Supply Chain & Merchandising

U.S. online holiday spending will reach $112 billion in 2016, growing 13% over 2015.    That is according to Forrester’s Holiday Retail Sales Forecast, which said that while online sales are 12% of annual retail sales, they jump to 16% of total holiday sales during the November and December months.  

Walmart on Thursday posted third-quarter earnings that managed to beat analysts' expectations even as net sales fell short.     The retailer also lifted the lower end of its full-year guidance and expressed confidence going into the holiday season.    Walmart’s net income fell to $3.03 billion, or 98 cents per share, in the quarter ended Oct. 31, which was two cents more than the Wall Street consensus according to Bloomberg.  

Domino’s is replacing delivery men with drones in select locations as it kicks off the world’s first drone pizza delivery service.   Starting Wednesday, Nov. 16, Domino's Pizza Enterprises and Flirtey, a drone delivery service, are launching their first-ever drone-based “store-to-door” deliveries in a test among select customers in New Zealand. The two companies plan to scale up these pizza-by-drone deliveries in the near future, a company statement said.   

Order pick-up is getting easier at Target stores.   In a posting on its website, the retailer detailed several enhancements to make it quicker and faster for shoppers who order online and pick up in a store.         To make it easy to spot designated Target team members who can help with orders, Target associates in 325 stores nationwide have been outfitted with “Order Pickup” t-shirts, and offer order pickup reusable bags be used throughout the holiday season and beyond. 

Nicole Beck, a skilled project management specialist, has joined H.J. Martin and Son as a project coordinator within the company’s fixtures division. In that role, she oversees the installation of functional, appealing solutions for retailers.  

As more shoppers become victims of “porch piracy,” they are changing they way they shop — and receive — online orders.   This message was delivered in a new study from Vivint Smart Home, a smart home services provider in North America. The study, which is based on 2,000 people, explores the far-reaching impact of the porch piracy phenomenon — an issue that has affected 23 million Americans, according to a separate study from Princeton Survey Research Associates International.  

Improving traffic and sales, particularly in the digital channel, helped Target Corp. easily beat third-quarter profit expectations as the discounter raised its year-end outlook.    Target’s profit increased 10.7% to $608 million, or $1.07 cents a share, up from $549 million, or 88 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for one-time expenses, it earned $1.04 cents a share, which was better than the 83 cents analysts had expected.  

Encina Business Credit, has provided a $30 million debtor-in-possession (DIP) facility to American Apparel, which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.