What 5 retail industry leaders are saying about coronavirus

While it's still not clear the total impact COVID-19 will have on retail, industry leaders met to talk about solutions and potential fallout in the sector. 

By Kaarin Moore • March 13, 2020

What tech and metrics do you need for omnichannel?

A modern order management system will have most of the data needed to measure success. However, some operations will require more creativity.

By Matt Leonard • March 12, 2020

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Inside retail supply chains

Companies looking to trim expenses and streamline operations during a crutial year for supply chain management. 

By Retail Dive staff

Costco: It could take weeks to reach routine supply chain operations

The COVID-19 outbreak is impacting multiple parts of the retailer's supply chain, not just its procurement and in-store operations.

By Matt Leonard • March 9, 2020

Target's tech for store-based fulfillment operations is ready to scale

Machine learning and robotics will allow the retailer to fulfill digital orders from stores and avoid stockouts, executives detailed in an investor presentation.

By Emma Cosgrove • March 5, 2020

Amazon launches faster same-day delivery with mini-fulfillment centers

The new centers will enable fulfillment, sortation and delivery under one roof, allowing Amazon to bypass the traditional middle mile journey.

By S.L. Fuller • March 4, 2020

J.C. Penney expands curbside pickup to 50 more stores

The struggling retailer is introducing its Style to Go service to additional locations as part of its "plan for renewal." 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 3, 2020

Virginia legislature clears way for Amazon delivery robots

The legislature approved a bill that would allow electric personal delivery robots of up to 500 pounds to operate on sidewalks and road shoulders.

By Chris Teale • Feb. 27, 2020

Walmart launches fulfillment service for third-party marketplace sellers

According to top executives, fulfillment services are as much about driving in-demand products to Walmart.com as they are about driving revenue. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Feb. 26, 2020

Adidas, Ikea lead on sustainable cotton sourcing

The athletic retailer knocked H&M down from the top spot, according to the latest Sustainable Cotton Ranking, which looked at a group of 77 firms.

By Emma Cosgrove • Feb. 24, 2020

Banana Republic introduces Postmates delivery option

As Amazon fuels consumers' appetites for fast and free shipping, retailers are looking for ways to ramp up their own fulfillment capabilities.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 21, 2020

Gap latest retailer to partner with ThredUp

The struggling retailer will give customers credit for used clothing it collects at select stores, at a time when its brands could use more foot traffic. 

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 21, 2020

Mattel to reduce SKUs 30% by the end of the year

Simplifying its supply chain, which included factory closures and predictive algorithms for forecasting, resulted in $797 million in 2019 cost savings.

By Emma Cosgrove • Feb. 19, 2020

Rent the Runway taps former Amazon exec as chief supply chain officer

Brian Donato previously worked at the e-commerce giant in operational roles related to returns and fulfillment. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Feb. 14, 2020

Stitch Fix officially launches 'Shop Your Looks'

The algorithm-led feature allows customers to choose items that go with pieces they already own, rather than leaving that to their stylist.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 13, 2020

87% of US businesses in China expect coronavirus to impact revenue

Companies ranging from Apple suppliers to Nissan have announced plans to temporarily pause production as a result of the virus outbreak.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 11, 2020

China to slash tariffs by 50% on $75B of US imports

The trade war is far from over as tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods remain and supply chains stay on high alert.

By Shefali Kapadia • Feb. 10, 2020

Fulfillment startup Deliverr raises $40M to grow staff, improve tech

The company aims to help smaller marketplaces compete with larger players like Amazon, which raised consumers' expectations for fast delivery.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 6, 2020

Avenue enlists Happy Returns amid transition to digital-only retailer

The plus-size women's apparel brand filed for bankruptcy in August, with plans to close all of its stores. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Jan. 31, 2020

Bond raises $15M for last-mile delivery tech

Lightspeed Venture Partners participated in the funding round for the company, which aims to improve the last-mile experience for DTC brands.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Jan. 30, 2020

UPS and Waymo partner on self-driving parcel pickup

As last-mile delivery demand continues to grow, more firms are looking to autonomous vehicles to eventually cut down on costs. 

By Morgan Forde • Jan. 30, 2020

Walmart's first Super Bowl ad touts pickup service

The retail giant is heavily promoting its pickup logistics as a growing number of competitors introduce their own services.

By Dianna Christie • Jan. 30, 2020

E-commerce deliveries will overrun cities in 1 to 3 years

The World Economic Forum argues the best path forward is to build portfolios of solutions that improve congestion, emissions and unit cost of deliveries. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 27, 2020

3 retail supply chain fails of 2019 and how to avoid them in 2020

Supply chains struggled with technology integrations in 2019. Experts believe the ability to bounce back from a crisis will be essential for modern managers. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 22, 2020

Belk harnesses AI to manage inventory

As the department store used SAS Analytics to square orders with demand, margins improved, Vice President Tim Carney said at the NRF's Big Show.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 16, 2020

Amazon lets third-party sellers use FedEx Ground for Prime shipments after ban

The decision comes after Amazon removed the option for sellers to ship with FedEx Ground and Home over concerns about late holiday shipments.

By Morgan Forde • Jan. 16, 2020