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Consumer confidence remains strong and forecasts for the upcoming holiday period remain positive. However, B2C and B2B online fulfillment will face added challenges in the coming weeks recruiting added labor, implementing new online fulfillment processes, and securing added resources. This may well be a period where investments in advanced technology can pay dividends.

NRF Raises Optimism for 2018 Retail Sales
The National Retail Federation (NRF) this week increased its U.S. retail sales forecast for 2018, indicating that sales are expected more than previously forecasted earlier this year. While retailers will likely view this upward forecast as a forerunner to be a very optimistic indicator for the all-important second-half of the year, caution is advised.

The Bankruptcy of Toys ‘R’ Us- More About Increased Supplier Assertiveness
The latest retail industry casualty regarding the permanent change in consumer shopping patterns is now Toys ‘R’ Us Inc. which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, after struggling with a heavy debt load. While some can bundle this latest action under this growing trend, there are other forces at-play, namely increased supplier assertiveness.