Logistics

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Supervalu banner Cub Foods has partnered with a local produce grower to provide year-round local produce to locations throughout the Twin Cities.

By William Gindlesperger, [email protected]

Innovation is required if the United States is to regain the level of productivity that it enjoyed toward the end of the 19th Century through the mid-20th Century. However, innovation by itself is not enough. Just as our parents and grandparents adopted electricity, the automobile, credit cards and airplanes in the period from 1870-1950, businesses and organizations of the 21st Century must embrace change.

RESTON, Va., and ATLANTA — A simple and convenient returns policy is an important factor in the decision to make a purchase online, a new study form comScore and UPS found. According to the Online Shopping Customer Experience Study, 63% of online shoppers look at a retailer’s return policy before making a purchase. Nearly half said they would shop more often and recommend a retailer with a lenient returns policy, indicating its value in driving customer loyalty.

Reston, Va. -- A significant 63% of online shoppers look at a retailer's return policy before making a purchase, and nearly half said that they would shop more often and recommend a retailer with a lenient returns policy, according to a new study by comScore. The report, commissioned by UPS, evaluates consumer shopping habits from pre-purchase to post-delivery. It is based on a comScore survey of more than 3,100 U.S. online shoppers.

New York -- Amazon.com Inc. will begin collecting 7% sales tax from New Jersey residents starting in July 2013. The online giant announced the agreenment on Wednesday at the Statehouse in Trenton, N.J.  It also announced it will build two distribution centers in New Jersey.

Each warehouse will measure about one million square feet. The centers will create a projected 1,500 full-time jobs and would enable the state of New Jersey to collect an estimated $30 to $40 million in tax revenue.

Rochell Park, N.J. -- Avenue Stores announced it has begun the process to close 96 stores over the next three months. The company previously announced plans to selectively close and consolidate stores in order to finalize a geographic footprint that maximizes profitability and sales growth potential.

Upon completion of the closures, the company will continue to operate more than 300 stores in 34 states, and offer online shopping,

Chicago -- A new report by Jones Lang LaSalle found that with 92% of retailers selling online, 68% maintaining brick-and-mortar stores, and 64% utilizing catalogs, retailers are embracing a multichannel approach to meet buyer expectations and battle for market share.

Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon delivered an optimistic message about Walmart U.S.’s performance during the first quarter and its potential for the coming year during a presentation at a Morgan Stanley conference in Boston Wednesday. Ahead of the Walmart’s upcoming shareholders’ meeting, Simon talked about leveraging a more efficient supply chain to drive costs down, lower prices and improve traffic and shared insights on the company’s plans for growth in the second quarter and beyond.