Chain Links: What we’re reading this week

 

Eight big-picture logistics trends. Wal-Mart plays hardball with its suppliers. And a survey shows some retailers may have made their own bed before the holidays even start.

Eight predictions that will shape the future of logistics

In this blog post, futurist and trendwatcher Richard van Hooijdonklooks at technological shifts that he says will revolutionize the future of logistics. We’re not just talking delivery drones here; we’re talking innovations like underground tubes through which goods will be transported via driverless steel carts.

 Source: richardvanhooijdonk.com

 

Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation 

Beneath the Aurora Borealis an oil tanker glides through the night past the Coast Guard ice-breaker Amundsen and vanishes into the maze of shoals and straits of the Northwest Passage, navigating waters that for millennia were frozen over this time of year. Warming has forced a retreat of the polar ice cap, opening up a sea route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for several months of the year.

Source: Yahoo.com

 

Wal-Mart’s message to suppliers: “Talk to the hand” 

Despite public statements that it wants to “do right” and develop more strategic relationships with its suppliers, retail behemoth Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has issued an ultimatum to many of them: cut your prices. And no backtalk allowed. At a recent supplier meeting, according to a Reuters report, suppliers were not allowed to ask questions. In this blog post, Adrian Gonzalez questions the wisdom of Wal-Mart’s return to the old days of squeezing suppliers.

Source: Talking Logistics, by Adrian Gonzalez

 

For some retailers, the holidays may already be over

JDA’s 2015 Consumer Survey finds that half of shoppers who experienced a prior issue with a retailer will not return for “Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday” deals, and nothing will change their minds.

Source: Supply Chain Network

Retailers Focus on Large Distribution Centers, Small Urban Warehouses for Fast Delivery

As third quarter fundamentals continue to show improvement in the industrial sector, retailers are honing their distribution center strategy to meet current e-commerce demands. 

Source: National Real Estate Investor

 

Game Changing Strategies: Respond to the Titans

Jim Tompkins, CEO of consultancy Tompkins International, offers a new thought leadership video. He explains the importance of the Titans’ supply chains and why businesses must respond to Alibaba, Amazon.com, and Wal-Mart Stores through creating a competitive supply chain. With the use of graphics, quotes, data, and proven results, it is clear businesses must be able to compete with the Titans in order to achieve profitability.  

Source: Tompkins International