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Staples to Deploy AI-Powered Robotic Picking in Fulfillment Centers

Retail TouchPoints

Staples will install autonomous item-handling robots in its fulfillment centers as part of a multi-year agreement with RightHand Robotics. We have always valued automation, and we see it as the future of ecommerce picking,” said Amit Kalra, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Staples in a statement. “We

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Product Substitution: How Savvy Retailers and Manufacturers can Build Supply Chain Resiliency, Reduce Costs and Improve Customer Experiences

Retail TouchPoints

Applying this practice, retailers can proactively troubleshoot stockouts and delays to ensure that customers’ orders can still be fulfilled to their satisfaction in a timely manner. Furthermore, product substitution allows businesses to diversify their sourcing to mitigate supply chain risks.

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Amazon Launches $1 Billion Fund to Support Fulfillment, Logistics and Supply Chain Innovation

Retail TouchPoints

Amazon is creating a $1 billion venture investment program, the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund (AIIF), with the goal of supporting innovation in customer fulfillment, logistics and the supply chain. The AIIF will invest in a wide range of companies, from early-stage startups to more established companies.

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Walmart Acquires Robotics Company to Boost Next-Gen Fulfillment Capabilities

Retail TouchPoints

Walmart has entered an agreement to acquire Alert Innovation , a robotics automation company that develops material-handling technology for automating order fulfillment in retail supply chains. Walmart has been working with Alert to customize technology for its market fulfillment centers (MFCs) since 2016. in a blog post.

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Retailers Increasingly Turning to Third-Party Resources to Handle Fulfillment

Retail TouchPoints

Store-based fulfillment of customer orders got an enormous boost during the COVID pandemic, when both curbside pickup and delivery offerings became survival tactics for so many retailers. For example, in 2022, 21% of respondents said improved supply chain efficiency was a valuable benefit, but that percentage increased to 34% in 2023.

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Ingka Group’s Ikea Stores to Adopt Fulfillment and Store Operations Solution

Retail TouchPoints

Inkga Group, owner and operator of 482 Ikea stores and ecommerce in 31 countries, will adopt a solution from Made4net to power fulfillment centers and store operations worldwide. The deployment follows the purchase of Made4net by Ingka Investments , the group’s investment arm.

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Asda Fortifies Omnichannel Approach by Updating OMS and Fulfillment

Retail TouchPoints

British retailer Asda is enhancing its end-to-end supply chain and retail operations by partnering with Blue Yonder to improve order management. Asda, which operates 640 stores including supercenters, superstores and supermarkets, also will work with Bringg to upgrade its fulfillment capabilities.