#direct-supply

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#amazon
Marketing tech
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Alibaba's AI tool cut one seller's costs by 85% - now the question is whether it becomes a marketplace gatekeeper - Silicon Canals

Accio has over 10 million users, transforming e-commerce sourcing by automating supplier research and product design, positioning Alibaba as a key gatekeeper.
#automation
fromTechCrunch
1 week ago
European startups

FedEx chooses partnerships over proprietary tech for its automation strategy | TechCrunch

European startups
fromTechCrunch
1 week ago

FedEx chooses partnerships over proprietary tech for its automation strategy | TechCrunch

FedEx partners with Berkshire Grey to develop robots for bulk package unloading, aiming to enhance warehouse automation.
European startups
fromTNW | Deep-Tech
2 weeks ago

Decathlon doubles warehouse output with Exotec robots across seven European sites | TNW

Decathlon's automation with Exotec robots has significantly increased productivity and reduced warehouse space requirements across multiple European sites.
fromABC7 San Francisco
5 days ago

Amazon, UPS, FedEx, USPS add temporary fuel surcharges to offset extra costs

"Transportation costs are a big factor there. Every company that is involved and has logistics and they have to pay for gas, either they have to absorb this cost, or they will charge the third party that will provide this service. I'm not surprised this is happening, because at some point, Amazon will say we cannot absorb all this cost."
Alternative transportation
#walmart
fromInc
1 month ago
E-Commerce

Walmart Just Made a Very Big Change, and I Think You Should Probably Copy It

Walmart's warning about stretched lower-income consumers signals strategic retail shifts; entrepreneurs should watch big retailers' moves and e-commerce trends to adapt offerings.
fromModern Retail
2 months ago
E-Commerce

Walmart is basically a tech company now

Walmart surpassed a $1 trillion market cap as e-commerce and ad growth plus a Nasdaq move transform it into a more tech-focused retailer.
E-Commerce
fromTasting Table
6 days ago

8 Shopping Tips And Secrets From Walmart Employees - Tasting Table

Walmart employees provide valuable shopping tips, including the unreliability of the website for stock information.
E-Commerce
fromTasting Table
2 weeks ago

7 Walmart-Brand Groceries To Avoid, According To Shoppers - Tasting Table

Great Value and Bettergoods are Walmart's in-house brands, with some products receiving negative customer feedback.
fromInc
1 month ago
E-Commerce

Walmart Just Made a Very Big Change, and I Think You Should Probably Copy It

Information security
fromFortune
1 week ago

Cargo theft costs U.S. trucking $18 million a day and is 'unlike anything our industry has faced before,' logistics exec warns | Fortune

Cargo theft has become a significant threat to the U.S. supply chain, costing the industry billions annually.
Food & drink
fromFood & Beverage Magazine
1 week ago

Sysco's Acquisition of Jetro: A Shift in Cash-and-Carry

Sysco's acquisition of Jetro Restaurant Depot positions it as the largest player in the cash-and-carry market, transforming the landscape for independent restaurants.
Design
fromArchDaily
2 weeks ago

Logistics Landscapes: The Architecture of the 24-Hour Supply Chain

Warehouses are the defining architecture of the 21st century, reshaping urban landscapes and logistics infrastructure significantly.
#costco
Business
from24/7 Wall St.
2 weeks ago

COSW Sells Away Costco's Upside Each Week to Fund Its Distributions

Costco's COSW ETF offers weekly income but limits upside potential due to its options-based structure.
E-Commerce
fromwww.businessinsider.com
1 week ago

I've been a Costco executive member for 11 years. These are the 6 products I'll always buy there.

Costco offers unbeatable prices on groceries, household items, and unique finds like books and bath towels.
E-Commerce
from24/7 Wall St.
1 week ago

Costco's Amazing Success

Costco's shares have risen 14% this year, outperforming the S&P 500 and Walmart, despite rising costs due to inflation and geopolitical issues.
Remote teams
fromBusiness Matters
2 weeks ago

How SMBs Are Cutting Costs and Scaling Efficiently with Virtual Assistants (2026)

SMBs are reevaluating hiring practices, focusing on the choice between in-house employees and virtual assistants to optimize operational costs.
Silicon Valley food
fromTasting Table
3 weeks ago

How Grocery Outlet's Food Gets Onto Its Shelves - Tasting Table

Grocery Outlet achieves extreme discounts by buying excess inventory and overstock from other retailers at steep markdowns, operating as a food outlet store rather than a traditional discount supermarket.
#fleet-management
Agile
fromBusiness Matters
3 weeks ago

How to Avoid Construction Delays and Stay on Schedule

Construction delays can derail projects due to poor planning, resource shortages, and communication breakdowns, but can be mitigated with effective strategies and technology.
DevOps
fromMedium
3 weeks ago

The Bridge to Bulletproof: Connecting Alloy, Synthetics, and IRM for ShopFast

Integrate infrastructure monitoring, global synthetic probes, and centralized alerting into a comprehensive 24/7 production system that maintains revenue protection while preventing team burnout.
fromAxios
3 weeks ago

USPS warning raises stakes for mail-order prescriptions, higher postage prices

The mail will stop if the agency can't meet its obligations. That includes critical deliveries like prescription drug packages. Postmaster General David Steiner warned lawmakers this week that USPS could run out of cash in less than 12 months without congressional action.
Media industry
Productivity
fromyusufaytas.com
3 weeks ago

Capacity Is the Roadmap

Roadmap success depends on realistic capacity planning, not just prioritization; maintenance, interruptions, and coordination consume significant resources that must be accounted for.
#amazon-usps-contract-dispute
Washington DC
fromEntrepreneur
3 weeks ago

Amazon Plans to Slash USPS Shipments by Two-Thirds. Here's What That Means for the Postal Service.

Amazon plans to reduce USPS package shipments by two-thirds by fall, threatening the financially struggling postal service that delivered over one billion Amazon packages last year.
E-Commerce
fromEngadget
3 weeks ago

Amazon will reportedly cut its USPS shipments by at least two-thirds

Amazon plans to reduce USPS shipments by two-thirds after the Postal Service ended contract negotiations in favor of a new competitive bidding process.
Washington DC
fromEntrepreneur
3 weeks ago

Amazon Plans to Slash USPS Shipments by Two-Thirds. Here's What That Means for the Postal Service.

Amazon plans to reduce USPS package shipments by two-thirds by fall, threatening the financially struggling postal service that delivered over one billion Amazon packages last year.
E-Commerce
fromEngadget
3 weeks ago

Amazon will reportedly cut its USPS shipments by at least two-thirds

Amazon plans to reduce USPS shipments by two-thirds after the Postal Service ended contract negotiations in favor of a new competitive bidding process.
Information security
fromSecuritymagazine
3 weeks ago

Threat Actors Target the Entire Retail Supply Chain

Threat actors exploit shared supply chain vulnerabilities between wholesalers and retailers, with over 70% of retailers and 60% of wholesalers having exposed credentials, enabling widespread initial access.
UK news
fromComputerWeekly.com
4 weeks ago

Unreliable fleet connectivity driving employee exodus | Computer Weekly

UK fleet operators face significant connectivity challenges that threaten competitiveness, with unreliable networks causing customer complaints and operational disruptions despite limited failover protections.
fromHarvard Business Review
3 weeks ago

4 Capabilities that Drive Operational Improvement

Operational Excellence practices alone don't guarantee success; implementation quality, organizational culture, leadership commitment, and strategic alignment determine competitive outcomes. Banks implementing identical operational improvement methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma achieve vastly different results due to factors beyond the practices themselves. Success depends on how thoroughly organizations embed these approaches into their culture, the quality of implementation execution, leadership commitment to continuous improvement, and alignment with overall business strategy.
Business
Artificial intelligence
fromThe Verge
1 month ago

Ford is giving its commercial fleet business an AI makeover

Ford Pro AI is a generative AI chatbot that analyzes commercial vehicle data to provide fleet managers with actionable insights for cost reduction and operational efficiency.
fromMedium
1 month ago

Folding in Traceability

In enterprise commerce, totals don't drift because someone forgot algebra. They drift because reality changes: promos expire, eligibility changes when an address arrives, catalog data updates, substitutions happen, and returns unwind prior discounts. When someone asks "why did the total change?" you need more than narration. You need evidence - a trail of facts you can replay and a pure computation that deterministically produces the same result.
Scala
Agile
fromInfoWorld
4 weeks ago

Save money by canceling more software projects, says survey

Enterprises should cancel underperforming projects more aggressively; those using scenario planning and ruthless viability assessment achieve better ROI outcomes.
Alternative transportation
fromFast Company
4 weeks ago

Electric freight's next chapter will be won on discipline, not ambition

Electric trucks have proven capable of long-haul freight operations, shifting focus from feasibility to infrastructure, economics, and sustainable business models.
Business
from24/7 Wall St.
1 month ago

UPS Falls 11% - And FedEx Just Stole Its Crown

FedEx surpassed UPS in market capitalization for the first time ever, with FedEx at $84.6 billion versus UPS at $74.75 billion, driven by divergent performance and strategic execution over the past year.
Artificial intelligence
fromFortune
1 month ago

I help manage one of the world's most constrained supply chains, up close to the defining energy bottleneck of the decade | Fortune

Power transformer shortages are the critical bottleneck limiting AI infrastructure expansion and corporate electrification globally.
fromTechCrunch
3 weeks ago

Amazon adds 1-hour and 3-hour delivery options in the US | TechCrunch

Our customers are busier than ever and are looking for new ways to save time while keeping their households running. We saw an opportunity to use our unique operational expertise and delivery network to help make customers' lives a little easier while unlocking even more value for Prime members.
E-Commerce
European startups
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago

Costco CEO says any tariff refunds it gets will flow back to members through 'lower prices and better values'

Costco commits to returning tariff refund value to members through lower prices if legal challenges recover charges passed to customers.
E-Commerce
fromBusiness Matters
1 month ago

The Hidden Costs of DIY Shipping: When to Switch to an Ecommerce Shipping Platform

DIY shipping becomes a business bottleneck as order volume grows, consuming excessive time and increasing errors while established shipping platforms automate processes and enable scalability.
from24/7 Wall St.
4 weeks ago

Costco is the Only "Safety Play" with a 90% Renewal Tailwind

With members sticking around for the excellent value proposition as well as the $1.50 hot dog combo, it's clear that Costco has pretty much perfected the in-store experience at this point. The 90% renewal rate might just be the floor as the firm opens new stores across the globe while doubling down on e-commerce, perhaps there's room to bump up that renewal rate further.
E-Commerce
Marketing
fromThe Drum
2 months ago

Can agencies pick up more business with a changed approach to procurement teams?

Agencies that proactively engage procurement teams can win more business by treating procurement as strategic partners rather than adversaries.
E-Commerce
fromBusiness Matters
1 month ago

Supplier Verification: A Practical Guide for Smarter Global Sourcing

Supplier verification is a strategic necessity in global trade, requiring thorough assessment of legal status, production capability, quality systems, financial stability, and regulatory compliance before establishing business relationships.
Real estate
fromwww.housingwire.com
2 months ago

How hybrid operations are elevating builder performance

AI-enabled sales support closes the digital engagement gap by improving response speed, conversion rates, and OSC productivity while enabling scalable, trust-building sales operations.
Medicine
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

The Other Last-Mile Problem

Shared, real-time mental models and reduced communication costs enable teams to convert theoretical knowledge into effective action under pressure.
fromFuturism
1 month ago

AI Is Destroying Grocery Supply Chains

Whole Foods shelves sit empty after a data breach shut down its wholesale distributor. Meat packers working for JBS Foods are paralyzed as an $11 million ransomware attack takes out their processing facilities. Some 2.2 million workers at Stop & Shop and Hannaford have their personal data exposed as the result of a cyberattack on parent company Ahold Delhaize USA. These scenarios, straight from a William Gibson novel, are becoming increasingly common in supply chains across the world.
Food & drink
E-Commerce
fromwww.thedrum.com
1 month ago

The changing retail landscape

Despite online growth and store closures, physical retail remains viable as consumers still value in-store experiences and maintain significant clothing budgets.
Marketing tech
fromThe Drum
2 months ago

Costco just revealed its entire retail media tech stack. Why?

Costco publicly disclosed its full ad-tech stack to demonstrate that retail media should be merchant-focused and primarily drive merchandise sales, not just maximize advertising profit.
Business
from24/7 Wall St.
2 months ago

The Warehouse Automation Seller Just Turned Profitable While the Retail Giant Builds Its Own

Investors face choosing Symbotic's newly profitable automation-as-a-service with volatile trading and insider selling or Amazon's scale-driven in-house robotics investment.
fromComputerWeekly.com
1 month ago

Delivery comms, intelligent fulfilment, and AI's growing influence | Computer Weekly

Nine in ten retailers globally are planning to raise their spending on artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise their e-commerce operations over the next 12 to 24 months, with online delivery execution a key area of focus. A total of 38% of European retailers identify speed, tracking and proactive communication around the delivery process as areas where AI can deliver the greatest impact.
E-Commerce
#ai-automation
#ai-in-retail
fromBusiness Matters
2 months ago

Why Tolerance Management Is a Business-Critical Skill in Modern Manufacturing

We are now in a time of manufacturing where precision is more than a technical necessity; it's a business requirement. The more complex, globally dispersed and demanding things get, the less slack remains in the system. Under these circumstances tolerance management has become a decisive competence and affects competitiveness not only in terms of controlling costs, ensuring quality and improving production efficiency but also for long term market success.
Business
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
2 months ago

Is cantilever racking right for your warehouse? - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Designed specifically for loads with length or irregular shape, cantilever systems are widely used across manufacturing, builders' merchants, and industrial storage environments. What is cantilever racking? Cantilever racking consists of vertical columns with horizontal arms extending outwards to support loads. Unlike pallet racking, there are no front uprights or obstructions, which makes loading and unloading long items safer and more efficient. This open design allows materials to be handled by forklift, side loader, or manually, depending on the application.
Business
fromAbove the Law
2 months ago

What If Tariffs Go Away - Or Don't? How You Can Protect Your Bottom Line With Contract Intelligence - Above the Law

With the Supreme Court potentially poised to invalidate recent tariffs, organizations face a confusing scenario. Having clear visibility into contract terms - such as price adjustments and renegotiation provisions - is essential to navigating this volatility. Come join us on at 1 p.m. ET on Jan. 27 for this CLE-approved webinar, where we'll discuss the current state of the tariff conundrum and explore strategies for achieving contract visibility with the latest AI innovations.
Artificial intelligence
Business
fromFortune
1 month ago

How FedEx CFO John Dietrich plans to save $2 billion by the end of 2027 | Fortune

FedEx is shifting to value-focused execution, cutting capital intensity and integrating networks to boost margins, free cash flow, and achieve 2029 financial targets.
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
2 months ago

How to build a more reliable end-of-line packaging process - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

End-of-line packaging often sits at the quiet end of a production line, yet it carries an outsized responsibility. This is the final checkpoint before products leave your facility, meet customers, and represent your brand in the real world. A single error here can undo hours of upstream efficiency and compromise overall product integrity. That's why building reliability into this stage is essential for both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Business
fromwww.independent.co.uk
1 month ago

Does free shipping actually exist? Marketing ploys experts want to warn you about

You're scrolling through an online retailer, like Amazon, Shein or eBay, and spot a shirt on sale for $40. You add it to your cart, but at checkout, a $10 shipping fee suddenly appears. Frustrated, you close the tab. But what if that same shirt was priced at $50 with free shipping? The likelihood that you would have bought it without a second thought is much higher.
E-Commerce
#digital-procurement
Artificial intelligence
fromwww.housingwire.com
2 months ago

Home Depot launches AI tool to automate contractor material lists

Home Depot launched Material List Builder AI to rapidly generate construction materials lists, boosting pros' efficiency, protecting margins, and encroaching on pro-building market share.
Artificial intelligence
fromAbove the Law
2 months ago

How You Can Streamline Business Operations With AI - Above the Law

Practical AI adoption can streamline law firm operations—legal-specific tools, iterative prompts, and client-relationship strategies improve research, efficiency, and marketing while managing hallucination and confidentiality risks.
E-Commerce
fromHarvard Business Review
2 months ago

Dynamic Pricing Is Changing the Parcel Shipping Industry

Parcel shipping is shifting from periodic static rates to continuous dynamic pricing that adjusts rates by demand, capacity, and shipper profile, similar to airlines.
fromThe Business of Fashion
2 months ago

How Integrated Technology Is Reshaping Retail Operations

The technology underpinning retail operations is under scrutiny in 2026 as fashion executives look to streamline systems with the aim to unlock efficiency, cut costs and meet consumer expectations for speed and personalisation in the shopping journey. At the retail event Lightspeed Edge on 12 January, Lightspeed - the unified point-of-sale (POS) and payments platform for SMEs such as Apricot Lane Boutique and Neal's Yard Remedies - convened industry leaders to explore the strategic imperative for integrated technology ecosystems over siloed systems.
E-Commerce
#e-commerce-growth
fromForbes
1 month ago
E-Commerce

From Click To Doorstep: Why Delivery Experience Is The Last Brand Impression

fromForbes
1 month ago
E-Commerce

From Click To Doorstep: Why Delivery Experience Is The Last Brand Impression

E-Commerce
fromThe Drum
2 months ago

It's Prime time for retailers to develop their online sales strategies

Amazon launched Prime Day, a Prime-members-only sales event intended to outcompete Black Friday and Singles Day and to drive Prime membership growth.
fromBusiness Matters
2 months ago

How to Determine the Markup Percentage for a Retail Business

Markup is how much you add to your cost to get your selling price. If something costs $10 and you sell it for $15 , you added $5. That's a 50 percent markup on your cost. Where people get confused is that markup isn't the same as margin, even though the terms get used interchangeably all the time. Margin measures profit as a percentage of the selling price, and markup measures it based on your costs. Same dollar, different percentages.
E-Commerce
fromThedrum
1 month ago

Tools retailer grows revenue by 180% in 10 months

Given that ParkerBrand had allocated greater resources to paid media, higher performance objectives were set for 2019. Overall, the goal was to grow revenue rapidly over a short period of time whilst maintaining the return on ad spend (ROAS) to remain profitable. This translated into the following objectives: Achieve a minimum of 10:1 ROAS "Grow revenue as much as possible" from a year-on-year perspective
E-Commerce
E-Commerce
fromTechRepublic
3 months ago

Stord Acquires Shipwire for AI-Fueled Ecommerce Push - TechRepublic

Stord acquired Shipwire, creating an AI-powered logistics powerhouse combining global warehouse access and integrated software to significantly boost fulfillment productivity and compete with Amazon.
fromForbes
2 months ago

How To Take Advantage Of Technology In CPG Marketing

Statistics from the 2025 holiday shopping season clearly show that AI is playing a huge role in how people shop. But new research from retail payment platform Adyen found that many consumers are ready for AI to become their personal shopper. Just over half-51%-said they're open to letting AI take over the entire shopping process, including making final purchases. Millennials are the most willing to let agents do their shopping, with nearly three in five saying they are ready for such a shift.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce
fromBossip
2 months ago

Why Your E-Commerce Brand Needs A Professional Retail Strategy

E-commerce success requires a professional retail strategy aligning omnichannel operations, sustainable margins, and intentional customer experience design to build scalable, authentic commerce.
E-Commerce
fromTechCrunch
1 month ago

Didero lands $30M to put manufacturing procurement on "agentic" autopilot | TechCrunch

Didero uses generative AI to automate global manufacturing procurement communications and workflows, reducing manual supplier sourcing, negotiation, order tracking, and payments.
E-Commerce
fromBusiness Matters
2 months ago

The small business guide to choosing packaging suppliers

Choosing the right packaging supplier prevents stock issues, product damage and inconsistent presentation while supporting customer trust, margins, compliance and efficient operations.
fromFast Company
2 months ago

Walmart is planning to expand a popular service. It means new delivery options from Los Angeles to Miami

the next chapter of the world's largest drone delivery expansion.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce
fromTech Times
2 months ago

How to Start an Online Store Without Inventory: Dropshipping & Print-on-Demand Tips

Dropshipping, print-on-demand, and automated ecommerce platforms enable low-cost online stores without inventory, focusing resources on product selection, marketing, and customer experience.
E-Commerce
fromBusiness Matters
2 months ago

TVCMALL: Boosting Success in Mobile Accessories Wholesale

Rapid growth in mobile accessories creates retailer profit opportunities; partnering with TVCMALL offers diverse SKUs, flexible ordering, real-time inventory, and buying guidance to scale.
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