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For apparel manufacturers, there's a new challenge undermining the all-important speed-to-market and posing new fashion logistics obstacles. According to USA Today : A worsening shortage of truck drivers is pushing up freight rates and delaying some deliveries, defying the weak economy, high unemployment and falling gasoline prices. "It's getting harder to get drivers," says Mike Card, president of Combined Transport of Central Point, Ore., and incoming chairman of the American Trucking
Mazars USA LLP is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 Water Industry Outlook. We received an excellent… The post 2012 Water Industry Outlook appeared first on Insights Center - Mazars - United States.
Here's how the future of fashion will be: More rapidly changing. More global. More integrated. More technology-based. And (as always) full of fabulous, fantastic color. Flawless fashion logistics will be key. According to Mashable: Ever stared at your closet in the morning, fraught with indecision over what to wear? A new web app can make sure that never happens again.
AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.
Supply chain disruptions that stem from events outside companies' control can catch them most off-guard and be the most damaging. This week strike negotiators reached an agreement to end a week long strike at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California but a looming port strike among workers in nearly three dozen other ports up and down the Atlantic and Gulf coasts shows just how much.
A year ago, Chinese officials began shutting down a slew of Apple stores around the country. No, this had nothing to do with any sort of Google-esque trade dispute with the government. Rather, these were imposter stores that looked like real Apple stores and quacked like real Apple stores ( with pretty impressive detail ) but that were, in fact, rip-offs.
A year ago, Chinese officials began shutting down a slew of Apple stores around the country. No, this had nothing to do with any sort of Google-esque trade dispute with the government. Rather, these were imposter stores that looked like real Apple stores and quacked like real Apple stores ( with pretty impressive detail ) but that were, in fact, rip-offs.
The annual holiday season surge in retail is upon us, and experts think that millions upon millions more dollars will change hand this year than last. The inexact nature of retail forecasting, however, along with the generally uneven nature of the economy right now, highlights the challenges this all-important season poses for apparel companies -- especially the need for high-level fashion logistics.
For apparel companies, the benefits of apparel warehousing automation are pretty well known: Lower costs. Fewer mistakes. Faster speed-to-market. And, perhaps most important, the ability and flexibility to keep up with rapid changes in consumer tastes and apparel market demands. The benefits don't just apply to the apparel industry.
The sluggish economy is hitting apparel retailers from two different sides: consumers are buying less, and they're increasingly demanding (and getting increasingly good at finding) discounts when they do. According to Moody's , consumer spending will likely continue to slump for the foreseeable future, with year-over-year growth slowing to 4 percent in the third and fourth quarters.
Last weekend was tax-free weekend in Texas. For three days, purchases of many back-to-school essentials such as clothes, shoes or school supplies costing less than $100 did not have Texas’ usual 8.25 percent sales tax tacked on. According to the Austin American-Statesman , the tax holiday saved shoppers some $64.8 million this weekend. Texas, of course, isn’t the only state to stage occasional tax holidays.
This webinar will explore how companies can proactively address compliance risks–rather than reactively responding to–UFLPA enforcement actions. Ethan Woolley will provide insights into the latest CBP enforcement trends, entity list updates, and industries under increased scrutiny, with a look at potential shifts under the Trump administration. Ethan will also explore how predictive data and strategic due diligence can help organizations stay ahead of regulatory challenges and strengthen complia
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the United States is not immune to large-scale power disruptions – as made evident by the Fourth of July power outages in the Washington DC area. Massive thunderstorms and a scorching heat wave left some 3 million homes and businesses lost power, leading to millions of dollars lost in damages. For businesses — especially apparel manufacturers and retailers — disruptive events like these highlight the importance of first-rate apparel supply chain
When’s the last time you had all the day-to-day details in order — all the pieces working together smoothly — enough to stop, take a deep breath, climb to the top of "the box" and gaze outside at an unexplored future? According to Supply Chain Management Review , it’s not happening enough for many companies: One of the most overworked and misused phrases is "Think Out of the Box." Yes many people say it but do they mean it?
Recently, our crack video team put together a nifty little explainer film that demonstrates how our third party fashion logistics services work far more vividly than we ever could here on the apparel logistics blog. Take a look: The video gives you a glimpse of our headquarter offices in North Dallas (Hurst, Texas, to be exact), including our automated apparel warehouse and foreign trade zone facility.
The International Business Times dug up an interesting (and, well, all sorts of sad) story illuminating the persistent problem of supply chain theft. In California recently, thieves stole 1,600 pounds of dog food — worth an astounding $10,000 — from a truck en route to a pet rescue shelter. According to the story, this type of (sometimes seemingly senseless) theft is more common than you might think: The National Retail Federation's latest spring survey shows that more than nine out
Procurement leaders are at a pivotal moment. With CPOs playing an increasingly strategic role, it’s time to leverage innovation and technology to drive resilience and efficiency. Download The 2025 Annual ProcureCon CPO Report to uncover key insights to thrive in a dynamic procurement landscape. What’s Inside: How CPOs are driving strategic decision-making and technology adoption The top priorities and challenges for procurement in 2025 Why AI, sustainability, and data analytics are essential for
If you spent your 4th of July doing, well, anything more fun than sitting around watching the news (we hope you did), you might not have heard about the extraordinary lengths Washingtonians went to ensure the best, most darkest environment for an epic fireworks show possible: According to the Associated Press: Millions across the mid-Atlantic region sweltered Saturday in the aftermath of violent storms that pummeled the eastern United States with high winds and downed trees, killing at least 13
Ever wondered how Pantone makes their famous forecasts about what colors will dominate both catwalks and sidewalks in the seasons to come (this year's was " tangerine tango ")? According to Slate , it's a process of, well, exchanging lots of whimsy/snappy dialogue more likely found in some Aaron Sorkin /Project Runway mash up: What do we say about blue?
For apparel companies, crossing borders for the first time can feel like head-scratching, fanny-packed tourists trying to navigate a Japanese subway. It’d be easier to try to climb the Tower of Babel. According to Apparel Magazine , the struggling economy here in the United States has made it more attractive both for American retailers and American brands to expand operations abroad – and not just in manufacturing.
A few months ago, we profiled fantastic shoe innovator Chooze Shoes – a company we’re proud to support with premium apparel logistics. More specifically, we took at a look at the company’s unconventional approach to business that values societal and environmental good as much as profits – all of which, naturally, they invest into anti-poverty programs in Mexico and Bangladesh.
The global trade landscape is shifting. If President Trump’s proposed tariffs come into effect, they will impact your logistics in significant ways. Our free guide provides essential insights for consumer brands and manufacturers. It is crucial to understand what these challenges mean for your logistics operations, and more importantly, how to prepare.
One of the best parts of being involved in multiple areas of the apparel industry is the diverse range of companies we get to work with. We admire them. We learn from them. And we’re always proud whenever our apparel supply chain management and third party logistics services can help them thrive. Take Macy’s, for example. As we’ve mentioned several times recently on the Apparel Logistics blog , many big box brick-and-mortar apparel retailers have adjusted to the digital age mos
Fashion logistics would be a lot easier, say, if we were all just a bunch of clones. Same size. Same shape. Same preferences. But we’re not (thankfully, really), which just means apparel supply chains just need to stay ready to adapt on the fly. According to Apparel Magazine: Handling multiple types of order profiles and/or customers out of the same building can cause wide fluctuations in capacity requirements.
Several heavyweights in the apparel world – including Gap, Nike, Adidas and Liz Claiborne – are calling for the Guatemalan government to better enforce its labor laws in light of concerns over a string of labor rights violations. According to MR Magazine: The apparel companies all source in Guatemala and say they want to see the “timely resolution” of a complaint filed in 2008 by the US government under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA
We’ve mentioned a few times recently on The Apparel Logistics Group blog that – while the overall health of retail in America is recovering from the Great Recession quite nicely – the same can’t be said for physical retail stores. Most notoriously, this trend has been embodied by Best Buy. Think about just how much music and movies you now buy via iTunes, Amazon or Netflix – and then think about all those rows and rows music and movies in those thousands of big box
Fulfillment is no longer just about getting products from point A to point B – it's about crafting seamless, scalable, customer first experiences. Flexible fulfillment strategies are more important than ever for those aiming to stay ahead and build resilience as retail enters a new era in 2025. Learn how to optimize fulfillment processes, tackle complex, multi-vendor orders, and create seamless customer experiences – from white-glove delivery for high-value items to quick-ship solutions for ever
It looks like Mother Nature gave the apparel industry a bit of a gift this spring. According to Mrketplace : Unseasonably warm weather, an earlier Easter holiday and rising consumer confidence helped lift retail sales in March, according to the latest Commerce Department figures, marking a positive start to spring. Official data showed March retail sales were 0.8% higher than in February, with total sales for the first three months of the year coming in 6.4% higher than a year ago.
People are buying stuff more than ever. They’re just increasingly choosing to do so from home in their skivvies. This rise in e-commerce is absolutely killing certain sectors of the retail industry. Just take a look at Best Buy's ongoing slow-motion collapse. According to Moneybox : The bottom line is that while Best Buy is no doubt facing some firm-specific challenges, the big story is broad sectoral decline of this sort of retailing.
The Bangkok Post made a good point about the effects of political unrest recently in the wake of tragic bombings in southern Thailand last week: These appalling events serve as a harsh reminder that radicals intent on harming innocent civilians can strike anywhere, it also are a reminder that terrorism both domestically and globally is a real and significant threat to our supply chains -- and one that few companies, emergency services and local authorities are ever fully prepared for.
From sailing the high seas of ocean freight rate management to navigating the narrow straits of customs brokerage management, we simply can’t stop circling the globe in search of the most optimal distant corners for apparel supply chain management. But it’s all anchored right here in Lewisville, smack dab in the middle of North Texas, just 20 miles from Dallas-Ft.
Heico Sandee, CEO of Smart Robotics, explores how automation redefines warehouse culture. By shifting repetitive tasks to skill-based roles, automation improves safety, fosters collaboration, and makes warehousing more appealing to today’s workforce.
Natural disasters. Market shifts. Political meddling or domestic unrest in distant countries. Supply chains were born to be disrupted, and the results for ill-prepared apparel companies can be simply devastating. Simply put, it’s not unusual for supply chains to look more like supply spiderwebs that span across multiple countries around the globe.
If the customer is always king in apparel, he sure seems more and more likely to prefer doing his shopping straight from the throne. E-commerce is back -- in a big way. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, e-commerce sales topped $50 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Think of us as modern day Will Turners , protecting your apparel on the high seas from the nefarious, notorious pirates of, er, inexorable global economic forces. For example, the Baltic Dry Index is basically an index tracking how much it costs to move raw material by sea. But for our purposes, it's a good indicator for examining the price of cargo shipping in general -- and how difficult it can be to secure advantageous ocean freight rates.
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