E-commerce

Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently caught up with Karl Siebrecht, CEO of Seattle-based Flexe, the programmatic logistics leader, delivering technology-powered, omnichannel logistics programs to the world’s largest retailers and brands. Siebrecht addressed various topics, including: the state of that warehousing economy; the impact of BOPIS (buy online pickup in store) on e-commerce and the shifts between online and in-store shopping as it relates to warehousing; and Peak Season challenges, among others.

This new guide is a great resource as you move through peak season, suggesting changes that will get you where you need to be.

Various reports issued this week indicated that FedEx Freight, the less-than-truckload (LTL) subsidiary of Memphis-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider FedEx, will begin furloughing employees early next month, in order to be in line with lower-than-expected levels of demand.

The United States Department of Commerce’s U.S. Census Bureau reported that October retail sales—at $694.5 billion—rising 1.3% compared to September and were up 8.3% annually. And for the August through October period, retail sales increased a collective 8.9% annually. And the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that its calculation of retail sales, which excludes sales for automotive dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail, pointed to a 0.7% increase from September and a 6.5% unadjusted annual gain.

Learn how location intelligence can help you build a predictive supply chain to improve shipment and asset visibility.

Peak seasons are “peakier” than ever, making it difficult to find automation that is efficient year-round. Finding the right partner is key.

American Eagle Outfitters has long been a leader in e-fulfillment inside its distribution centers. The next step: Move outside the four walls with a distributed fulfillment network that is shared by other like-minded retailers to compete with the big guys.

The debut of RXO was made official today, with the spin-off of XPO Logistics truck brokerage and asset-light transportation units now officially complete. RXO began trading today on the New York Stock Exchange, and it is the fourth-largest full truckload broker in the United States. The company has roughly 7,400 employees, with its technology-enabled truck brokerage business connecting shippers across various verticals to around 100,000 independent carriers and more than 1.5 million trucks. RXO’s corporate headquarters are in Charlotte, N.C.

The session, which featured Prologis Co-founder and CEO Hamid Moghadam and Dave Clark, Co-CEO of San Francisco-based freight forwarding and customs brokerage services provider Flexport, began with the executives taking a look at what they viewed as the key trends and themes within the supply chain.

In a research brief, entitled “Industrial Facilities Near Airports Command Rent Premiums,” CBRE explained that companies are locating distribution operations closer to airports, or air cargo ports, in order to counter various challenges, especially increasing transportation costs, which it said account for 45%-to-70% of overall supply chain costs—based on data issued by the company’s subsidiary CBRE Supply Chain Advisory. This represents a steep uptick compared to occupancy costs, which account for 3%-to-6%, said CBRE.

To ensure you have the workers you need to meet peak demand, it is important you take a multi-faceted, proactive approach with your peak hiring.

Quarterly revenue—at $24.161 billion—increased 4.2% annually, and adjusted earnings per share—at $2.99—increased 10.3% annually and beat Wall Street estimates at $2.89 per share. Quarterly operating profit rose 7% to $3.113 billion.

Always implementing solutions to overcome industry challenges.

The holiday shopping season will start earlier than ever this year with consumers continuing to prefer shopping online.

With all the emphasis these days on automation, conventional warehousing is often overlooked if not forgotten. In fact, conventional warehousing is alive, well and thriving even at high-volume facilities and in e-commerce.