Are “Dark Stores” the Future of Retailing?

Are “Dark Stores” the Future of Retailing?

4 years ago

The Covid-19 pandemic has expedited the growth of online shopping. After months of lockdown and quarantine measures, people have revised some of their perceptions about shopping. • A new survey (source: July 23, 2021, issue of Qvalon) shows that 49% of people are mostly focused on product availability—well ahead of price (36%) and quality (34%), […]

Mastery of Supply Chain Management will determine if Amazon’s Purchase of Whole Foods will be a Success

8 years ago

The grocery business is about an $800 billion market in the United States and about $80 billion in Canada. This is one sector of the retail market where Amazon has not achieved a significant beachhead in either country. With the deal to buy Whole Foods, the online retailer will have a small slice of […]

The Amazon Fire Phone – What could it mean to the Transportation Industry?

11 years ago

Amazon launched a new mobile phone, the Fire Phone that could be a true “game changer,” not just for mobile communications or retail sales but also for freight transportation. Let me tell you why. Unlike other cell phone manufacturers, Amazon is looking for e-commerce business, not mass profits from mobile phone sales. That is the […]

As Retailers Modify their “Footprints,” Freight Companies Must Reshape their Businesses

11 years ago

E-commerce purchases make up 5 percent of Sales in the United States and about 3.4 percent in Canada. These relatively small percentages may cause retailers and trucking companies to downplay the role that e-commerce is having and will have on this sector on this sector. This would be a huge mistake. Dramatic changes are coming […]

Omni-Channel Retailing – Part 2 – Implications for Freight Carriers and Logistics Service Providers

11 years ago

In last week’s blog I provided an overview of Omni-Channel Retailing, a very important transformational change that is taking place. This change will have a profound effect on the retail and freight industries. In this blog, I will outline some of the impacts that it likely to have on carriers and LSPs. The catalyst for […]

Omni-Channel Retailing – Part 1 – What are the Implications for Shippers, Retailers and Consumers?

11 years ago

Omni-Channel Retailing is a subject we are go to be hearing a lot about in the coming years. This is the first of two blogs on this topic. In the first blog I will provide an oveview of what the term means and then outline the implications for shippers, retailers and consumers. In the next […]

The Dynamic and Ever-Changing Retail World in Canada

11 years ago

Canada is going through some dramatic evolutions and revolutions in the world of retailing and in retail distribution. The changes are very evident every time I visit or drive by my local shopping mall, the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. The mall has gone through another major expansion. Microsoft and Apple have stores a few […]

The Next Big Retail Battleground – Same Day Delivery

12 years ago

If you haven’t been watching, you may be missing one of the most interesting and important battles in retailing and freight transportation – – – the clash to deliver shipments to consumers on the day they are ordered. Here is how the battle is shaping up. At this point, the names of some of the […]

The Threat of Wal-Mart and Target Drives Loblaw’s proposed acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart

12 years ago

The major business news story in Canada this past week was the planned acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart by Loblaw Companies Limited for $12.4 billion. Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada’s largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one […]

Thinking in New Boxes – FCPC’s 2013 Supply Chain Symposium

12 years ago

On April 17, Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) held their annual Supply Chain Symposium. It was an excellent event that attracted many of the top food and consumer products manufacturers in Canada. I have attended a number of very good supply chain educational events over the years. This one ranks up there with […]