Supply Chain & Merchandising

The largest U.S. chain dedicated to recreational vehicles and a group of liquidations have come together to thrown a lifeline of sorts to outdoor retailer Gander Mountain.   

Customer experience is everything. In fact, Accenture found that 45% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. It’s also what gets customers into the physical store. With more consumers turning to the ease of online ordering and straight-to-door shipping, retailers are in a bigger crunch than ever before to not only increase footfall, but to keep customers coming back.    So what can retailers do to turn first time visitors into loyal customers? Get unified.   

Who is responsible for fees related to unexpected, yet low shipping volume? According to UPS, it should be its retailer partners.   The delivery service is putting retailers on the hook to share costs related to labor and surplus space on trucks if the merchant fails to ship its forecasted packages during peak periods, according to MarketWatch. Fees could also apply if there is a discrepancy among the sizes of boxes expected to ship,   

In his 1987 book "The Art of the Deal," then developer Donald Trump wrote about the value of starting a negotiation with a dramatic and even unrealistic proposal. That makes one ponder how much of President Trump’s strong language is just bluster and how much might be indicative of a true departure from policy orthodoxy.  

Food Lion has announced a $110 million investment in its stores as part of its ongoing remodeling initiative.      The chain announced it will remodel 71 stores in the greater Richmond, Va., market in 2017. Looking to make shopping easier and more affordable for its customers, the grocer said it will make a $110 million investment that includes remodeling the Richmond-area stores, additional price investments throughout the year and investments in associates and the community through its hunger relief initiative. 

As department stores trim their portfolios, the nation’s malls are being transformed.   

Albertsons’ Jewel-Osco division has a new executive at the helm.     The company has named Doug Cygan division president, effective immediately, overseeing 186 stores in Ill., Ind. and Iowa. Cygan was most recently Jewel-Osco’s VP marketing and merchandising. He joined the company in April 1980 as a part-time clerk, staying with the chain as he completed his education and worked his way up through the ranks.  He became VP marketing and merchandising in 2011.   

While some industry observers fear that robots will replace retail workers, Boxed is embracing the technology.   The online retailer, which sells consumer packaged goods in bulk, announced on Thursday, April 27, that it will completely automate its fulfillment center in Union, New Jersey, with robotics — a move that will contribute to driving reliable profits, according to Business Insider.