Americans stepped up their borrowing in March, as the WSJ’s Eric Morath reports, but the question remains whether the consumers who make figure so prominently in the global economy will start buying in big numbers after taking a break from stores in the first quarter. For planners of retail supply chains, a major part of the question is whether those consumers will come back to the stores or get back to buying by going online. Online commerce is far outpacing storefront sales around the world, creating competition for traditional retailers. It’s created new markets, of course, but as Kim Nash describes in the WSJ Logistics Report, it’s also triggering a supply chain upheaval at brick-and-mortar stores. Wal-Mart Inc., Home Depot Inc. and others are trying to figure out how to serve that online market even as their own online sales are growing. (This article requires a subscription with The Wall Street Journal. To access, please click on the above link.)
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