crippling tariffs.

Here’s a sector-by-sector breakdown of how major players are reacting to the mounting pressure of tariffs and retaliatory trade measures.

Walmart benefits if the tariffs cut out Temu and Shein.

Kroger management reaffirmed the “low end” of 1-2% identical sales growth guidance.

The two largest home improvement retailers cut their full-year sales guidance in Q1, a rarity; many other retailers also pointed to intensifying pressure on Americans’ ability to spend money as the year has progressed.

Unprecedented high prices for used trucks a year ago have plummeted as new truck production moved past supply shortages.

As the popularity of online shopping increases, so do consumer expectations around shipment visibility and on-time delivery. This can lead to challenges for many retailers, especially when relying on generic carrier tracking solutions.

The latest news for every retail supply chain nerd Attention shoppers and all you retail supply chain nerds. Welcome to Point of Sale: The Newsletter! Here you’ll find all the latest industry deals, tech developments and everything in between regarding shoppers’ interests. I’m Sydney Edwards, the voice in your head and the writer before you. […]

Walmart doubles down on omnichannel.

Most of the time, March brings some reprieve from the post-holiday demand slump. This year, consumers appear to be less apt to resume their normal spending habits.

Consumers are buying food instead of “stuff.”

Weather has a significant impact on retailers, but most still rely on manual forecasting. Tomorrow.io’s advanced weather intelligence is changing the game.

State tax rates for retail gasoline and diesel increased in 13 states in 2023

Kraft Heinz will sell Lunchables in schools directly to kids. It’s an auspicious deal but not the best indicator for the nation’s health.

Although retailers may be past the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, other headwinds persist, reminding storefronts the importance of having a resilient supply chain, according to National Retail Federation’s Jon Gold.

Retailers have had to get creative to deal with too much inventory, but from moving inventory into stores to better inventory management, there are steps that can be taken.

Target has unveiled a new store model geared toward omnichannel fulfillment that soon will become the standard design.

Carriers and shippers ignoring the middle mile could be leaving money on the table.

Retailers are grappling with a “sonic boom of inventory” — and they have no idea what this year’s Christmas shopping season will look like.

As we look to the future of the global supply chain, all businesses and areas of business – from inventory to distribution, suppliers to retailers – need to plan for one thing: uncertainty.

Experts expected a closing of the gap between record-high auction and retail used truck prices. Now both are in retreat.

Retailers need to rethink last-mile delivery, moving away from the idea of just delivering goods and toward the concept of a customer experience.

Major retailers like Target, Walmart and Amazon are suddenly packed with inventories. It’s a whiplash that’s spooking investors.

Supply chains can be a differentiator, and even a moneymaker, for retailers willing to embrace change and encourage risk.

Kai Timmermann says the FMC’s “relatively standardized narrow dataset will solve a large portion of operational issues” in global shipping.

With e-commerce returns growing, retailers have plenty of opportunity to make shoppers loyal customers.

RH confirms sharp drop in demand since Russia-Ukraine war and sees no supply chain relief.

AI and warehouse robotic companies Berkshire Grey and Swisslog join forces to accelerate adoption of warehouse robotic solutions.

Long known as an aerospace and defense technology leader, multinational conglomerate Honeywell sees opportunity in retail spaces.

Supply chain visibility company FourKites and post-purchase platform Narvar are teaming up for a new retail supply chain visibility solution.

“For years, we have talked about the lack of available data to help with port operations. Ports are basically a black box when it comes to available information,” says the National Retail Federation’s vice president of supply chain and customs policy, regarding issues with global supply chains.

FIVE DAYS. WORLDWIDE IMPACT.

The Industrial Internet of Things is quickening the pace of innovation within the retail supply chain.

While much of the focus in 2021 was on the supply chain, the toll it took on e-commerce sellers was dramatic.

According to Deloitte’s 2022 Retail Industry Outlook, supply chain automation and voice-enabled commerce are top of mind for retailers.

E-commerce personalization platforms are playing an increasingly important role in the success of last-mile delivery.

Vantiq is joining forces with IBM, Infosys and others to create a low-code retail development platform designed to encourage innovation.

An IBM and NRF survey of consumers finds that hybrid shopping options are becoming the default preference for many.

Premium experiences, mobile access and fast delivery are among the keys to driving e-commerce sales, two new surveys find.

The new partnership will offer on-demand, same-day delivery of home goods, electronics, beauty and personal care products.

As shoppers return to stores, more brands are blending the online and physical worlds through the use of augmented reality.

Fleets and individual truckers buying at today’s elevated prices
assume a big risk when the used equipment market normalizes.

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

SPS Commerce is collaborating with C.H. Robinson to open up new LTL capacity to retailers in need of space to move goods this holiday season.

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Supply chain backups and pandemic-weary consumers mean that gifts are in short supply and high demand.

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

ATSG also owns two aviation maintenance facilities and a logistics operation.

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Amazon is reportedly looking to open physical store locations in at least two states.

Port of Los Angeles boss warns: ‘Anchorage and dwell times are trending in the wrong direction.’

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Only 37% of shippers report using in-transit visibility solutions

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Your weekly fuel report has arrived!

Digital retailers are partnering with SaaS companies that are employing an emergent new service model: secure access service edge

Trips that once took three to four weeks are often taking three to four months, and shipments will undoubtedly miss their season for some retailers.

In addition to improving margins and boosting brand image, cutting ties with retailers simplifies Under Armour’s supply chain at a time when its needed most.

With the retail inventory-to-sales ratio still falling, U.S. importers are urged to move fast on their holiday import plans.

Former PayPal executive John Lunn has returned to payments with Gr4vy, which has landed an $11.1 million Series A funding round.

Amazon’s Prime offering, with its shipment tracking and fast delivery, continues to add pressure to other retailers to match the service. Technology can help up their shipment games, making for happier and returning customers.

On this episode of Great Quarter, Guys, Andrew Cox and Seth Holm discuss whether a wave of shipments is on its way to the U.S. or if the parcel system can handle the load.

On this episode of Point of Sale, Andrew Cox looks at the steps one leading beauty brand is taking to mitigate environmental impacts.

On this episode of The Stockout Mike Baudentistel explores the possibility of companies hitting the market soon.

U.S. rail traffic rose 14% in March amid higher grain and intermodal volumes. But some commodities are also reflecting uneven year-over-year comparisons because of the pandemic-induced volume downturn that began in late March 2020.

The battle between brands and retailers is not new, but it’s more acute than ever because of the options each side has. For brands, it’s never been easier to own and operate sales channels both online and IRL. For retailers, there’s never been more digitally native brands seeking out offline homes than there are right now. And giants like Target, Walmart and Amazon have proven that consumers are willing to purchase and even be very loyal to private label brands.

The pandemic shook up the way Americans shop, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On this episode of Point of Sale, Andrew Cox explains why.

Add Nike (NYSE: NKE) to the growing list of retailers being severely hampered by port congestion and supply chain bottlenecks. The congestion at West Coast ports in particular strained Nike’s supply chain and negatively impacted revenue, which declined 11% yoy in the quarter ending Feb. 28.

COVID-19 forced dramatic change at the end of the supply chain seemingly overnight. Retailers had to adjust quickly to succeed, and those that did are looking at a recovering consumer economy with the best balance sheet in decades on top of a real estate market reeling from store closures. Pair this with an e-commerce acceleration of five years and a movement to DTC and you have a market ripe for innovative physical expansion.

Census Bureau data showed a decline in February sales, but levels remain elevated from a year ago as new stimulus hits

Retailers are stuck between playing the waiting game and risking delays that wreck quarterly results or ponying up and taking to the skies. The goods will arrive quickly, but at what cost?

The software platform could help restore “lifetime value” to the 9.5 million tons of furniture that end up in landfills each year.

National Retail Federation’s Jon Gold and CNBC’s Lori Ann LaRocco discuss the impact of empty containers and port congestion and how retailers can protect themselves from future supply chain vulnerabilities.

A former Jet.com co-founder is rethinking the way e-commerce orders are delivered — specifically, when orders are delivered and in what vessel they arrive at their destination. Nate Faust believes after 25 years of e-commerce, it’s time for a new way of imagining delivery.

We’ve long touted retail inventory restocking as a primary growth driver for the freight bull run, but apparel brands aren’t aligning with this thesis. Rather than reverting back to habitual overordering and year-end discounting, retailers are sticking with the conservative ordering tactics that helped them win the holiday season.

Walmart and Kroger are taking differing approaches to online grocery fulfillment. While fully-automated warehouses are more efficient, they are much more expensive and inflexible. Local-fulfillment centers may not be as efficient, but they are much more cost effective. Read the detailed trade-offs here:

Despite losing momentum sequentially for the last three months of the year, holiday sales grew 8.3% year-over-year. The surprising data is further evidence of the resilience of the American consumer, and the ability for retailers to influence how and when people shop.

Andrew Cox and Seth Holm debate how companies should look to expand their operations for the coming year.

This is an excerpt from Monday’s Point of Sale retail supply chain newsletter. The UK grocery supermarket sector was once highly oligopolistic, but in recent years, European brands have expanded in the UK and have created a much fiercer competitive landscape. There are 4 primary British supermarket chains dubbed ‘The Big Four’: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, […]

Bed, Bath & Beyond reported EPS of less than half consensus estimates. CEO Mark Tritton pointed to tight shipping capacity and elevated freight costs for the miss. Get used to hearing this.

COVID induced demand for goods and spending in the home. How will spending behavior change when vaccines are widespread? Retail Analyst Andrew Cox believes consumer spending will be “A Tale of Two Halves”. See what he means:

Retail analyst Andrew Cox makes five predictions for retail supply chains in 2021. First and foremost: An inventory correction.

Anthony and Zach talk to rail and intermodal expert Mike Baudendistel about some interesting signals from that sector as well as connecting the dots between modes.

In Episode 30, Andrew and Kevin reunite with an original host and creator of the show’s name, Seth Holm, to discuss the future of malls, brick-and-mortar and retail overall. Seth spent nearly 10 years covering consumer and retail stocks at an Atlanta-based hedge fund before joining the Freight Intel Group last April. Can malls reclaim […]

Grocery stores curtail hours and enforce limits on staple purchases as coronavirus-induced panic buying empties store shelves of many items. High-touch retailers shutter stores.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced today that it is closing all its retail stores outside China in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The company has about 500 stores globally and had previously shut its China stores during the outbreak in that country. Those stores reopened today. The question now is, will other retailers follow suit […]

‘Strong sales’ in February are expected to continue through Easter. Disruptions to the company’s supply chain continue to be monitored.

China’s largest ecommerce company, JD.com, not ready to completely quantify coronavirus disruption.

Lowe’s sees positive sales comps in 14 of 15 regions, but full-year fiscal 2020 guidance disappoints.