The holiday shopping season is often a peak for retailers’ sales. But the flipside to that boom is it leads to peak returns season – costing retailers billions to handle unwanted, used or damaged goods each year.
Archive for the ‘CONSUMER GOODS’ Category
How One Huge American Retailer Ignored the Internet and Won
Cyber Monday set a new record for online sales, racking up $3.45 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights. The National Retail Federation said more people shopped online throughout Black Friday weekend than in physical stores. But there are some stores bucking the trend. Take TJ Maxx and Marshalls, owned by parent company TJX Cos. Inc. […]
Strong U.S. retail sales reinforce December interest rate hike
U.S. retail sales rose more than expected in October as households bought motor vehicles and a range of other goods, pointing to sustained economic strength that could allow the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next month. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday retail sales increased 0.8 percent last month, also boosted by demand for […]
U.S. consumer spending ends third-quarter with strong momentum
U.S. consumer spending rose more than expected in September as households boosted purchases of motor vehicles and inflation increased steadily, which could bolster expectations of an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve in December.
Uber sets its sights on long-haul trucking and brokerage markets
For shippers, carriers, brokerages and really all other industry stakeholders that have not given much thought to the possibility of Uber becoming a truckload carrier, it appears it may be time to change that mindset.
Good news for West Coast ports
News that the 20,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) plan to meet again in early November should be welcomed by West Coast shippers who can recall cargo slowdowns that occurred over a nine-month period before being settled in the contract agreement of February 2015.
Fallout from Hanjin’s bankruptcy has potential to impact ocean rates and capacity in the short-term
With Korean ocean carrier Hanjin Shipping, the seventh largest ocean liner in the world that handles roughly 7% of U.S.-Asia cargo, filing for bankruptcy earlier this week, what happens next in regards to what happens to the cargo that was moving on Hanjin vessels at that time, as well as its subsequent short-term impact on […]
US retailers reducing inventory, but e-commerce stock balance still tricky
Signs the long-awaited reduction of U.S. inventories is underway are surfacing in the earnings reports of some major retailers, including Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. retailer. But retailers also show signs of struggling to strike a balance between on-line and in-store goods. (This article requires registration at the Journal of Commerce. To access, please click on […]
Retail Sales Gain Is Fueled by Web
Consumers boosted spending in April to the highest levels in more than a year, accelerating their turn toward online shopping and widening the divide between in-store retailers and Internet outlets pitching lower prices and convenience. (This article requires a subscription to the Wall Street Journal. To access, please click on the above link.)
Nestle, General Mills in favor of national food dating standard; shelf life impact questions loom
Nestle voiced its support Wednesday for legislation proposed in the House and Senate that aims to reduce food waste by standardizing date labels on food and beverage products. General Mills also announced its support for a national date labeling standard.