Retail Supply Chain Insights Guest Contributors

  1. Ergonomics: The Overlooked Productivity Stealer In Your Warehouse 10/13/2017

    When looking for ways to optimize productivity in a warehouse or DC, often the emphasis is on time- and labor-saving features and functions of hardware and software with less attention given to ergonomics, which is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. Unless your company plans to run a totally automated warehouse, it’s important to look beyond equipment speeds and feeds and consider ergonomic factors, such as equipment design and feel and the workflows employees follow to complete their daily tasks. A few tweaks could make a world of difference not just in productivity, but safety too.

  2. The Mobile Payments Landscape Is Shifting Fast. Is Your M-Commerce Strategy Ready? 10/13/2017

    Despite a lot of talk about mobile payments over the past decade, we’re still way behind many other countries. Right now, in China, for example, there are entire cities where cash is virtually not used and plastic is being used less and less. A recent article from NPR reported that China did $5.5 trillion through mobile payments last year (about 50 times the amount in the U.S.).

  3. Avoid The Black Friday (And Cyber Monday) Blues 10/13/2017

    The holiday rush is quickly approaching, and if last year is any indicator of what’s ahead, retail sales are about to skyrocket, beginning with Black Friday. Last year, online sales grew 20% over 2015, and overall retail sales grew 10.5%, reaching $97.7 billion between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31. Black Friday was the top online shopping day ever in the United States last year — until it was surpassed by Cyber Monday sales a few days later.

  4. Better Together: Humans And Robots In The Warehouse 10/13/2017

    Amazon isn’t the only company finding common ground for humans and robots in its warehouses. Earlier this year in Tennessee, DHL began testing robots to assist its pickers in order fulfillment. Rather than pushing a bin or cart, the robots work alongside workers, helping them pick out medical devices that need to be shipped quickly. Third-party logistics provider Quiet Logistics Inc., which fulfills online orders for retailers like Bonobos and Zara, uses the same type of mobile robots in one of its warehouses to support its employees.

  5. Retail Isn't Doomed, But A Tectonic Shift Is Under Way 10/12/2017

    Online shopping has put tremendous pressure on brick-and-mortar retailers, causing large numbers of locations to go out of business. But lest anyone think retail is shrinking, the opposite is actually true. As of July 2017, retail sales were up $121.5 billion over last year, according to a new report by the IHL Group. With the holidays approaching, the NRF also recently projected an increase of 3.6%-4% over last season’s sales.

  6. Why Legacy Material Handling Systems Stunt Omni-Channel Growth 10/11/2017

    Yesterday, today and tomorrow.  As supply chain professionals, we are faced with having to meet the challenges of the most rapidly changing environment witnessed in more than a generation.  Ecommerce is being thrust upon us at a breakneck speed.

  7. Now's The Time To Develop Your Ecommerce Packaging Strategy 10/11/2017

    A lot of companies say they are developing packaging for ecommerce shipping on an ad hoc basis, usually as Amazon specifically requests them to do so. But with the pace and scale of change happening in retail, no one can afford to wait to start thinking more systematically about how they’re shipping packages to consumers. 

  8. 5 Ways To Boost Holiday E-Commerce Sales 10/3/2017

    On Cyber Monday (Nov. 27, 2017), NRF estimates over 120 million people in the U.S. will go online to conduct some of their holiday shopping. While most consumers see this day as the beginning of the holiday shopping season, retailers know the season is really the culmination of months of hard work and preparation.

  9. Manual Time Clocks Lead To Time Theft And Profit Loss 9/28/2017

    Traditional punch clocks were the first time clock systems to be used to track employees time and attendance. They typically work this way: an employee punches in and out of work with a paper punch card. While they are simple to use, they do not protect businesses from time theft and profit loss. In the restaurant industry, this fact can be especially troubling, with employees working all different types of shifts, unlike a more traditional 9 to 5 scenario. Keeping track of time and attendance in the restaurant industry can be a real headache, especially if owners and operators are relying on outdated equipment.

  10. Protecting Your Brand Identity Through Channel Partners 9/26/2017

    APG Cash Drawer relies on the indirect sales channel to get our products and solutions into the hands of our end user customers. This involves working with software developers, distributors, POS resellers, and OEMs to ensure our products and services deliver maximum value.