Industry News

Industry Programs & Events

Industry Associations

Industry Trends
  • Focus on supply chain management. Attention being paid to replenishment, development and distribution cycles.
  • Consolidation. Increasing sales at mass merchant stores and large specialty retailers at the expense of department stores and independents.
  • Multi-channel retailing. More and more retailers adding channels to reach customers through catalog and online sales.
  • Category management. Increasing use of syndicated data, point-of-sale (POS) information to monitor sales and profitability of SKUs at the retail shelf level.
  • Focus on inventory control management. Growth of replenishment programs, vendor-managed programs, direct-to-store shipping by vendors, cross-docking and postponement strategies in distribution and in production.


Inbound Logistics as a Key Area of Opportunity for Retailers
Historically vendors, not catalogers, retailers and other merchants, have been in control of inbound transportation decisions. As a result, merchants have been paying up to 60 percent more for transportation than they might otherwise.


Retailers Sourcing Directly from Overseas
Today more and more merchants are using their economies of scale and negotiating power to regain control over inbound logistics. But this is not an easy transition, especially as companies are sourcing more from overseas, particularly Asia. Global sourcing can mean completing dozens of documents, interfacing with as many as 25 parties including customs, freight forwarders and banks, and dealing with multiple currencies, languages and time zones. While the U.S. side of logistics is simpler, it has its own set of challenges.


E-Commerce — A Third Channel for Retailers
Since online retail will affect half of retail purchase decisions by 2010, retailers are focusing their efforts on a greater online presence. During 2006, online retail grew to a 102-billion-dollar industry, which now accounts for three percent of total retail transactions. Retailers are dedicating more of their budget and time to making sure that their online customer experience is seamless to that of their other channel efforts such as store and catalog.


Technology Efficiencies for Retailers
Not only do technological advancements offer benefits for retailers in supply chain, but also in integrating a retailer's multi-channel shopping experience. Retailers need to utilize technology to serve customers where they are. Examples would include leveraging inventory data across all channels, allowing in-store returns for online purchases and pushing pricing or promotional offers across all channels. Also, emerging technologies such as blogs, podcasts, RSS and mobile messaging are creating new communication channels for retailers. 

Industry Programs & Events

FedEx frequently provides complimentary educational programs for customers in the Retail and E-Commerce Industry. Participants gain insight from experts with new ideas on important supply chain issues. Look for upcoming activities in your area.


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Industry Associations

National Retail Federation (NRF)
Shop.org – division of NRF dedicated to online retail

Publications

Multichannel Merchant
STORES Magazine
Chain Store Age
Internet Retailer
Integrated Solutions for Retailers


Research Firms

Retail Forward
Jupiter Research
Forrester Research