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Joe Craparotta

Recent Posts by Joe Craparotta:

What 2021 Taught Us About Logistics & the Supply Chain, and What to Expect Next

What if this year is just like last year?

Much as we wish the pandemic was over, the beginning of this year feels a lot like the end of last year. Many of us are still wearing masks, still working from home, and still trying to remember what it felt like to buy something on a whim without thinking about the supply chain. 

So it's possible that we already know what to expect in 2022. But what if we're wrong? What if this turns out to be another year of continuous disruption for the logistics industry? Our best approach to the year ahead is to stay flexible and keep building on what we've already learned.

Topics: last-mile delivery solutions e-commerce shopping local sales centers omnichannel shopping retail

The Second Year of Covid Kicked the Logistics Industry into High Gear

Adapting to a future of continuous change

Someone recently asked us to share our thoughts on the future of supply chain management. We always enjoy this exercise, but we’re not quite as confident about our answers this year as we’ve been in the past. 

We can predict that the logistics industry will continue to do an incredible job of adapting to extraordinary circumstances, as it has over the last 22 months, and that we will keep doing our best to stay one step ahead of whatever comes next.

Topics: omnichannel shopping retail direct-to-consumer Covid-19

Why 2021 Holiday Retail Forecasts are "Cautiously Optimistic"


And why walk-in customer pick-up centers are a gift that keeps on giving.

We thought about posting this blog last month, but the Autumn sun was still warm and it seemed too early to talk about Christmas before we’d even had a chance to enjoy Halloween. 

Retail planners, however, have been thinking about how to prepare for a successful holiday shopping season for months now, and industry analysts have been crunching their numbers for 2021 holiday sales forecasts. 

Topics: holiday shopping e-commerce shopping local sales center distribution strategy retail

Demand for Last-Mile Delivery in U.S. Cities Continues to Grow


We love cities. Four out of five people in the U.S. live in cities, and they’re not just any people -- they’re Internet-connected consumers who work, play, and shop, from home. So cities, which already have the most people and the most technology, are critical e-commerce growth markets even if last-mile logistics can be hard.

Topics: local sales center last-mile challenge solution L.A. triathlon

When a Store is Not A Store: How COVID is Transforming Retail


Most consumers don’t spend much time thinking about the innovations that make it easier and more convenient to buy things. They simply adapt to a steady stream of new tools -- like digital wallets, mobile apps, and on-site delivery services -- as they come along.

Topics: local sales center omnichannel shopping Amazon retail

How to Keep Your Retail Employees From Quitting


 

More than 400 thousand small businesses folded in 2020 due to the pandemic. Single location stores were hit the hardest. Still, the net change in the total number of stores in the U.S. was positive: more stores opened than closed.

Simultaneously, e-commerce sky-rocketed, both out of necessity and an abundance of caution. But, as soon as it was safe to do so, we willingly went back into stores; clothing stores, in particular, because we like to try things on, and because it’s easier to return goods at a physical location. It turns out that online vs. in-store shopping is not a zero-sum game after all. We want both. 

Topics: local sales center omnichannel shopping retail L.A. triathlon

The Logistics of Postponed Sporting Events

The return of the Tokyo Olympics & L.A.'s Herbalife24 Triathlon

Imagine for a minute that you’re the person in charge of logistics for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. You know the international spectacle is already the biggest transportation and delivery challenge on the planet in a normal year. And now there’s COVID.

Topics: last-mile delivery solutions local sales center Herbalife

Will Amazon Prime Day Lift All Boats Again This Year?

2020 was a confusing year for retail, but at least it ended better than it began. And as the world slowly reopens for business in 2021, all evidence suggests that consumers are ready to reopen their wallets as well.

Topics: Black Friday e-commerce shopping customer pick-up center local sales centers Amazon

Does Anyone Still Use Cash?

It may seem like credit card processing fees are an unavoidable part of doing business today, but many people still prefer to make cash transactions. To thrive, merchants need to get creative about accepting cash for online purchases. 

In this post, we take a look at why cash is still king when it comes to cutting operational expenses like credit card processing fees and why it still matters to your bottom line.

Topics: cross-channel shopper e-commerce shopping customer pick-up center local sales centers hispanic consumer

5 Reasons Why You Need New Local Delivery Options

It turns out that all commerce is local commerce after a year of global pandemic.

By now, it shouldn’t surprise anyone who follows retail trends that “omnichannel” was the biggest buzzword of 2020, largely due to the fallout from COVID-19. Why did omnichannel retail suddenly come to the fore? Because last year’s rogue virus made everything about our everyday lives harder, so we appreciated and rewarded any business that made it easier to keep buying things we still needed and wanted.

Topics: last-mile delivery solutions e-commerce shopping secure delivery customer pick-up center local sales centers BOPIS