Logistics

Bonn, Germany – An estimated 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020 compared to 15 billion today, according to a new trend report from DHL Inc. and Cisco.

Scottsdale, Ariz. - Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers are spending to improve their omnichannel sales capabilities. While this may not be surprising given the current business environment, a new report prepared for JDA Software Group Inc. by PwC, “The Omnichannel Fulfillment Imperative,” reveals that only 16% of companies say, the present time, they can fulfill omnichannel demand profitably.

By Christoph Stehmann, Pitney Bowes

According to the U.S. Commerce Department, retail e-commerce sales totaled over $304 billion in 2014, up 15.4% from the prior year. Also, eMarketer predicts that U.S. retail e-commerce sales will total approximately $350 billion in 2015.

The growth in e-commerce sales represents a huge opportunity for U.S. retailers. However, to be successful, retailers need to make sure they have the right shipping strategies and solutions in place to encourage shoppers to purchase goods online.

Lowe's outlined its progress in meeting its sustainability objectives in its 2014 Social Responsibility Report.

Shoppers looking for Swedish mustard or cheap bathroom rugs won’t have to ask themselves “Why isn’t there an Ikea in Las Vegas?” for very much longer.

The Swedish home furnishings retailer, along with Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Clark County Board of Commissioners Chair Steve Sisolak, Clark County District F Commissioner Susan Brager, U.S. Congressman Joe Heck, local officials and community leaders on-hand, officially broke ground this week for a future Ikea in Las Vegas.

Washington, D.C. -- Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to rise 8% this month over the same time last year as West Coast ports continue to recover from a backlog of cargo that built up before a tentative new labor agreement was signed, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.



New York -- Tiger, the Danish discount chain known for its low prices and design emphasis, is entering the United States, opening a 5,000-sq.-ft. flagship in May, in New York City.

Tiger stores offer a quirky, ever-changing selection of exclusive products across a wide variety of categories, including home, toys, hobby, party, snacks, electronics, gadgets, fashion accessories and seasonal. The majority of its products, roughly half of which are designed in house, sell for $10 or less.

Phoenix – Leslie’s Poolmart Inc. will open 15 new retail locations throughout the U.S. on Thursday, April 9. Cities with new stores will include Auburn, Bakersfield, Ceres, Palmdale; San Mateo and San Rafael, California; Rockledge, St. Augustine and Tallahassee, Florida; Gainesville, Georgia; Glenpool, Oklahoma; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Hudson Oaks, Texas; Queen Creek, Arizona and Monroe, Louisiana.