Retail Supply Chain Archives - Page 2 of 13 - Supply Chain Game Changer™

How to Do More With Less in Your Last Mile Service!

Last Mile Delivery! What is your Strategy?

When we look at the industry leaders, the forecast for the logistics market is clear. Amazon’s continued success at omnichannel delivery and fulfillment, including one-day delivery for Prime subscribers, has increased the pressure on retailers and shippers to provide faster, lower priced, more convenient last mile service delivery and fulfillment.

They, in turn, look to their 3PLs, carriers and logistics providers as key partners in meeting these expectations and launching new last mile service delivery models. The raised expectations, coupled with the current wave of demand driving parcel and package delivery, is driving innovation across the market.

Full Case Fulfillment – The Retail Holy Grail!

The Supply Chain Detective™ and the $25M Robbery!

The retail company I had joined had just invested $25 million to automate their Distribution Centre. They automated the process of fulfilling orders in individual units, or eaches, instead of case fulfillment.

As I learned more and more about the system and the operation it became obvious to me that the entire paradigm that went into the $25 million investment was wrong. They wasted at least $20 million by perpetuating individual unit.

They could have save a lot of time and money by changing their fundamental operating model to one of case fulfillment – the Retail Holy Grail!

ThankX Delivery Services!

Last Mile Delivery! What is your Strategy?

In March 2020, Real Estate Investor/Tax Analyst Carlos Colon (a Philadelphia native, raised in Puerto Rico) decided to bring an idea of his to life; one which was building in his heart for a long period of time.

Realizing that (due to COVID-19 quarantine regulations) many of his peers would be housebound with nothing to do and nowhere to go – Carlos wanted to give back to the community via a peer-to-peer altruistic (and mission-centered) delivery service. He asked his wife one day – “What’s the expression in American culture used to demonstrate gratitude when a chore or task is completed on another’s behalf?”

Soon thereafter, the genesis of #ThankX was born: Concierge Community Couriers (based in our very own Philadelphia)! “Thank[s]” represents gratitude; “X” represents express!

Features to Know Before Buying Kraft Apparel Boxes!

A Guide to Personalized Packaging!

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Kraft apparel boxes have been utilized by famous boutiques that sell superior expensive pieces of clothing. These exceptional clothes are also provided as blessings. So, the emphasis on the custom apparel packaging boxes is an alike measure of what is inside.

The material used in assembling these stylish custom printed packaging boxes is to be of staggering quality. These packaging boxes are an ideal medium for marketing your business as these are seen by several people reliably. For instance, an individual holding the American apparel packaging box in a strip mall will make different people aware of the company.

Strategies to Survive the Peak Season Fulfillment Surge!

Ensure Your Supply Chain Doesn’t Break on Black Friday!

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Peak season fulfillment is a topic that strikes both fear and hope into the minds of supply chain leaders.

It can boost profitability and provide a jolt of efficiency. On the other hand, inadequate peak fulfillment can write the epithet on a company’s tombstone.

Instead of waking to a real Christmas horror, ensure your supply chain is capable of handling peak demands by understanding the problem with poor peak season planning, how the right strategies build optimization, and by applying these nine critical best practices.

How to Create Successful and Innovative Products!

5 Things Startups Must Know Before Launching a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)!

Product innovation is at the center of many success stories. Every product that exists now, or that existed before, was once an innovation. The most notable innovative products of late have been mostly technological.

The term ‘disruptive innovation’ is used quite a lot these days. It refers to innovations whose impact sets a trajectory for the future. Such an example is Microsoft when they made their first PC.

That was a disruptive innovation back then, and rightfully so. It changed the dynamic of what was and what could be. Now, look at how the personal computer has developed!

Space Planning: Could You Run Out of Space in Your Warehouse too?

What’s the Difference Between Logistics and Distribution?

“We are out of space!”

“What? We’re only in the middle of September.”

“The receiving docks are backed up. We have trucks in the parking lot waiting to unload their goods. There are even more containers on their way. And we have no empty space left in the warehouse racking.”

That was the actual conversation I had with the head of the Distribution Centre (DC). We had a big problem on our hands to say the least.

Supply Chain Automation Helps Selling Food Online!

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The COVID-19 crisis has left an everlasting impact on the lives of people all around the world. It has devastated a lot of industries in its wake – but none of these have been as badly affected as the food service industry, driving action to selling food online.

It is a well-established fact that running a successful restaurant is a very difficult task, even for the most experienced and talented business magnate. In fact, more than 90% of independent restaurants closed during their first year of business. The COVID-19 crisis dealt a devastating blow to an industry already crippled in recent years.

The Growing Expectations of Last Mile Delivery!

What are the Top 7 Trends in Last Mile Logistics?

The latest advancements in technology have had huge impacts on the world we live in, almost overnight transforming industries such as taxi services, food and grocery delivery, and music. Sometimes this change happens so fast it’s hard to even comprehend the growing expectations and what’s happening for businesses and consumers alike.

Although many of these growing expectations have been positive, creating a more efficient and faster-moving world (can you imagine a world without Uber?), there are many that reach too far, not taking into account the realities of the industry they are frantic to establish themselves in.

Exploring the Automotive Chip Shortage Supply Chain!

Supply Chain Visibility Has Never Been More Important!

I was in the market for a new vehicle recently. As I went from dealership to dealership researching potential vehicles that I would buy, I became aware of some very unusual circumstances, precipitated by an automotive chip shortage environment.

First, most of the dealer lots were relatively empty. There were some vehicles on the lots, but not many. Second, everyone I talked to said the same thing. The lots were empty, vehicles were on backorder with no ability to make a commitment on delivery, and shortages of computer chips for the vehicles was a major problem constraining supply.

All that could prove to be a big obstacle in getting the vehicle I wanted, with whatever features I would pick. This sounded like an Automotive Supply Chain problem to me.

Food Industry Delivery Trends!

Food Waste and World Hunger – The Food Supply Chain is Broken!

It’s never been easier for food companies and food industry to reach their customers. Restaurant delivery has grown 20% in the last five years; while estimates differ, online food delivery sales are estimated to grow as high as $220 billion by 2023 – 40% of total restaurant sales.

Online grocery may lag behind restaurants in online delivery adoption, but it’s definitely growing. Deutsche Bank estimates that the $24 billion online grocery market will surge to 120$ billion by 2025.

One reason for this growth is the recent proliferation of delivery models and fleet types: same hour, same day and next day delivery; single fleet, multi-fleet, crowdsourced fleets and in-house fleets; deliver from store, curbside pickup, delivery from robotic warehouses, and so many others.

The Supply Chain Detective™ and the Holiday Readiness Catastrophe!

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It was our first Holiday season working in Retail. From a Supply Chain perspective the pressure was intense. Despite massive investments the previous year and repeated assurances of Holiday readiness from the incumbent staff the entire experience was disastrous.

First the Distribution Centre (DC) ran out of storage space. Delays by the planning team in releasing orders to the DC resulted in a mad scramble to get goods to the stores and fill their empty shelves. And a never-ending slew of stock-outs and productivity issues made the next few months an absolute nightmare. Potentially blowing the Holiday season was a constant reality which would undermine the very survivability of the company.

The entire team was on the verge of being fired. What on earth happened to Holiday readiness and how could be prevent this from ever happening again?

This was a case for the Supply Chain Detective™.

The Clothing Supply Chain: From High Fashion Runway to Landfill!

Food Waste and World Hunger – The Food Supply Chain is Broken!

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Every 3-6 months my wife and I accumulate a bag full of clothing that we no longer wear. We take it to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army. In our minds we believe that we are contributing to help those who want gently used clothing. We didn’t realize we were a part of the Clothing supply chain.

I expect that many of you do the same. You either make donations to these or similar institutions or you avail yourself of used or second hand items that are for sale at numerous outlets.

There is an extraordinary amount of time and money spent on new clothing. But only a small portion of that ends up being recycled and repurposed. In the U.S. alone over 2.5 Billion pounds of textile waste is generated each year and 85% of that goes into landfills!

And did you know that the clothing and textile industry is the second largest polluter in the world?

What exactly is happening in the Clothing Supply Chain?

The Ultimate Guide for Online Shopping!

ECommerce Overpackaging is an Absolute Disgrace!

We have all been there. You want to buy something online, but you’re not sure if it’s going to be delivered in time or if the quality will be as good as what you see on the website while online shopping.

Well with this ultimate guide for online shopping, we hope that things won’t get any more confusing for you.

7 Pitfalls of Amazon FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon)!

How to Sell on Amazon! The Complete Guide!

Fulfillment by Amazon or Amazon FBA lets sellers in the Amazon marketplace take advantage of Amazon’s giant logistics operation to ship their orders.

FBA items are eligible for Amazon Prime shipping and Amazon handles your angry customers (which Amazon considers its customers, not yours). Amazon has dozens of warehouses all over the country, and more around the world, so your products may be in your customers’ hands quickly.

If you pull back the Amazon curtain, however, you find the picture isn’t always rosy.