Archive for December 2018
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, & Holiday Peak Season Success Built on WMS Efficiency
The 2018 holiday shopping season has evolved beyond the traditional shopping days. First, there was Black Friday. Then, Thanksgiving became Brown Thursday. Small-business Saturday arose, and Cyber Monday took hold. Green Monday came about several years ago when companies started looking to tap into December shopping habits for the second Monday of the month. Year…
Read More‘Tis the (Return) Season Part 2: How to Manage Holiday Retail Returns’ Burdens
Attempting to manage holiday retail returns is a complex task. With higher-than-average returns’ rates, holiday returns can turn the most stable of supply chains into a logistics nightmare. However, retailers that understand the issues that contribute to higher-than-average return rates during the season and follow a few best practices can successfully reduce their costs. Why…
Read More‘Tis the (Return) Season Part 1: What You Need to Know to Reduce Returns’ Frequency in E-Commerce
E-commerce carries a higher rate of returns than brick-and-mortar stores. Depending on the source, brick-and-mortar retailers have an average return rate of approximately 10 percent, notes Shopify. E-Commerce returns can be as high as 50 percent, depending on the period analyzed. Unfortunately, returns represent an added cost of operating in modernity, and retailers fall victim…
Read MoreBest Supply Chain Conferences of 2019
Supply chain conferences are an excellent way to connect with industry professionals, learn about new technologies, and refine your operation through the experience of others. Conferences exist for a variety of purposes and supply chain specialties, including cold chain storage, transportation management, omnichannel best practices, and much more. It is up to your organization to…
Read MoreWhat Are Microservices in Supply Chain Software?
Microservices in supply chain software refer to the use of independently-deployable applications to complete a business process. Their use ranges from order management to customer intelligence, and they have stark advantages over the traditional, monolithic design of supply chain management software. Supply chain managers need to understand microservices and how they can significantly improve warehouse…
Read MoreFood Recalls and WMS: Benefits of Recall Functionality in a Warehouse Execution System
The threat of food-borne illness marred the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday. Two days before the day of thanks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a food safety alert advising people to avoid all types of romaine lettuce due to an E. coli outbreak, reports Ashley May of USA Today. The CDC was unable…
Read MoreE-Commerce In-Store Returns: Why Returning to Stores Is the Ultimate E-Commerce & Omnichannel Customer Experience Play
E-commerce is on track to break records for sales around the globe in the 2018 holiday shopping season. Following the 2017 holiday shopping season, retailers grew significantly, and today, e-commerce makes up 17 percent of all retail sales in the U.S. Unfortunately, e-commerce means a higher rate of returns, but giving customers the ability to…
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