First Defense Production Act Contracts for Formula Approved
The DoD recently contracted FedEx Express to make the second flight for Operation Fly Formula and deliver Nestle baby formula from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to the U.S. FedEx (NYSE: FDX) delivered to Washington Dulles International Airport before distributing the...
National Retail Federation Says: Americans Return 17% of Retail Purchases
From Thomas Industry: A recent analysis from the National Retail Federation shows the average store sees $166 million in returned products for every $1 billion in sales. According to the Federation, $761 billion in items was returned to retailers last year, accounting...
The Freight Cycle has Downshifted: April Shipments SLide 3.5% from March: Freight Costs Still at Record Levels
AoCass Information Systems says April freight markets have finally cooled. Cass, a payments management service, reported last month that a freight recession is likely. Inflation, notably rising diesel prices, interest rate hikes, and a shift in consumer buying habits...
Logistics Real Estate is Hot Hot Hot!
Logistics Real Estate is Hot Hot Hot - DC Velocity It’s a mad scramble to find warehouse space anywhere in the world right now. Demand is outstripping supply, vacancies are at a record low, and, owing to the ongoing e-commerce boom, there’s no end to the crunch in...
March Key Logistics Index Report: Each New Peak Just Another Step Toward Bubble Collapse
The Logistics Managers' Index Report for March comes at a critical juncture between an ever-growing freight market wave - one of the strongest in history - and the inevitable crash. Still, most indicators have moved in a direction that demonstrates a strong market,...
Report Says Amazon Employees Account for Half of Warehouse Injuries
According to a survey by the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), Amazon workers experienced 49% of all warehouse injuries in 2021. The Soc is a democratic coalition of four labor unions: Service Employees International Union (SEIU), International Brotherhood of...
GoPuff taps former Amazon executive to oversee North American business
Ex-Amazon executive Maria Renz has been named GoPuff's North American senior vice president. Renz will now be in charge of GoPuff's US strategy and execution. It is unclear when she will join the company. The move is part of a reorganization designed to boost the...
Asos’ YoYoing Stock Price Indicative of Larger eCommerce Landscape
Accelerating inflation and disruption from Russia's war in Ukraine threaten Asos' full-year target earnings goal, the company said. The story is not so unique, especially among individual apparel brands and larger holding companies like Asos. Still, with the...
What Else We’re Consuming | FEBRUARY/MARCH
1. SPECTRUM BRANDS to Acquire Cookware & Appliance Units of Tristar Products - MARKET WATCH FROM THE ARTICLE: Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. said it has reached a deal to acquire the cookware and home-appliances business units of Tristar Products Inc. for at least...
The Rise, Fall, and Potential Comeback of Toys “R” Us
Toys "R" Us was once one of the most well-known toy distributors in the United States. At that time - in the mid-1990s - it would be rare to find anyone unable to sing along with the brand jingle: "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys 'R' Us Kid.” Beyond brand...
THOUGHT LEADER: Arthur Valdez’s interview is right on target.
In the height of the pandemic, government shutdown of non-essential businesses saw many retail locations - any deemed to be “non-essential” - closing their doors indefinitely. Suddenly, there was a problem that needed fixing. We found the anecdote already existed in...
Grocery Delivery Logistics and a Small Scale Fulfillment Space at War
Money pouring into "instant-delivery" grocery companies, and the efforts of established grocers to transition to 30-minute delivery beg an important question: How much speed do today's consumers truly need—and how much does an extra 5 minutes, 30, or 60 minutes mean...
What Else We’re Consuming | Best of Brands for 2022
MUD\WTR: 18 Products That’ll Get You in a Good Headspace - SKIM FROM THE ARTICLE: A delicious, energy-boosting bev that isn’t coffee… You don’t have to break up with your barista. But don’t be surprised if you start leaning less Team Cup o’ Joe, and more Team Cup o’...
Sub-Box Pro-Tips, and Money Well Spent in 2021
The Subscription Trade Association, SUBTA, recently released its analysis of the last 12 months in the subscription industry. The report revealed significant growth across six key segments. In an effort to represent the full scope of the subscription space, the data...
No Such Thing As A Free Return
Online shopping is fast, fun, convenient, and when it comes to returns processing, perhaps problematic. A shocking declaration, right? A shocking declaration, right? More shocking still is the $114 billion worth of eCommerce goods returned following 2021's holiday...
2021 Supply Chain Drama: The State of Global Trade & What’s Next
Supply chains had (are having?) their moment in the sun following the outbreak of COVID, but especially in the fallout of that initial wave. The history books will one day attribute the outbreak and ensuing shelter in place orders to a massive surge in eCommerce....
Top Trends in eCommerce & DTC Retail & What to Expect for 2022
Long before COVID-19 and the surge in eCommerce around the world, DTC companies were already changing the way consumers…well, consume. What may have been less obvious is the way modern eCommerce era brands would connect customers to brands in a way never before seen....
In the Numbers pt. 2 | NOVEMBER
Six big numbers of 2021… - Robinhood Snacks A few interesting trends from the boys at Market Snacks to wrap up some of the highest impact data sets from 2021. The big list of six looks at billionaires in space, CEO vernacular, rising NFT prices (and also, what is an...