Conflicting Data and Concerning Trends Reflected in 2020 Holiday Fulfillment
The Supply Chain Matters blog highlights conflicting data as to retail channel demand and concerning trends in parcel last mile delivery, as the themes of the 2020 holiday fulfillment quarter.
by Bob Ferrari 
COVID-19 Higher Online Shipping Volumes Invoke More Bottlenecks and Added Costs as Carriers Add New Surcharges
The Supply Chain Matters blog highlights that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge in online ordering activity is taxing carrier networks and performance, and how UPS and FedEx are instituting added surcharges or daily shipping volume restrictions. The result is invariably higher costs for online services for major retailers.
by Bob Ferrari
Walmart Fiscal Q1 Financial Performance- Online Capabilities Boost Revenues and Agility
The Supply Chain Matters blog highlights retailer Walmart’s fiscal Q1 financial performance and how online fulfillment readiness helped to boost top-line revenue growth in an extremely challenging retail environment. That stated, new challenges remain.
by Bob Ferrari 
COVID-19 Learning- The Changing Requirements for Automated Online Customer Fulfillment
The Supply Chain Matters blog addresses how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has already provided meaningful lessons regarding the future requirements and automation needs of online driven customer fulfillment. Contrasting approaches involving total automation of customer fulfillment processes, to that of Autonomous Mobile Robots that enhance worker efficiencies and productivity are explored.
by Bob Ferrari
Online Home Goods Retailer Wayfair Challenged in Achieving Profitability
Supply Chain Matters continues to highlight select 2019 financial performance data for certain online retail providers, now including Wayfair.com, that, in certain cases, points to challenged online business models in terms of operating profitability.
by Bob Ferrari
Preliminary 2019 Holiday Fulfillment Data Points to Establishing New Records
The Supply Chain Matters blog highlights reports of preliminary 2019 holiday fulfillment data pointing to the potential establishment of new records in online shopping activity.
by Bob Ferrari
2019 Thanksgiving and Black Friday Shopping Holiday Begins
The Supply Chain Matters blogs provides commentary reflecting on the start of the 2019 Thanksgiving and Black Friday retail and online shopping holidays, and what industry supply chain should anticipate.
by Bob Ferrari
The First Scapegoat of the 2017 Holiday Surge Customer Fulfillment Period
Despite months and months of pre-planning, for every year-end holiday surge period, there always seems to be the few scapegoat logistics providers or retailers along the customer value-chain that endures the most scorn regarding expected vs. actual performance. This year, the first recipient in the barrel is likely UPS.
by Barry Belotti
Optimistic Retailers Feel the Pressure of Inventory Overhang- Who Will be the Winners?
by Barry Belotti
Severe Congestion at West Coast Ports- The Perfect Storm Appears
by Barry Belotti
Amazon’s Anticipatory Shipping Patent Should Raise Eyebrows
by Barry Belotti 
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