Retail Supply Chain Insights Guest Contributors

31. Why Retail Supply Chain Transformations Fail (And How You Can Beat The Odds) 5/16/2018

    There's no small list of retailers who are struggling to keep up with the Amazon effect, but a closer look at why some fail and others prevail, should give retailers who are willing to embrace change some hope.

32. How Shipping Software Goes Beyond The Box 5/2/2018

    Shipping isn’t just about getting a package to a customer’s front steps anymore, and companies are not only investing in their shipping strategy because it saves them money - it goes beyond the box.

33. Does Your Vendor Deliver Partner Value? 7 Ways To Check 4/20/2018

    POS resellers are essential to a vendor’s strategy to target its products to the right market. Without the benefit of channel partnerships, vendors would be hard-pressed to gain brand mindshare.

34. Confused About Blockchain And Cryptocurrency? Read On. 4/19/2018

    Blockchain and cryptocurrency: the beloved buzzwords of the technology world. Due to their radical potential, these emerging technologies have been shrouded in doubt and confusion. Yet, even as awareness and adoption have steadily grown in recent years, many experts venture to call this silent revolution the fastest growing digital technology since the internet.

35. 5 Ways To Prevent Walkaways At Retail Stores 3/28/2018

    Long checkout lanes, disorganized shelves and hard-to-find products lead to frustrated shoppers. And when customers get frustrated, they often give up on a store and walk out, especially if there’s no associate around to help them.

36. Amazon's Biggest Lesson For E-Commerce Companies 3/6/2018

    How Amazon continues to build a loyal customer base that keeps them coming back.

37. Shipping: Free Or Fast, Which Is Better? 2/20/2018

    Customers are increasing the size of their baskets in order to qualify for free shipping.

38. 21 Requirements To Consider For A New Multi-Carrier Shipping & Manifesting System 2/20/2018

    Parcel growth will continue to rise at a rate of 17%-28% each year between 2017 and 2021, and by 2020, same-day delivery will drive up logistics costs as a percentage of revenue by 50% (Source: Gartner, October 2017). For most omnichannel businesses, the cost of shipping now exceeds the sum of all other fulfillment costs including direct and indirect payroll, benefits, facilities and utilities, packing supplies, etc. Businesses need every advantage they can get to hopefully evaluate, reduce or control the rate of shipping expense increases.

39. Automation Substantially Reduces Retailers' Cash Costs And Saves Labor Hours 2/15/2018

    If there’s any doubt about the impact of cash management solutions on the cost structure of retailers, consider this recent finding by IHL Group: Replacing manual processes with automation technology can save retailers an average of 200 to 500 labor hours monthly per store.

40. Walmart Tightens OTIF Requirements: Strategies For Shippers 2/14/2018

    A recent article in the Wall Street Journal revealed that Walmart executives plan to announce a further tightening of their on-time, in-full (OTIF) policy to go into effect in April 2018. Whereas the previous requirement called for larger suppliers to deliver within a one- or two-day window 75% of the time or be assessed a fine of 3% of the cost of the goods in the shipment, the new requirement raises the target to 85%. Smaller suppliers will see their compliance target rise from 33% to 50%. OTIF targets vary by department, and some of AFN’s clients have seen higher OTIF requirements (as high as 95%) go into effect already.