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Helpful Articles - eCommerce

With plenty of warnings that current supply chain challenges may make this holiday season more complicated than usual, everyone is gearing up early.  From consumers,  retailers, manufacturers, suppliers, carriers, and logistics companies, everyone is planning for a challenge in ordering and receiving products.  Additionally, as the year comes to a close, COVID-19 will remain a global X-factor. The threat of the virus will continue to influence consumer buying behavior and force shutdowns in areas where vaccines are in short supply. Additionally, illness and quarantine requirements will continue to remove workers from an already bare-bones workforce.  Despite the widespread unpredictability at play, the following statistics can offer some insights into the 2021 holiday season. They’ll also point to some areas to watch as organizations around the world strive to keep their supply chains flexible and responsive through the end of the year.  Overall Trends...

Does your organization have a solid plan in place to prevent and respond to cyberattacks? If not—or if you haven’t examined your plan in a while—now is the right time to make it a priority. According to both the FBI and Interpol, cyberattacks are on the rise. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FBI has received between 3,000 and 4,000 cybersecurity complaints per day, three to four times the previous average of around 1,000 daily. Additionally, on the international side, Interpol has reported an “alarming rate of cyberattacks” during the pandemic. The agency also revealed that these attacks have shifted from individuals and...

Although the global COVID-19 pandemic looms large in our current consciousness, it’s hardly the first major event to create significant supply chain disruptions. Consider the 1998 hurricane that affected Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. The massive storm wiped out 10% of the worldwide banana crop, putting both Chiquita and Dole in a difficult position. Additionally, the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City resulted in increased security and scrutiny around shipments coming into the U.S., delaying the arrival of many manufacturing components from abroad. Among those affected were U.S. auto manufacturer Ford Motor Company, who had to close five of their plants for...

Online shopping is on the rise and, with it, comes the rise in returns. Although the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 holiday shopping season have both contributed to the growth of online sales and returns, these two events merely serve to underscore the increasing overall importance of reverse logistics and its role in the supply chain. In this article, we’ll explore this under-examined and under-appreciated link of the supply chain and highlight its impact across your business as a whole. First, let’s make sure we’re clear on terminology. Reverse logistics, as we’ll discuss in this article, refers to moving goods from their final destination back...