Distribution

The bankruptcy of South Korean shipping giant Hanjin Shipping is forcing retail chains to spend lots of extra cash to get their goods through ports to warehouses in time for the holiday shopping season, the Los Angeles Times reported.   

Target Corp. continues to beef up its supply chain management capabilities.    The discounter announced it has appointed Shekar Natarajan to the newly-created role of senior VP, network planning and operational design, effective Nov. 20.   Natarajan, a 15-year supply chain veteran, was most recently VP of last mile operations, emerging sciences and operational excellence at Walmart. He also held leadership roles at Walt Disney Company, Anheuser Busch and PepsiCo.   

Auditing your shipping invoices saves money. But just as importantly it yields valuable business intelligence through a rich depository of captured data that helps you make informed decisions as you improve operations.  

The watch and fashion accessories brand Fossil Group is planning to reorganize its business.   The company, which operates 610 stores across the globe (including 284 U.S. locations) will close some stores, although it did not say how many, the Dallas News reported, as part of a multi-year business overhaul that also includes a focus on fewer products.    

Starbucks Corp. is feeling its oats.   The coffee giant topped estimates for its fourth quarter and gave a positive view for its current fiscal year.   Starbucks’ consolidated net revenue grew 16% to $5.8 billion in its fourth quarter, which was better than expected.   

Just in time to streamline the upcoming holiday e-commerce sales rush, Hudson’s Bay Co. is touting a new robotic fulfillment system.   Called the first of its kind in Canada, the new state-of-the-art robotic fulfillment system is housed in the department store chain’s 752,000 sq.-ft. Scarborough distribution center, which manages the chain’s e-commerce operations.    

Luxury handbag and accessories brand Coach posted a 22% increase in profit for the first quarter, a result that one analyst said show the company’s turnaround is delivering.   Profit totaled $117.4 million in the quarter, or 42 cents per diluted share. Adjusted net income for the quarter totaled $126 million, or 45 cents per diluted share, slightly ahead of forecasts.  

Amazon is looking to give Alibaba and JD.com a run for the money on their home turf.   The online giant is making its Amazon Prime subscription service available in China, a country where it has struggled to gain market share.