# LLMs.txt - Sitemap for AI content discovery
# Capacity LLC
> Order Fulfillment Services - Warehousing - EDI | Capacity LLC" / Site description tag - "Trusted leaders in ecommerce order fulfillment, pick and pack warehousing, and EDI services.
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## Pages
- [Featured Press](https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/featured-press): Featured Press
- [Capacity Logistics IQ](https://www.capacityllc.com/the-capacity-difference/cliq): Struggling to scale your business? Our Order & Inventory Management System provides real-time data to make data-driven decisions for growth.
- [Press](https://www.capacityllc.com/press): The Capacity Story Capacity has been a player in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry since 1999. Press Assets Capacity...
- [Our Technology](https://www.capacityllc.com/our-tech): Yours, Mine, Ours We're passionate about providing a seamless experience for both you and your customers. To achieve this, we approach technology from
- [Blog](https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/blog): Blog: Navigating the Supply Chain Symphony
- [Landing Page LI White Paper](https://www.capacityllc.com/landing-page-li-white-paper/): Collective experience of over 60 years delivering EDI, retail and eCommerce fulfillment services for diverse clients in B2B and B2C sectors.
- [Resources](https://www.capacityllc.com/resources): Media FAQs Events
- [Thank you for Subscribing](https://www.capacityllc.com/thank-you-for-subscribing/): Thank you for contacting Capacity. Our fulfillment experts respond to inquiries as soon as possible.
- [Careers](https://www.capacityllc.com/careers/): Why Choose Us? We value achievements We are looking for people to join our team – people who value achievements...
- [Ecommerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/ecommerce): Scale your Ecommerce operations with Capacity's warehousing, pick and pack, rapid delivery, and real-time tracking solutions.
- [B2B](https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/b2b): 20+ years of B2B fulfillment expertise: EDI compliance, inventory management, shipping, returns, and growth-focused solutions.
- [Partners](https://www.capacityllc.com/partners): Explore partnership opportunities with Capacity LLC. Contact us at partnerships@capacityllc.com to collaborate on innovation and excellence.
- [Integrations](https://www.capacityllc.com/integrations): Enhance logistics efficiency with Capacity's robust Ecommerce integration, streamlining supply chains from end to end.
- [The Capacity Difference](https://www.capacityllc.com/the-capacity-difference): Discover The Capacity Difference in EDI, Retail, and Ecommerce Fulfillment Services. Elevate your logistics with our expertise and seamless solutions.
- [Media](https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/media): Featured Press Blog: Navigating the Supply Chain Symphony LinkedIn Logistics Videos: Visualizing Logistics The Company Industry Expertise Solutions Personal Stories
- [Home](https://www.capacityllc.com/): Capacity LLC, is a trusted 3PL fulfillment company that provides quality 3PL solutions. Located in New Jersey, Indiana, California and UK.
- [Cookie Policy (EU)](https://www.capacityllc.com/cookie-policy-eu/):
- [FAQs](https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/faqs): Company Information Services What kind of company is agood fit for Capacity? Explore a Partnership withCapacity
- [Events and Trade Shows](https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/events): Where We’ll Be and When Below are the shows and events that Capacity is set to attend in the coming...
- [Subscribe](https://www.capacityllc.com/subscribe): Subscribe for e-mail updates from the team at Capacity.
- [Site Map](https://www.capacityllc.com/site-map): This is the site map page for the website of Capacity LLC - www.capacityllc.com
- [Contact](https://www.capacityllc.com/contact): Contact the team at Capacity to speak to order fulfillment experts about your supply chain challenges today.
- [Value Added Services](https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/value-added-services): Collective experience of over 60 years delivering fulfillment services for retail, ecommerce and EDI clients in B2B and B2C sectors.
- [Font Sizes](https://www.capacityllc.com/font-sizes/): Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3 Heading 4 Heading 5 Heading 6 Paragraph Small Paragraph Default/Regular Paragraph Medium Paragraph Large...
- [Who We Serve](https://www.capacityllc.com/who-we-serve): Build trust and success with Capacity's client-focused fulfillment expertise across beauty, fashion, and more.
- [Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/order-fulfillment/): Collective experience of over 60 years delivering order fulfillment services for retail, eCommerce, and EDI clients in B2B and B2C sectors.
- [Where to Find Us](https://www.capacityllc.com/where-to-find-us): With facilities on both coasts and the heart of the US, plus partners serving the UK & Europe, we have Capacity locations where you need them
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.capacityllc.com/privacy-policy): Our Privacy Policy details how and what personal data we collect, how we use it, and the options we provide to access and update this data. Contact us at privacy@capacityLLC.com.
- [Capacity Team](https://www.capacityllc.com/the-capacity-difference/team/): The Capacity team is passionate and we take great pride in our work for clients. Here are some of the great people who are Capacity.
- [What We Do](https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do): Discover how great 3PLs go beyond logistics, building collaborative partnerships that solve challenges and drive strategic insights.
- [Thank you](https://www.capacityllc.com/thank-you/): Thank you for contacting Capacity. Our fulfillment experts respond to inquiries as soon as possible.
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## Posts
- [How Capacity & OpenBorder Facilitated The Perfect Jean's Foothold in the UK](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-capacity-and-d2c-global-growth-platform-openborder-helped-the-perfect-jean-gain-a-foothold-in-the-u-k): Here’s how we, along with D2C global growth platform and Capacity partner, OpenBorder, made it happen for The Perfect Jean (TPJ).
- [Our Appreciation, Worldwide: Women Shaping Logistics](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/our-appreciation-worldwide-women-shaping-logistics): At Capacity, we understand that a truly robust supply chain is built on the strength of its people. This Women's History Month, we're celebrating the incredible women who drive Capacity forward, not just here in our New Jersey and California locations, but across the globe.
- [Fulfillment Built for Beauty Brands](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/fulfillment-built-for-beauty-brands): How Capacity’s fulfillment operation scales with a global beauty brand at peak season, year round and into the UK – all without having to sit next to bags of chips.
- [Unpacking the Tariff Wars (As of March 5, 2025)](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/unpacking-the-tariff-wars-as-of-march-5-2025): What beauty and apparel brands can do and how 3PLs can help in the face of double-digit duties coming from all angles.
- [How to Handle 1Q25’s Economic Uncertainty](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-to-handle-1q25s-economic-uncertainty): Navigating the 2025 retail landscape is a rollercoaster, with shifting tariffs and evolving retailer strategies leaving brands wondering what to do. This article explores key considerations and advice for brands seeking clarity amidst the uncertainty.
- [In Pursuit of Operational Excellence](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/in-pursuit-of-operational-excellence): Capacity identified unallocated inventory for The Perfect Jean, rapidly developed a solution, and ensured a successful holiday season.
- [Building Tomorrow's Supply Chain Leaders: The ABCO Systems Scholarship Program](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/abco-systems-scholarship-program): Dreams start with opportunity. At Capacity, we’re proud to partner with ABCO Systems in creating pathways for ambitious students through...
- [Supply Chain Trends: What to Expect in 2025](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/supply-chain-trends-what-to-expect-in-2025): Discover the groundbreaking trends set to revolutionize shipping and logistics by 2025, with findings from our CXO, Darren Lavelle!
- [Capacity Earns Great Place to Work Certification](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/capacity-earns-great-place-to-work-certification): Certified: Capacity is a Great Place to Work We recently earned a Great Place to Work Certification from Great Place...
- [The Definitive Guide to 3PLs: Engineering Your Brand's Growth](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-3pls): Your brand is ready to scale. Your vision extends beyond today's success to tomorrow's possibilities. Let's ensure your fulfillment infrastructure matches that vision with the right 3PL partnership.
- [Evaluating Your 3PL Partnership After Section 321 Changes](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/evaluating-your-3pl-partnership-after-section-321-changes): The recent changes to Mexico's Section 321 policies have many brands questioning their current fulfillment partnerships. If your 3PL was chosen primarily for their border-skipping capabilities, it's worth taking a fresh look at your fulfillment strategy.
- [Shopify Winter '25: Engineering Growth Across Every Touchpoint](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/shopify-winter-25-engineering-growth-across-every-touchpoint): Shopify Winter '25: 150+ updates to empower ambitious brands to scale across online, retail, wholesale, and global markets with confidence.
- [From Dream to Icon: Engineering Health & Beauty Fulfillment Excellence](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/from-dream-to-icon-engineering-health-beauty-fulfillment-excellence): Experience the thrill of viral success in the beauty and wellness industry. But are you prepared for the explosive growth that follows? Learn how to navigate the challenges of scaling your operations, from fulfilling orders to managing inventory, to ensure your brand thrives amidst sudden demand.
- [How Mexico's Section 321 Changes Impact Your Supply Chain Strategy](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-mexicos-section-321-changes-impact-your-supply-chain-strategy): Recent changes to Mexico's trade policies have created significant implications for brands using Section 321 fulfillment strategies. Here's what you need to know and how to adapt your supply chain approach.
- [The Strategic Guide to Modern Inventory Management](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/inventory-management-systems-the-definitive-guide-to-optimizing-your-inventory): In today's complex retail landscape, effective inventory management has become a critical differentiator between thriving businesses and those struggling to keep pace. At Capacity, we've observed that successful inventory management extends far beyond simply tracking stock levels—it's about creating a strategic advantage that impacts every aspect of your business operations.
- [Your Last-Minute BFCM Ecommerce & Fulfillment Checklist](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/bfcm-ecommerce-fulfillment-checklist): Don't let peak season catch you off guard. Prepare your ecommerce and fulfillment operations for Black Friday and Cyber Monday with our essential checklist.
- [What Promising Brands that Scale Rapidly Tend to Have in Common](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/what-promising-brands-have-in-common): Fulfillment expertise gained over years in the industry. Insights on common factors driving rapid growth for brands across verticals like beauty, wellness, apparel, and CPG. Avoid common pitfalls and unlock new heights for your business.
- [Going Global?](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/going-global): Global-e, a leading platform for D2C e-commerce, integrates seamlessly with Capacity to unlock new global markets.
- [Beauty Brands: Here’s What to Think About for Packaging in 2025](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/packaging-in-2025): 2025 is shaping up to be a year of packaging innovation for beauty brands. Whether you're riding high on current success or looking to revamp your offerings, now is the time to strategize.
- [Meet Treet](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/meet-treet): Treet is revolutionizing the resale industry by empowering brands to reclaim their unsold inventory. With Capacity's latest partner, brands can generate additional revenue and reduce their environmental impact.
- [9 Key Performance Indicators for Monitoring 3PL Operations](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/9-key-performance-indicators-kpis-for-monitoring-3pl-operations): Insight into the strategic shift from in-house to 3PL fulfillment for growing brands, and how to maintain visibility and control over operations when outsourcing. Explore the key metrics and partnership considerations for effective 3PL performance monitoring in 2025.
- [What Every Brand Needs to Know Going into a Netsuite-3PL Integration](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/netsuite-3pl-integration): We sat down with Ekwani founder and CEO, Melanie Martens, to capture a high-level overview of what brands need to know going into a Netsuite-3PL integration.
- [Should You Change Fulfillment Providers? Probably, But Not Right Now.](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/changing-3pls): When you’re in the thick of peak season, make some mental notes on the health of the relationship between your brand and your 3PL. Come January you can ask yourself: Are we truly partners or not?
- [How Hair and Skin Care Brand, Fur, Leveled Up its Fulfillment Game](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/fur-case-study): Fur, a rapidly growing hair and skin care brand, faced challenges with unpredictable D2C order ship times and increasing B2B chargebacks. Discover how FUR sought a new fulfillment solution to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.
- [How Capacity and Envision Horizons Help Beauty Brands Scale on Amazon](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-we-help-brands-scale): Envision Horizons and Capacity have forged a successful partnership, providing Amazon scaling expertise and comprehensive fulfillment solutions to their shared clients. This collaboration ensures that brands looking to grow on Amazon or needing reliable fulfillment services have access to the perfect resources.
- [Fulfillment 101: The Warehouse Invoice](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/the-warehouse-invoice): The warehouse invoice is a crucial document in the brand-fulfillment provider relationship, going beyond just a bill for service. Here's tips on how to assess it.
- [Fulfil and Capacity: ERP-3PL Integration that Just Works](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/3pl-integration-that-just-works): We're excited to welcome Fulfil as the newest addition to our Capacity partner platform! Here's why. Fulfil is a powerful ERP solution tailored for fast-growing ecommerce and wholesale brands.
- [Streamlining E-Commerce Operations with NetSuite and Shopify Plus Integration](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/streamlining-e-commerce-operations-the-benefits-of-integrating-shopify-plus-and-netsuite): Integrating NetSuite and Shopify Plus offers a powerful solution, enabling businesses to streamline processes, enhance customer interactions, and drive revenue growth. This seamless integration eliminates manual workflows, ensures real-time data synchronization, and sets the stage for long-term success.
- [Internship Insights: Shaping the Supply Chain of the Future ](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/internship-insights-shaping-the-supply-chain-of-the-future): Discover the real-life experiences of interns at Capacity, a leading 3PL fulfillment company. Learn what it's like to launch a career in supply chain management through firsthand accounts of day-to-day challenges, career-defining moments, and valuable insights from those who've been there.
- [8 Things Your Brand Should Know About Your 3PL](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/questions-for-your-3pl): From tech stacks to scalability, uncover the critical questions brands often overlook when selecting a fulfillment provider.
- [Capacity Revamped r.e.m. beauty's Ecommerce Fulfillment Operation in 8 Days](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/case-study-rem-beauty): Discover how Ariana Grande's r.e.m. beauty scaled fulfillment operations to meet demand while keeping customers happy - in just 8 days!
- [Demystifying Hazardous Materials Shipping](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/demystifying-hazmat-shipping): Navigating the intricacies of hazmat management can be daunting. Learn how to think about possible hazardous materials you're shipping.
- [6 Signs It's Time to Change Your 3PL (And How to Make the Switch)](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/6-signs-its-time-to-change-your-3pl-and-how-to-make-the-switch): For growing brands, partnering with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) is a strategic move that allows you to focus on...
- [Plans to Scale in the UK and the EU?](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/scale-in-uk): Capacity and Prolog Have Your Answer. Today we are excited to officially announce our partnership with Prolog Fulfilment, a leading...
- [Brands: How Does Your 3PL Prepare for the Worst?](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/brands-how-does-your-3pl-prepare-for-the-worst): Shield your brand with a robust Business Continuity Plan. Mitigate risks, ensure supply chain resilience, and safeguard customers' trust.
- [E-commerce Fulfillment: Best Practices and Benefits](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/e-commerce-fulfillment-best-practices-and-benefits): As consumer demands grow and technology advances, adopting the right strategies can transform your fulfillment process from a logistical necessity into a competitive advantage. Here’s how businesses can deliver on their promises with precision, efficiency, and a touch of innovation.
- [Automate to Augment: How Covariant Helps Capacity Handle Spikes and Meet Demand Without Missing a Beat ](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/automate-to-augment-how-covariant-helps-capacity-handle-spikes-and-meet-demand-without-missing-a-beat): Roughly three years ago, Waldo joined the Capacity team. Waldo is an AI-powered robotic putwall that autonomously sorts items from mixed-SKU...
- [Anti-Diversion: How 3PLs Tackle Theft ](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-3pls-tackle-theft): Here are theft prevention anti-diversion best practices brands should look for in their 3PL.
- [Learning from Each Other: A Multigenerational Perspective at Capacity](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/learning-from-each-other-a-multigenerational-perspective-at-capacity): At Capacity, we value the connections our employees bring and encourage referrals from both friends and family. We believe this...
- [Stories of Experience: Capacity’s Most Tenured Team Members Share What Makes us a Different Kind of 3PL](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/stories-of-experience-capacitys-most-tenured-team-members-share-what-makes-us-a-different-kind-of-3pl): As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary, we caught up with some of Capacity’s longest tenured employees to capture...
- [International Shipping Solved: How Capacity and Passport Make it Happen](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/international-shipping-solved-how-capacity-and-passport-make-it-happen): A few years back, we had a client that wanted to start serving international markets. That client was also a...
- [Omnichannel vs. Multichannel Fulfillment: Choosing the Right Strategy](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/omnichannel-vs-multichannel-retail-making-the-right-choice-for-your-business): In today's complex retail landscape, choosing the right fulfillment strategy is crucial for business success. As a 3PL partner, Capacity helps brands navigate the decision between omnichannel and multichannel approaches, providing the infrastructure and expertise needed to execute either strategy effectively.
- [Sustainable Logistics: Balancing Green Initiatives and Business Success](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/green-logistics): As terms like “green logistics” and “sustainable logistics” gain traction, retail brands are reevaluating their supply chains to uncover every opportunity to reduce carbon footprints. A critical focus of these efforts is freight transportation, which the EPA identifies as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Heavy-duty trucks are the fastest-growing contributor within this sector, intensifying the urgency for change.
- [If Environmental Sustainability is Core to Your Brand Your Fulfillment Partner Plays a Major Role](https://www.capacityllc.com/if-environmental-sustainability-is-core-to-your-brand-your-fulfillment-partner-plays-a-major-role): Here’s What to Look For For brands operating in the beauty, cosmetics, health and wellness and apparel industries, meaningful environmental...
- [Evolution of the Fulfillment Industry: A 25-Year Retrospective](https://www.capacityllc.com/evolution-of-the-fulfillment-industry-a-25-year-retrospective/): As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary, Capacity Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Jeff Kaiden, reflects on how the...
- [Three Expert Ways to Design Your Packaging This Year: A Guide for E-Commerce Brands](https://www.capacityllc.com/three-expert-ways-to-design-your-packaging-this-year-a-guide-for-e-commerce-brands/): This guide explores three strategies to revolutionize product packaging, ensuring it's recyclable and a powerful tool for marketing.
- [It’s Time to Generate Revenue Out of Your Non-New Returns](https://www.capacityllc.com/its-time-to-generate-revenue-out-of-your-non-new-returns): Non-salable returns have always been a burden on brands. A cost of doing business. That’s changing. Arrive is...
- [We’re Partnering with Two Boxes to Navigate Complex Returns Processing.](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-two-boxes): Capacity 3PL is happy to announce our partnership with Two Boxes to enhance our customers' returns experience.
- [Celebrating Women's History Month And Inspiring Inclusion](https://www.capacityllc.com/celebrating-womens-history-month/): In supply chain management, women have made significant progress, pushing boundaries and transforming the industry. From streamlining operations to optimizing...
- [A Look Back on 25 Years of Capacity](https://www.capacityllc.com/a-look-back-on-25-years-of-capacity/): In celebration of our 25th anniversary, Capacity Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder, Thom Campbell, kicks off our milestone year with...
- [Fulfillment Trends and How Brands Can Capitalize on Them](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-trends/): As we examined the year end data for 2023, we found some interesting stories with insights that you can apply.
- [Consolidation Delivers](https://www.capacityllc.com/consolidation-delivers/): Capacity is a consolidator for Ulta and Sephora. A consolidator is a third party logistics company (3PL) that ships multiple brands to a single retailer.
- [Thinking about switching 3PLs?](https://www.capacityllc.com/thinking-about-switching-3pls/): Evaluate your current solution, define what you need, and make an action plan. It’s January 2024 The holiday crush is...
- [Capacity and Happy Returns Strike Strategic Partnership to Optimize Ecommerce Returns](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-and-happy-returns-strike-strategic-partnership-to-optimize-ecommerce-returns): We are excited to announce a strategic partnership with Happy Returns, a UPS company, one of the industry’s top commerce...
- [Why Apparel and Fashion Brands Need to Start Thinking Hard About Returns in 2024](https://www.capacityllc.com/why-apparel-and-fashion-brands-need-to-start-thinking-hard-about-returns-in-2024/): Here at Capacity, we recently onboarded a number of new apparel and fashion brands. Unsurprisingly, these markets see return rates as high as 40 percent. That translates into tens of thousands of units per month that require sorting, grading and restocking (if resellable). For these brands and their 3PLs, the struggle is real. And it’s only growing. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in building out a robust, streamlined reverse logistics program to make return management as cost effective as possible. Part of that investment has gone towards creating strong partnerships and integrations with return management systems, or RMSs. One of those RMSs is Loop Returns.
- [Engineering Success Across Channels: A Guide to Unified B2B and B2C Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/manage-both-b2b-b2c-through-one-3pl): Many growing brands start with a single channel focus – either B2B or direct-to-consumer (DTC). But as your brand evolves, managing multiple channels becomes essential for sustainable growth. While it might seem logical to handle B2B and DTC fulfillment separately, this approach often creates unnecessary complexity and missed opportunities. Let's explore why unifying your fulfillment operations can drive better results, and what to look for in an omnichannel fulfillment partner.
- [Seamless Logistics Solutions: Capacity and Loop Returns Partnership](https://www.capacityllc.com/seamless-logistics-solutions-capacity-and-loop-returns-partnership/): Capacity and Loop Returns have entered into a partnership to optimize e-commerce logistics and tackle the longstanding issue of product...
- [Are You Ready for MoCRA?](https://www.capacityllc.com/are-you-ready-for-mocra/): The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) is a new law empowering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)...
- [Maximizing Cash Flow Through Strategic Inventory Control](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/save-money-maximize-cash-flow): In today's competitive business environment, effective inventory control is more than just keeping track of stock—it's a critical driver of cash flow and business success. At Capacity, we've seen how improved inventory control directly impacts our clients' financial performance through four key business outcomes: enhanced customer satisfaction, increased sales volume, improved profit margins, and optimized cash flow.
- [Signs You've Outgrown Your 3PL (And What to Do About It)](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/when-youve-outgrown-your-3pl): Your brand is scaling fast. Orders are flowing in, your customer base is growing, and what started as a dream is becoming a thriving reality. But there's a challenge: your fulfillment partner isn't keeping pace with your growth.
- [Unpacking Assembly: What Does Kitting Mean?](https://www.capacityllc.com/assembly-and-kitting-explained): What does 'kitting' mean for your order fulfillment process? Our team assembles to help you unpack the problem of full kitting and assembly!
- [Sustainability: the new business model](https://www.capacityllc.com/sustainability-the-new-business-model): Many of our clients view sustainability as not only a core responsibility but also a driver of business growth. Here's how we work with them.
- [Unpack Opportunities from 2023 Ocean Container Rates](https://www.capacityllc.com/2023-ocean-container-rates/): 2023 ocean carrier rates are finally in decline, but how low should you go? For shipping services, beware deals that are too good to be true.
- [Unpacking the Full Range of Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/the-spectrum-of-order-fulfillment): Customers love to see orders hit their doorstep in days or even hours. Here's the full spectrum of order fulfillment that makes it possible!
- [Celebrating Women and Embracing Equity for International Women's Month](https://www.capacityllc.com/international-womens-month-2023/): In recognition and respect of International Month 2023, Capactity looks at the achievements of exceptional women across the sectors we serve.
- [Turn Your Multichannel Dreams into Reality: The Power of 3PL Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/mastering-multichannel-fulfillment-how-3pl-can-power-your-omnichannel-strategy): Your customers expect seamless experiences across every channel. When you’re ready to scale your multichannel strategy, reliable fulfillment becomes the...
- [Celebrating Black History Month](https://www.capacityllc.com/celebrating-black-history-month-2023): In recognition and respect of Black History Month 2023, Capacity honors the legacy of black pioneers across supply chain and logistics.
- [Strategic Inventory Operations: A Modern Approach to Retail Success](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/what-is-strategic-inventory-operations-sio): In today’s dynamic retail landscape, inventory management has evolved far beyond the traditional concepts of stock counting and reordering. Strategic...
- [WWD Digital Beauty 2023: Event Walkthrough](https://www.capacityllc.com/wwd-digital-beauty-2023-event-walkthrough/): The intersection of personal care and digital-first customer journeys gets busier every year. Online sales are a key driver of...
- [5 Third-Party Logistics/3PL Trends to Watch in 2023](https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-trends-2023/): As an exciting New Year promises both challenges and opportunities across the supply chain, here are five 3PL trends to be aware of in 2023.
- [Unpacking the eCommerce Fulfillment Process](https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-fulfillment-process/): How does the eCommerce fulfillment process work? It's a question we hear often -- and which we unpack in this article.
- [Celebrating Our Partnership with Mitsui at the Japan Society Annual Gala](https://www.capacityllc.com/japan-society-mitsui-usa-capacity/): Capacity celebrates Japanese cultural successes and ties to the USA with strategic partners Mitsui USA at the Japan Society annual gala.
- [Your 3PL Fulfillment Partner: 5 Qualities to Consider](https://www.capacityllc.com/your-3pl-fulfillment-partner-5-qualities-of-capacity/): Choosing your 3PL partner is a business-critical decision. Here are five ways that a good 3PL forges true partnerships with clients.
- [7 Steps to Optimize E-Commerce Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/7-steps-for-ecommerce-fulfillment-optimization): In today’s fast-paced e-commerce landscape, efficient order fulfillment is the cornerstone of a successful operation. With more consumers expecting rapid...
- [Real-Time Inventory Visibility: Your Foundation for Sustainable Growth](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/challenges-and-benefits-of-inventory-visibility): In today’s fast-moving beauty and wellness market, inventory visibility isn’t just about tracking stock levels—it’s about maintaining the customer experience...
- [Supply Chain CEO Interview: Our Team Talks to Martin Harshberger](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-ceo-interview-our-team-talks-to-martin-harshberger/): Entertainment and education are in order when we hear a supply chain CEO interview with Martin Harshberger, who hosts the Capacity team here.
- [Distributed Order Management (DOM): Where Growth Meets Reliable Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/what-is-distributed-order-management-dom): Your customers dream of instant gratification. You dream of seamless operations. Through Distributed Order Management (DOM), we help turn both...
- [7 Stats that Define the 2021 Peak Season for eCommerce and B2B Retailers](https://www.capacityllc.com/7-stats-2021-peak-season-for-ecommerce-b2b): The 2021 peak season for eCommerce & in-store shopping offered lessons for retailers. Stats show 2020 differences and what it means for 2022.
- [Capacity LLC Announces Strategic Partnership with Mitsui USA](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-announces-strategic-partnership-with-mitsui-usa/): Capacity announces a strategic partnership with Mitsui USA, supporting operations, strengthening clients, and expanding international growth.
- [CBD and Supplements](https://www.capacityllc.com/cbd-and-supplements/): In recognition and respect of Black History Month 2023, Capacity honors the legacy of black pioneers across supply chain and logistics.
- [Where's Waldo? Supply Chain Automation in the Warehouse](https://www.capacityllc.com/wheres-waldo-supply-chain-automation-in-the-warehouse/): For Capacity and Covariant, "where's Waldo?" is a question that cuts to the core of supply chain automation in the warehouse.
- [Planning for Peak Season 2021: What to Expect](https://www.capacityllc.com/planning-for-peak-season-2021-what-to-expect): Planning for peak season is always challenging but post-pandemic considerations add an extra twist. How do we approach the 2021 holiday peak?
- [3 Key Hair Care Trends Shaping the Sector](https://www.capacityllc.com/3-key-hair-care-trends-shaping-the-sector/): After a turbulent year, a resurgent economy & emboldened buyers fuel new hair care trends. Frictionless fulfillment keeps your brand on top.
- [Changes to European Union VAT Rules: What You Need to Know](https://www.capacityllc.com/european-union-vat-changes-2021/): With upcoming changes to European Union VAT rules, here's what will be different and how we're handling the transition with our clients.
- [5 Challenges Facing Your Cosmetics Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/5-challenges-facing-your-cosmetics-supply-chain/): If you ship luxury beauty products, your brand relies on hyper-efficient order fulfillment. Here are five cosmetics supply chain challenges you could face.
- [Culture & Technology in the Warehouse - Tecsys Interview with Thom Campbell](https://www.capacityllc.com/culture-and-technology-warehouse-tecsys/): Although culture and technology might seem like curious bedfellows at first, Thom Campbell explains the relationship in this Tecsys video.
- [Deliver Delight: Our Order Fulfillment Mission](https://www.capacityllc.com/deliver-delight-order-fulfillment/): Capacity's new site and visual style communicate the heart of our work in order fulfillment: to deliver delight with every order.
- [FedEx Rate Increases Show Signs of Pressure on Parcel Carriers](https://www.capacityllc.com/fedex-rate-increases-pressure-on-parcel-carriers/): While FedEx rate increases demand attention, they are also a sign of the times & provide an opportunity to reassess your shipping solutions.
- [8 Important Questions to Ask a Logistics Provider](https://www.capacityllc.com/questions-to-ask-a-logistics-provider/): The decision to outsource some or all of your fulfillment operations is business-critical. Read 8 key questions to ask a logistics provider.
- [How Can Physical Retail Drive a Post-Pandemic Recovery?](https://www.capacityllc.com/post-pandemic-recovery-retail-stores/): As states look to reopen and brands try to attract customers back to stores, what role can physical retail play in a post-pandemic recovery?
- [Why Brand Partners, Not Influencers, Will Define eCommerce In 2021](https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-brand-partners/): As influencer marketing receives greater skepticism from savvy consumers, long-term brand partners could be the answer for eCommerce retail.
- [4 Ways a Fulfillment Partner Can Improve Customer Experience](https://www.capacityllc.com/improve-customer-experience-fulfillment-partner/): When you find the right fulfillment partner, not just another service provider, there are indirect benefits that improve customer experience.
- [F4SS Board Welcomes Capacity's Thom Campbell and Annette Saenger](https://www.capacityllc.com/f4ss-board-thom-campbell-annette-saenger/): With new F4SS board members confirmed, including Capacity's Thom Campbell, the Foundation for Strategic Sourcing looks ahead to a bright 2021.
- [Learning from the Legacy of Dr. King](https://www.capacityllc.com/mlk-day-2021/): Dr. King's words resonate especially strongly today, as we hope for a week of peaceful transition and a focus on shared ideals.
- [5 Supply Chain Trends for 2021: What to Watch](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-for-2021/): No-one predicted the upheaval of 2020, but brands have learnt a lot to inform their approach to these five supply chain trends for 2021.
- [5 Ways Beauty Retailers Have Adapted to Online-first Ordering](https://www.capacityllc.com/5-ways-beauty-retailers-have-adapted-to-online-first-ordering/): The 2020 pandemic has forced many traditional retail outlets to pivot. Here are some of the ways beauty retailers have adapted.
- [Happy Holidays from Capacity!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays-from-capacity/): At the end of an incredibly challenging year, we’d like to take this opportunity to extend our very best wishes...
- [With Brexit Deadline Looming, Shipment Changes Challenge Brands](https://www.capacityllc.com/brexit-shipment-changes/): A Dec. 31st deadline looms but UK-EU trade negotiations remain deadlocked. Amid this uncertainty, Brexit shipment changes are challenging brands.
- [Fine-Tune Your eCommerce Fulfillment for 2021](https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-fulfillment-2021): For many brands grappling with 2020's challenges, online shopping continues to be a lifeline. Here's how to fine-tune your eCommerce for 2021.
- [Capacity Celebrates Growth and Diversity with Emerging Brands](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-diversity-growth-brands/): Capacity launches fulfillment operations with two fast-growing, diverse emerging brands: Rizos Curls and Bubble Skincare.
- [Thank You For Your Service](https://www.capacityllc.com/veterans-day-2020-thank-you/): On behalf of the entire team at Capacity, we offer our heartfelt thanks to all those who have served our...
- [Logistics Data and Decision-Making: The Importance of Metrics](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-data-decision-making-metrics/): "Logistics data enables us to look at every step of the process, understand where the bottlenecks are, and engineer solutions."
- [FBA Disadvantages: Amazon Can Inform, But It Cannot Engage](https://www.capacityllc.com/fba-disadvantages-amazon/): As Prime Day 2020 records another record-setting year, it still can't hide some of the core FBA disadvantages that plague sellers on Amazon.
- [2020 eCommerce and the Seasonal Hiring Surge](https://www.capacityllc.com/2020-ecommerce-seasonal-hiring-surge/): Jeff Kaiden talks to the Wall Street Journal about a surge in seasonal logistics hiring. Is it enough to satisfy unprecedented eCommerce?
- [3 Ways the 2020 Peak Season Will Be Different](https://www.capacityllc.com/2020-peak-season-differences/): The 2020 peak season will be unlike any other we've seen before. Here are three ways your brand could be affected.
- [3 Characteristics to Help Manage Fulfillment Disruption](https://www.capacityllc.com/manage-fulfillment-disruption/): Dynamic markets and global events make fulfillment disruption inevitable. These are three traits to help you handle the challenge.
- [A Team to Be Proud Of](https://www.capacityllc.com/a-team-to-be-proud-of/): We take the opportunity on Labor Day to thank our team - and family - who go above and beyond every day to keep our clients' products moving.
- [Capacity Passes 30 Million Orders Filled](https://www.capacityllc.com/30-million-orders-milestone/): After filling our 20 millionth order in late 2018, Capacity has accelerated to hit 30 million orders less than 18 months later!
- [Celebrating Our Foundations](https://www.capacityllc.com/celebrating-our-foundations/): Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful holiday weekend to reflect on the founding principles of the country we love.
- [Retail Experts Discuss Commerce During the Pandemic](https://www.capacityllc.com/retail-experts-discuss-pandemic-commerce): As businesses across North America assess how to reset and reopen, retail experts from Deck Commerce, Capgemini, and Capacity discuss what they're seeing.
- [How to Turn Accelerated eCommerce Into an Opportunity](https://www.capacityllc.com/accelerated-ecommerce-opportunity/): For those willing to adjust their business model and embrace new service partnerships, accelerated eCommerce presents a unique growth opportunity.
- [Lip Servicing Brings Brands Together for Frontline Workers](https://www.capacityllc.com/lip-servicing-brings-brands-together-for-frontline-workers/): We partnered with beauty influencers at Lip Servicing to deliver personal care packages to front line workers. Brands across the country are doing the same.
- [Marking 50 Years of Earth Day](https://www.capacityllc.com/marking-50-years-of-earth-day/): As Earth Day turns 50, we acknowledge the efforts of sectors we serve creating cleaner, green business practices. How does your brand embrace sustainbility?
- [Capacity Partners with Kai's Organics to Deliver Essential Hand Sanitizer to New York](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-partners-with-kais-organics-to-deliver-essential-hand-sanitizer-to-new-york/): Kai’s Organics, a leading manufacturer of USDA organic products, works with Capacity to bring essential sanitization products to NY/NJ.
- [10 Ways to Support Businesses During Coronavirus Disruption](https://www.capacityllc.com/ways-to-support-businesses-during-coronavirus-disruption/): Despite unprecedented disruption to everyday life, brands are working hard to keep going. Here are 10 ways to support businesses during coronavirus.
- [Staying Connected During Coronavirus](https://www.capacityllc.com/staying-connected-during-coronavirus/): After crafting early plans for working in the pandemic, we talk to members of the Capacity team on staying connected during coronavirus.
- [Capacity at MODEX 2020: Themes & Highlights](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-at-modex-2020-themes-highlights/): Covering everything on display at MODEX 2020 is impossible, but our brief digest gives you a flavor of the show and what's ahead for fulfillment technology.
- [The Rise of DTC Brands Brings New Marketing and Fulfillment Challenges](https://www.capacityllc.com/the-rise-of-dtc-brands-brings-new-marketing-and-fulfillment-challenges/): At a marketing event hosted by Rutger's Business School, we gathered with major names to discuss the disruptive rise of DTC brands and the challenges ahead.
- [How Stadium Goods Scaled with a Flexible Fulfillment Solution](https://www.capacityllc.com/stadium-goods-fulfillment-case-study/): When orders spiked and growth hit, Stadium Goods needed more storage & fulfillment systems than Lower Manhattan could offer. That's where Capacity came in.
- [USA CBD Expo 2020: An Inspiring Industry in Transition](https://www.capacityllc.com/usa-cbd-expo-2020-takeaways/): The best of the Capacity team's summary and takeaways from a packed out USA CBD Expo 2020 out in Las Vegas.
- [3 Reasons to Find a New Partner as Your eCommerce Fulfillment Provider](https://www.capacityllc.com/find-a-new-ecommerce-fulfillment-provider/): The sledgehammer approach of large 3PLs is unsuited to customized fulfillment. What's required is the refinement of a custom eCommerce fulfillment provider.
- [Fekkai Brings Clean Beauty to the Beach with the Ocean Cleanup Project](https://www.capacityllc.com/fekkai-clean-beauty-ocean-cleanup-project/): Capacity is proud to work with brands like Fekkai and, by extension, get involved with important initiatives like the Ocean Cleanup Project.
- [Fulfillment and Supply Chain Trends to Watch For in 2020](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-2020-and-beyond/): Various supply chain trends and market forces mean the next decade is full of challenges and opportunities to grow. Here's what to watch for in 2020.
- [NRF 2020 Sets a Vision for the Year Ahead](https://www.capacityllc.com/nrf-2020-sets-a-vision-for-the-year-ahead/): Our first tradeshow of the decade, NRF 2020, delivered exactly what it promised in the tagline: Vision. Here's a quick look at what we experienced.
- [3PL Fulfillment Partners: Steps to Success](https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-fulfillment-partners-success/): A lot goes into finding 3PL fulfillment partners who can take your business to the next level. These best practices provide a great place to start.
- [Happy New Year!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-new-year/): A New Year can be whatever you want to make it. On behalf of the team at Capacity, we wish...
- [Happy Holidays!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays-2019/): Wishing a warm and enjoyable festive season to all of our clients, colleagues, friends and followers.
- [What Data-Driven Decision Making Looks Like for Retailers in 2020](https://www.capacityllc.com/data-driven-retail-2020/): Retailers able to gather the right data, identify key trends, and effectively analyze what it all means can stand out in 2020 with data-driven strategies.
- [Thankful for Clients & Colleagues](https://www.capacityllc.com/thankful-for-clients-colleagues/): On behalf of the entire team at Capacity, thank you to all the clients, colleagues, and service partners who make...
- [Hess Toy Truck Delivers a Masterclass in eCommerce Marketing](https://www.capacityllc.com/hess-toy-truck-masterclass-ecommerce-marketing/): Holiday promotions are a dime a dozen, which makes this exceptional eCommerce marketing campaign from Hess Toy Truck all the more valuable.
- [With Gratitude](https://www.capacityllc.com/with-gratitude/): On behalf of the team at Capacity, we extend our gratitude and thanks to all who served.
- [Why Investment in Technology is Crucial to eCommerce Competition](https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-investment-in-technology/): Investment in technology is emerging as a critical factor in eCommerce success, but it's not just major names like Amazon who can reap the benefits.
- [NAEOS 2019: Our Highlights and Takeaways](https://www.capacityllc.com/naeos-2019-our-highlights-and-takeaways/): NAEOS, the North American E-tail Operations Summit is on our calendar every year. We're excited to report takeaways from this year's event are just as compelling.
- [Why CPG Brands Should Focus on a Frictionless Customer Experience](https://www.capacityllc.com/cpg-brands-customer-experience/): With two-way communication and reliable partners, a fulfillment solution can be created that delivers a frictionless customer experience.
- [3 Hallmarks of Frictionless Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/frictionless-fulfillment/): Customers expect a seamless purchase experience, whether they're online, in-store or both. Here's why frictionless fulfillment is essential to this journey.
- [Inbound Logistics and Inc. 5000 Recognize Capacity's Achievements](https://www.capacityllc.com/inbound-logistics-and-inc-5000-recognition/): While positive client reports remain our most important feedback, recent accolades from Inbound Logistics & Inc. 5000 are a welcome addition.
- [Women's Equality Day, Every Day](https://www.capacityllc.com/womens-equality-day-2019/): While we still have progress to make and every day should advocate for equality, Woman's Equality Day is an important reminder of that fact.
- [Why CPG Brands Must Differentiate Themselves for the Future of Retail](https://www.capacityllc.com/differentiate-cpg-brands/): CPG brands face major disruption to the status quo of selling consumer packaged goods. Here's how they can stand out in an eCommerce world.
- [How to Succeed with Subscription Box Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/subscription-box-fulfillment/): With more than 2,000 services and millions of subscribers, mastering subscription box fulfillment is a crucial piece of this exciting yet complex sector.
- [5 Key Factors Influencing the Future of CPG Retail](https://www.capacityllc.com/5-key-factors-influencing-the-future-of-cpg-retail/): The future of CPG retail will be determined by several key factors, driven by eCommerce and new technology. Here's why your CPG brand needs to be ready.
- [3 Quick Tips to Reduce eCommerce Fulfillment Expenses](https://www.capacityllc.com/reduce-ecommerce-fulfillment-expenses/): Attempting to reduce eCommerce fulfillment expenses seems like a mountain to climb. These quick tips make a great place to start your ascent.
- [Rapid Fulfillment: Can Your Brand Exceed Customer Expectations?](https://www.capacityllc.com/rapid-fulfillment-ecommerce/): Consumers today want quick confirmation, real-time tracking & rapid fulfillment of their eCommerce orders. Our webinar with DiCentral will help you deliver.
- [Where Do FBM and SFP Fit Into the Amazon Order Fulfillment Ecosystem?](https://www.capacityllc.com/fbm-sfp-amazon-order-fulfillment/): The difference between the FBA and SFP/FBM models is substantial. Here's what many are giving up in the deep end of Amazon order fulfillment.
- [Remembrance & Sacrifice](https://www.capacityllc.com/rememberance-sacrifice/): We wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day and would like to thank all those who sacrifice so much for our...
- [A Week of Business, Beauty, and Fashion in Los Angeles](https://www.capacityllc.com/business-fashion-beauty-money-la/): A trip to California for Beauty Money LA, Business of Fashion and a little bit of Los Angeles nightlife shows what business here is all about.
- [What CPG Brands Can Learn About Amazon from Past Experiences with Walmart](https://www.capacityllc.com/cpg-brands-warning-amazon-walmart/): Amazon's latest moves exemplify why FBA has long-term negative implications for consumer packaged goods. So how can CPG brands learn "the Walmart lesson"?
- [Emily Weiss Shakes Up the Beauty Sector Again with Glossier Play](https://www.capacityllc.com/glossier-play-emily-weiss/): Glossier Play is born out of listening to millions of everyday beauty fans. The line is a runaway success, even before its launch.
- [Capacity Signs Lease for Expansive New Fulfillment HQ in NJ](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-new-jersey-fulfillment-hq/): Capacity is proud to sign a long-term lease on a new 300,000 sq-ft, state-of-the-art New Jersey fulfillment HQ in North Brunswick.
- [International Women's Day: Inspire AWE](https://www.capacityllc.com/international-womens-day-inspire-awe/): On International Women's Day, we'd like to take this opportunity to promote the excellent work of our friends at AWE - Advacing Women Executives.
- [4 Facts that Show Why CPG Brands Are Embracing DTC](https://www.capacityllc.com/cpg-brands-dtc-stats): With size and status on their side, the ability to go direct-to-consumer (DTC) holds great potential for established CPG brands, as these stats show.
- [Takeaways from WWD Digital Beauty Forum 2019](https://www.capacityllc.com/takeaways-from-wwd-digital-beauty-forum-2019/): As ever, we could write pages on the many insights gleaned from the WWD Digital Beauty Forum, but we'll keep it to these three for 2019!
- [Be Your Own Retailer: 3 Reasons to Control Your eCommerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/be-your-own-retailer-control-your-ecommerce/): A desire to be your own retailer doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Here's how to control your eCommerce and how strategic partners help.
- [Capacity Passes the 20 Million Orders Mark](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-passes-20-million-orders/): Amid 2018's peak volume, our team filled not only tens of thousands of holiday shipments but also passed 20 million orders processed!
- [2018 Peak Performance Improves as Parcel Carriers Learn from the Past](https://www.capacityllc.com/2018-peak-performance-improves/): Peak performance of parcel carriers was up for the 2018 holiday season, with the tough lessons of previous peaks seeming to have an influence.
- [Happy New Year!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-new-year-2019/): On behalf of the team at Capacity, let us take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year!...
- [Season's Greetings from Everyone at Capacity!](https://www.capacityllc.com/seasons-greetings-2018/): On behalf of the team at Capacity, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy holiday season...
- [Amazon's "Fight for 15" Effort Fails on Many Levels](https://www.capacityllc.com/amazon-minimum-wage/): With simultaneous efforts to strip employees of stock options and deny representation, questions remain despite Amazon's fight for 15 move.
- [Happy Thanksgiving from Capacity](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-thanksgiving-2018/): The team at Capacity wishes your family and friends a very happy Thanksgiving 2018.
- [Diversity & Inclusion: The Capacity Way](https://www.capacityllc.com/diversity-inclusion-capacity-way/): Our site shows a team drawn from many different countries and cultures. However, the topic of diversity and inclusion at Capacity runs deeper
- [Highlights & Takeaways from NAEOS 2018](https://www.capacityllc.com/naeos-2018-highlights/): In case you coudn't attend, here are our favorite moments and some key takeaways from NAEOS 2018 - the North American Etail Operations Summit.
- [FBA vs. 3PL: Notes from the CPG Industry on Which to Choose for Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/fba-vs-3pl-order-fulfillment/): FBA vs. 3PL is often skewed to the former by brand recognition. In reality, there are many downsides to moving your orders with Amazon.
- [US Trucking Costs Hit Record Highs in 2018](https://www.capacityllc.com/us-trucking-costs-2018/): With record spot rates and 17 consecutive months of year-over-year growth, US trucking is experiencing record growth. But can it replace an aging workforce?
- [Capacity Accelerates Order Fulfillment with Tier One Technology Partners](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-technology-partners/): Capacity has partnered with several premier technology partners over the last twelve months, with a view to accelerating order fulfillment and expanding into new markets.
- [Welcome to Our Updated Website](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-website-refresh/): We are proud to share our updated online presence, a website inspired by our dynamic clients & our mission to deliver on their brand promise.
- [Korres Celebrates with a Distinctive Beauty "O-ward"](https://www.capacityllc.com/oprah-korres-beauty-award): Another Korres beauty award to celebrate - or should that be O-ward? - as Oprah's brand recognizes a winning product: the Pomegranate Mask.
- [4 Ways to Enhance Your eCommerce Customer Experience](https://www.capacityllc.com/enhance-ecommerce-customer-experience/): Focus on these methods to enhance your eCommerce customer experience and offer a better first impression of your brand for online visitors.
- [How to Increase eCommerce Revenue Without Adding Inventory](https://www.capacityllc.com/how-to-increase-e-commerce-revenue-without-adding-inventory/): The real hurdle in scaling a retail site is to increase eCommerce revenue without incurring spiraling inventory costs. Here's how,
- [Should I Accept Amazon's More Frequent Shipping Option?](https://www.capacityllc.com/amazon-more-frequent-shipping/): As Amazon becomes more dominant, it is increasingly rigid on prices and processes. The move to more frequent shipping could be just the tip of the iceberg.
- [Ask Capacity: Where Should I Start a Supply Chain Management Career?](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-career-tips/): How can someone get started on the winding road of a supply chain management career? Industry veteran and Capacity CSO Thom Campbell offers this advice.
- [Capacity Launches With New Client Glossier](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-launches-glossier/): Launching with Glossier marks another milestone in the continuing growth of Capacity and the major beauty brands doing more for customers.
- [Wander Beauty Secures Investment for the Essentials](https://www.capacityllc.com/wander-beauty-investment/): In 2015, Wander Beauty launched a single product on QVC. Just two years later the brand's commitment to beauty essentials is winning fans and investment for global expansion.
- [Glossier Beauty Product Fulfillment Launches](https://www.capacityllc.com/glossier-beauty-product-fulfillment-launches/): As Capacity marks another successful beauty product fulfillment launch, we are proud to help this dynamic DTC brand build and scale.
- [UPS Delivery Delays Start the Holidays Off Unconvincingly](https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-delivery-delays-2017/): Although the latest UPS delivery delays mark an ominous start to 2017 holiday shipping, the company is sticking to its seasonal forecasts for December.
- [Ask Capacity: What Is the Biggest Fulfillment Challenge Facing Outdoor Brands?](https://www.capacityllc.com/outdoor-brand-fulfillment-challenge/): As an avid climber and outdoorsman, our co-founder Thom Campbell knows a thing or two about the kind of fulfillment challenge faced by outdoor brands.
- [IR Research Points to a Surge in Luxury Brand E-commerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/luxury-brand-e-commerce): Top tier brands must focus their online efforts, according to Internet Retailer, as luxury brand e-commerce goes from strength to strength in 2017.
- [Becca Finds Cosmetics Success Across Skin Tones](https://www.capacityllc.com/becca-cosmetics-success-skin-tones/): The Becca cosmetics success story is more than just a growing brand, as CEO Bob Debaker eloquently explains.
- [The Costs of Selling on Amazon via FBA](https://www.capacityllc.com/costs-of-selling-on-amazon-via-fba/): Amazon FBA is a popular choice for many retailers, but the costs of selling on Amazon can quickly become a challenge for rising brands.
- [As Financiers Argue Over Bitcoin, Others See Potential for Blockchain in the Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/blockchain-in-the-supply-chain/): As Bitcoin pulls focus, supply chain professionals are more interested in its underlying blockchain technology and potential applications in our industry.
- [Retailers use 3PLs to chase Amazon](https://www.capacityllc.com/retailers-use-3pls-to-chase-amazon): As Amazon's influence continues to dominate online shopping, we look at how retailers use 3PLs in an attempt to level the playing field.
- [5 Ways to Win 5-Star Reviews for Your E-commerce Brand](https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-brand-reputation-reviews/): Building a positive online reputation for your e-commerce brand is the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. Here are five ways to make it happen.
- [CEW Awards Honor Tarte Cosmetics CEO Maureen Kelly](https://www.capacityllc.com/cew-awards-honor-maureen-kelly/): CEW Awards recognizes key figures in the cosmetics sector. Congratulations to our client Tarte Cosmetics' CEO Maureen Kelly for this honor.
- [Capacity Appoints Darren Lavelle New VP Of Client Services](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-appoints-darren-lavelle-new-vp-of-client-services/): Confirming its commitment to customers, Capacity is proud to announce the appointment of Darren Lavelle in the role of VP Client Services.
- [Mother of Makeup Pat McGrath Expands Into Europe](https://www.capacityllc.com/pat-mcgrath-expands-europe/): Pat McGrath's European launch with Net-a-Porter represents a significant step back into a region that defined her passion for cosmetics.
- [Switch or Stay Put? Assessing Peak Season Deliveries with UPS and FedEx](https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-fedex-peak-season-deliveries/): As preparations gather pace for peak season deliveries, opposing approaches to pricing from UPS and FedEx are adding complexity to holiday shipping plans.
- [Huda Beauty Emphasizes Customization for Cosmetics](https://www.capacityllc.com/huda-beauty-cosmetics-customization/): Cosmetics customization and customer choice are two key aspects that allow Huda Beauty to compete on the same level as established beauty brands.
- [How to Handle the Many Challenges of Drop Shipping](https://www.capacityllc.com/challenges-of-drop-shipping-fulfillment-costs/): The challenges of drop shipping, combined with the complexities of shipping and fulfillment pricing, lead many business owners to seek outside help.
- [The Changing Face of Retail in America](https://www.capacityllc.com/the-changing-face-of-retail-in-america/): Traditional stores and malls are struggling to keep up with online competitors, but there's more to the changing landscape of retail in America.
- [What the UPS New Peak Charge Means For Your Business](https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-new-peak-charge/): Retailers and consumers will have a new cost to contend with for the 2017 holiday season. Here's what the UPS New Peak Charge might mean for your business.
- [Ask Capacity: Why Are Address Verification Systems Important for e-Commerce?](https://www.capacityllc.com/address-verification-systems-ecommerce/): Address verification systems can fix up to 60% of order-related issues. Here's why we recommend them as an essential e-commerce fulfillment tool.
- [Glow Recipe Beauty Brand Exemplifies Innovation](https://www.capacityllc.com/glow-recipe-beauty-brand/): The Glow Recipe beauty brand's latest venture is a self-titled product line that embodies everything great about the company.
- [Capacity Partners with Lightning Pick for Improved Fulfillment Productivity](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-productivity-lightning-pick/): Fulfillment productivity is maximized when we focus on the core task. Capacity's adoption of Lightning Pick's Put-to-Light system does just that.
- [Capacity Partners With Lightning Pick](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-partners-with-lightning-pick/): With a view to managing future demand, Capacity’s leadership team invested in the Lightning Pick ‘Pick-to-Light Cart/Put-to-Light’ system.
- [4 Core Challenges of Small Electronics Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/small-electronics-fulfillment-challenges/): Small electronics fulfillment is a diverse, dynamic sector of supply chain management that holds specific challenges.
- [How Sustainable Packaging Impacts Your Brand](https://www.capacityllc.com/sustainable-packaging-brand-impact/): Sustainable packaging can save the planet and enhance your brand in one fell swoop!
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: March 2017](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-march-2017): As we bid farewell to Q1, there are supply chain news and views you might have missed last month. Our monthly digest for March brings you back up to speed.
- [What It Means to "Trust the Team"](https://www.capacityllc.com/trust-the-team/): "Trust the Team" should be more than just words. Find out why we believe it to be the cornerstone of outstanding order fulfillment.
- [Peak Season Preparation: What You Need to Know](https://www.capacityllc.com/peak-season-preparation/): Unlike the holiday rush for shoppers, peak season preparation can't come soon enough for supply chain professionals. Here's why we start planning so early.
- [The Supply Chain Behind St. Patrick's Day](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-st-patricks-day/): Did you ever stop to think how much planning goes into St. Patrick's Day? $5.3 billion in consumer spending says it's worth our attention!
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: February 2017](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-feb-2017/): A round-up of all the order fulfillment news and supply chain analysis that made the headlines in February 2017.
- [5 Ways to Find Ideas That Improve Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/ways-to-improve-order-fulfillment/): Even the most impressive operations can become more efficient. Here are five places that managers can look for ideas to improve order fulfillment.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: January 2017](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-jan-2017/): A collection of some of the supply chain news and logistics views you may have missed during the first month of 2017.
- [Understanding the Rewards & Risks of Drop Shipping](https://www.capacityllc.com/rewards-risks-of-drop-shipping/): Despite growing popularity, the risks of drop shipping must be carefully considered before the rewards of the strategy can be realized.
- [How the Move to Mobile Commerce Impacts Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/mobile-commerce-order-fulfillment/): Mobile commerce is expanding at a greater rate than ever before. This will have a major impact on order fulfillment as retailers rush to catch up.
- [5 Ways to Find a New Fulfillment Provider](https://www.capacityllc.com/find-a-new-fulfillment-provider/): If you have issues with anything from order handling to customer returns, it might be time to find a new fulfillment provider. Here's how to make it happen.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: December 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-december-2016/): Key logistics news and supply chain analysis you might have missed from the hectic holiday month of December 2016.
- [Our Most Popular Supply Chain Articles of 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/our-most-popular-supply-chain-articles-of-2016/): Put your feet up and review some of our most-read supply chain articles of the last twelve months.
- [6 Supply Chain Trends to Watch For in 2017](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-2017/): The manufacture, movement, and delivery of goods continues to evolve every year. Here's what we see ahead in terms of supply chain trends for 2017.
- [Capacity Brings Holiday Happiness to the Warehouse](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-holiday-party-2016/): How do you hold a holiday party for hundreds in a warehouse? With a little loving care and a whole...
- [Holiday Shipping Surge Stretches Carriers and Storage Options to Breaking Point](https://www.capacityllc.com/holiday-shipping-surge-stretches-carriers/): As eCommerce orders spike again for peak season, parcel carriers show familiar signs of struggling to keep up with a holiday shipping surge.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: November 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-november-2016/): All of the important logistics news and supply chain analysis you might have missed during a hectic November of 2016.
- [Capacity Passes the 10 Million Order Mark!](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-passes-10-million-order-mark/): Capacity is proud to announce that we have reached a company milestone in November: more than 10 million orders processed.
- [10 Tasty Stats About the Thanksgiving Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/thanksgiving-supply-chain-statistics): The preparation for Turkey Day is as complex as you'd expect, with the Thanksgiving supply chain at the heart of everyone's favorite holiday.
- [Warehouse Operators Look to the Skies for Additional Storage](https://www.capacityllc.com/multi-story-warehouse-storage/): The market for warehouse space is quite literally looking up, as Prologis' latest storage facility in Seattle shows.
- [10 Million Orders Processed](https://www.capacityllc.com/10-million-orders-processed/): Passing the 10 million orders mark is a significant achievement for the company, which serves more than 150 clients from New Jersey and L.A.
- [Order Fulfillment Review: October 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-oct-2016/): Use our fulfillment review for October to catch up with all of the industry news and views you might have missed last month.
- [Florida Airport Rocked By FedEx Plane Fire](https://www.capacityllc.com/fedex-plane-fire/): Flights are stressful enough without a cargo plane exploding in front of you as you prepare to board. A look at Friday's FedEx plane fire.
- [In-Store and Out of the Box, Eataly Exemplifies a Luxury Brand](https://www.capacityllc.com/eataly-luxury-brand/): With stores around the world and a concept that combines artisanal products with fine cuisine, Eataly embodies the idea of a luxury global brand.
- [5 Crucial Questions to Ask a Fulfillment Provider](https://www.capacityllc.com/questions-to-ask-a-fulfillment-provider/): Make your first choice the right choice by following these five important questions to ask a fulfillment provider.
- [Planning for 2016 Holiday Deliveries Blends Hiring with Hub Automation](https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-fedex-2016-holiday-deliveries/): Will 2016 holiday deliveries buck the trend of previous years and meet scheduled delivery dates? UPS and FedEx are turning to technology for help.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: September 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-sept-2016/): If you missed any of the fulfillment news and supply chain analysis of September 2016, take a look at our monthly digest to catch right up.
- [3 Similarities Between Organizational and Employee Onboarding](https://www.capacityllc.com/similarities-in-organizational-and-employee-onboarding/): The common thread is communication. Allow for clear dialogue and honest feedback and all forms of onboarding become a lot smoother.
- [A Brand Built on Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/brand-fulfillment/): Fulfillment adds finishing touches that make brands memorable and keep customers delighted. Capacity helps brands to be built on fulfillment.
- [6 Essential Elements of Effective Supplier Integration](https://www.capacityllc.com/effective-supplier-integration/): Without the right preparation and buy-in from key providers supplier integration can fail, causing problems up and down your supply chain.
- [Fulfillment Delivered](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-delivered/): Two simple words clearly communicate our ability to deliver diverse, flexible order management for a digital world: Fulfillment Delivered.
- [Orla Kiely Builds Up to a Big Move in NYC](https://www.capacityllc.com/orla-kiely-store-move-nyc/): As New York Fashion Week starts up, our client Orla Kiely is all set to make it big on Bleecker Street this month.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: August 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-august-2016/): News and analysis from around our sector for the month of August, 2016.
- [Antica Farmacista Brings Independent Body Care to Barneys New York](https://www.capacityllc.com/antica-farmacista-barneys-new-york/): The spirit of independence will be on full display in Barneys New York this fall, as Antica Farmacista takes to its stores around the country.
- [New Fulfillment Space Adds Another 100,000 Square Feet for Capacity Clients](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-expands-new-jersey-fulfillment-options/): Capacity's fifth expansion adds the kind of fulfillment space that makes a difference to our clients and the value-added services they ask for.
- [Walmart's Jet Acquisition Will Spur on Amazon's Fulfillment Plans](https://www.capacityllc.com/walmart-jet-acquisition-ecommerce-fulfillment/): While Walmart hopes its Jet acquisition will transform the company's e-commerce fortunes, Amazon is making its next moves into order fulfillment.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: July 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-july-2016/): Our monthly round up of order fulfillment in review and analysis of logistics industry news from July 2016.
- [Unpacking: Supply Chain Chargebacks](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-chargebacks/): In supply chain management chargebacks are inevitable, but with good planning they won't dominate your operational planning or destroy your bottom line.
- [Heidi Daus Designs for a Cancer-Free Generation](https://www.capacityllc.com/heidi-daus-childhood-cancer/): New Jersey jewelry designer Heidi Daus makes a sparkling statement for the fight against childhood cancer.
- [You Give Goods Partners with Capacity to Deliver Simple & Efficient Donations](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-yougivegoods-deliver-donations/): Ever wanted to support a cause, only to find you're too far away to do so? You Give Goods knows that feeling and can help you deliver the goods.
- [Inventory Holding Costs (and How to Handle Them)](https://www.capacityllc.com/handle-inventory-holding-costs): Handling your own inventory holding costs is challenging but the potential for a more efficient, agile operation makes it worth the effort.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: June 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-june-2016/): As the fireworks fade and summer activities loom large on the horizon, supply chain professionals can catch up with the latest headlines in our June review.
- [US Ports Prioritize Efficiency and Infrastructure to Keep Pace](https://www.capacityllc.com/us-ports-location-infrastructure-and-efficiency/): As industry trends and new technology push ever-larger container loads into the country, US ports are rushing to remain attractive import locations.
- [Panama Canal Expansion Puts a Squeeze on New Jersey's Infrastructure](https://www.capacityllc.com/panama-canal-expansion-squeezes-bayonne-bridge/): As the Panama Canal expansion nears completion, the eyes of US importers turn closer to home and the Port of New York/New Jersey.
- [Capacity Starts the Summer with Art & Evening Drinks](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-summer-event-whitney-art/): The official start of the summer isn’t here until Monday, but we decided to take a note from our fulfillment...
- [Bluemercury Finds the Beauty in Brick and Mortar Retail](https://www.capacityllc.com/bluemercury-bricks-and-mortar-retail/): For all the excitement of eCommerce, there's something unique to stores that lets a brand flow into unique brick and mortar retail spaces.
- [Leverage Location: Fulfillment Gets Brands Closer to Customers](https://www.capacityllc.com/leverage-location-closer-to-customers/): Strategic locations for order fulfillment help to speed up delivery and improve the order experience, by getting brands closer to customers.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: May 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-may-2016/): Catch up with all the latest fulfillment news and supply chain news from the busy month of May.
- [5 Ways An Effective Fulfillment Provider Will Save You Money](https://www.capacityllc.com/5-ways-effective-fulfillment-provider-will-save-money/): What makes for an effective fulfillment provider? If they can save you time and money in these five key areas, you're on the right track.
- [Becca Toast Champagne Success with Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics Collaboration](https://www.capacityllc.com/becca-champagne-success-jaclyn-hill/): Another hot product promoted strongly across social media leads to a champagne moment for the latest Becca & Jaclyn Hill cosmetics collaboration.
- [Stand Up to Cost Challenges in Today's Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-cost-challenges/): The modern supply chain throws up all kinds of cost challenges, some of which can be turned around into savings for your business.
- [Pat McGrath Leads the Pack in Beauty Product Promotion](https://www.capacityllc.com/pat-mcgrath-beauty-product-promotion/): Via celebrity collaborations and social media connections, Pat McGrath creates online buzz that drives the brand's beauty product promotion.
- [Target's Targets: Big Brands Demand Greater Supplier Efficiency](https://www.capacityllc.com/big-brands-supplier-efficiency/): The message from Target is that every aspect of the supply chain can be optimized and supplier efficiency is a key part of eCommerce success.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: April 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-april-2016/): All the fulfillment news and supply chain views you might have missed in April.
- [Somme Institute Delivers on a Key Brand Promise](https://www.capacityllc.com/somme-institute-delivers/): The Somme Institute mission statement is elegant in its simplicity: "deliver on your brand promise."
- [We Wrote the Book On Outsourcing Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/outsourcing-order-fulfillment-ebook/): To help business owners and operations managers alike, Capacity created this complimentary eBook on 'Outstanding Outsourcing'.
- [Ask Capacity: How Do You Incorporate Sustainability Into Your Operations?](https://www.capacityllc.com/operations-sustainability/): Sustainability is an important consideration for any supply chain. On Earth Day, we look at how Capacity handles environmentally-friendly operations.
- [Why Kourtney Kardashian Needs Her Doctor Daily](https://www.capacityllc.com/kourtney-kardashian-manuka-doctor/): Even with radiant skin, someone like Kourtney Kardashian relies on a special kind of doctor to keep her beauty brand glowing.
- [Managing Warehousing Requirements During Peak Periods](https://www.capacityllc.com/managing-warehousing-requirements-during-peak-periods/): When a surge in storage demand occurs, managing warehouse requirements is a challenge. Capacity CSO Thom Campbell speak to IL on the topic.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: March 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-march-2016): A collection of some of the logistics news and supply chain analysis you might have missed during the hectic month of March 2016.
- [How to Quantify Quality with Fulfillment Metrics](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-kpis-quantify-quality/): How do you measure success or quantify a quality experience? Fulfillment KPIs help focus strategic attention on the issues that matter.
- [Ask Capacity: How Has the Fulfillment Business Changed Over the Years?](https://www.capacityllc.com/ask-capacity-how-has-the-fulfillment-business-changed-over-the-years/): From drones to delivery times, the fulfillment business has changed a lot since our early days. Even so, some things do remain constant.
- [Fulfillment Technology: How Sophisticated Should Your Tech Get?](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-technology-evolution/): The rapid advances in fulfillment technology by the likes of Amazon are important to keep tabs on, but how much should smaller brands try to keep up?
- [Ask Capacity: How Do I Manage Short-Term Seasonality Without Long Term Storage Contracts?](https://www.capacityllc.com/ask-capacity-long-term-storage-contracts/): To properly manage short-term seasonality when you work to long term fulfillment plans, you must take full advantage of the people and platforms available
- [10 Changes Set to Shape Order Fulfillment in the Next 10 Years](https://www.capacityllc.com/future-fulfillment-changes/): Planning for long-term change is always a challenge. To get ahead, review these ten fulfillment changes that we expect to see in the years ahead.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: February 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-february-2016/): The world of order fulfillment evolves every month, which is why we take the first week of a new calendar page to review key stories from the previous one.
- [Size Matters (But What Else Do You Want From Your Warehouse?)](https://www.capacityllc.com/warehouse-order-fulfillment-evolution/): Order fulfillment evolution is demanding more and more from warehouse providers, even as available space remains the primary question for most customers.
- [4 Ways Outsourcing E-commerce Fulfillment Helps a Business to Scale](https://www.capacityllc.com/outsourcing-e-commerce-fulfillment/): Knowing exactly when outsourcing e-commerce fulfillment is the right move can be complex, but the benefits in terms of scaling up are self-evident.
- [Unpacking: Seasonal Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/seasonal-fulfillment/): Successful seasonal fulfillment means planning orders far in advance and anticipating common shipping challenges. Here's how to handle it.
- [The Essentials of E-commerce Retail Compliance](https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-retail-compliance-essentials/): Fulfillment errors can spell disaster for any online retailer. Establish a clear e-commerce retail compliance program to raise service & reduce complaints.
- [Revised Retail Store Strategies After Record Holiday Sales Online](https://www.capacityllc.com/retail-store-strategies-e-commerce/): Brands adjust their retail store strategies as eCommerce and mobile devices continue to challenge bricks and mortar shopping.
- [Common E-commerce Fulfillment Errors (and How to Fix Them)](https://www.capacityllc.com/fix-ecommerce-fulfillment-errors/): Selling online is big business. Avoid these common e-commerce fulfillment errors to build brand reputation and keep your customers coming back.
- [5 Important Elements of Employee Satisfaction](https://www.capacityllc.com/employee-satisfaction/): Employee satisfaction is an area of business that tends to receive a lot of attention without seeing enough follow-up. Here are five ways to walk your talk.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: January 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-january-2016/): Keep up to speed with all of the latest supply chain and order fulfillment news with our monthly round-up.
- [Capacity Works When the Weather Doesn't](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-works-blizzard-2016/): Winter blues? Even with the worst conditions of a blizzard, the team at Capacity works to keep cargo moving and customers happy.
- [How to Change Fulfillment Provider (Without Sacrificing Service!)](https://www.capacityllc.com/how-to-change-fulfillment-provider/): When you change fulfillment provider or outsource the operation for the first time, a lot can go wrong. Use our guide to ensure that doesn't happen.
- [Capacity Client Adds a Little Luxury to Air Travel](https://www.capacityllc.com/malin-and-goetz-luxury-air-travel/): Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden is used to seeing the luxury of MALIN and GOETZ products in action -- and delighted to find the brand at 30,000 feet!
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: December 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-december-2015/): As we say goodbye to another year, take one final opportunity to browse our order fulfillment in review from the supply chain headlines of December 2015.
- [4 Fulfillment Challenges You Can't Overlook in 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-challenges-for-2016/): Learn more about the state of the supply chain in 2016 and the fulfillment challenges your business can expect to face in the New Year.
- [Our 5 Most Popular Supply Chain Articles of 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/popular-supply-chain-articles-2015/): As we look back on another year of fulfillment insights and analysis, we present our most popular supply chain articles from the past twelve months.
- [Happy Holidays!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays/): Happy holidays from the team at Capacity!
- [Beware, Online Shoppers: Here Be Porch Pirates](https://www.capacityllc.com/porch-pirates-christmas-2015/): Package theft isn't a new phenomenon, but with booming ecommerce and a busy holiday season in full swing, porch pirates are a very real risk for shoppers.
- [10 Supply Chain Trends to Watch For in 2016](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-to-watch-2016/): As others look back on this year's events, get a jump on the competition by reviewing these top 10 supply chain trends to watch in 2016.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: November 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-november-2015/): Our monthly round up of order fulfillment in review and analysis of logistics industry news from November 2015.
- [Happy Thanksgiving from Capacity!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-thanksgiving-2015/): On behalf of everyone here at Capacity, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Travel safely to be with your...
- [7 Striking Stats About Logistics, Global and Local](https://www.capacityllc.com/7-striking-stats-logistics-global-local/): There are plenty of stats about logistics to go around, but research from Colliers gathers some of the most striking numbers into one new report
- [Cyber Season: Holiday Ecommerce Blurs Shopping Boundaries](https://www.capacityllc.com/cyber-season-holiday-ecommerce/): Holiday ecommerce has traditionally been kickstarted by Cyber Monday. New research shows that like Black Friday, those boundaries are increasingly blurry.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: October 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-october-2015/): All the fulfillment news and supply chain analysis you need to catch up with our order fulfillment in review for October 2015.
- [The Epicenter of Improvement: Getcha Genba Boots On!](https://www.capacityllc.com/epicenter-of-improvement-genba-kaizen): When you want inspiration for ways to improve your organization, Japanese management philosophy offers three words of advice: go to Genba.
- [7 Steps You Can Take to Reduce Shipping Costs](https://www.capacityllc.com/7-steps-you-can-take-to-reduce-shipping-costs/): Shipping is a major expense for retail and eCommerce businesses. Use these suggestions to reduce shipping costs without sacrificing service.
- [3 Quick Tips to Encourage Creative Thought](https://www.capacityllc.com/tips-to-encourage-creative-thought/): Some folks are full of ideas, while with others you have to work to encourage creative thought. Here are three ways to start.
- [Unpacking: Think Outside the Box](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-think-outside-the-box/): If the phrase "think outside the box" tends to sound your buzzword siren, it's time to unpack the idea and make it work in harmony with your business.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: September 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-september-2015/): If the month flew by too fast for you to keep tabs on order fulfillment and supply chain headlines, Capacity is here to deliver your catch up.
- [8 Ways to Ensure Continuous Improvement in Your Organization](https://www.capacityllc.com/8-ways-to-drive-continuous-improvement/): There's no shortage of continuous improvement programs to choose from, but which is right for your organization depends on how you intend to implement it.
- [Ask Capacity: How Do You Define Quality?](https://www.capacityllc.com/ask-capacity-how-do-you-define-quality/): If you want to define quality, you first need to define what it is your company is promising to deliver. From there, you know where to improve and excel.
- [Study Shows Consumers Want More Omnichannel Fulfillment Options](https://www.capacityllc.com/consumers-demand-more-omnichannel-fulfillment-options/): With omnichannel fulfillment on the rise in all quarters of retail, consumer expectations support the wish to seamlessly switch between different channels.
- [5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Outsourcing Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/5-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-outsourcing-order-fulfillment/): Outsourcing order fulfillment could be the best decision you ever make to grow your operation, but there are a few key questions to consider first.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: August 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-august-2015/): If the world of order fulfillment passed you by as quickly as did the summer for everyone else, our monthly review will see you get back up to speed.
- [QVC, Zulily, and the Importance of Omnichannel Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/qvc-zulily-omnichannel-fulfillment/): If you thought you'd heard enough about omnichannel fulfillment, think again; QVC and Zulily, two major retail players in a complimentary space, are about to join forces.
- [Slower Peak Season: West Coast Hangover or Improvements from Importers?](https://www.capacityllc.com/slower-peak-season-a-west-coast-hangover-or-improvements-from-importers/): Peak season shipping could be slower in 2015, thanks to events in 2014 that many shippers would prefer to put to the back of their minds.
- [Improve Your Order Fulfillment at Magic, Las Vegas](https://www.capacityllc.com/improve-your-order-fulfillment-at-magic-las-vegas/): We're in town to check out Magic Las Vegas this summer.Contact us if it's time to improve your order fulfillment, whether in the world of fashion or beyond!
- [Fulfillment Fundamentals: The Final Mile](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-the-final-mile/): In terms of fulfillment fundamentals, there's very little more important than getting delivery right in the final mile to your customer.
- [Order Fulfillment in Review: July 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-july-2015/): Order fulfillment news is like a New York minute; blink and you'll miss it! If it feels like everything changed last month & passed you by, we have a recap.
- [Fulfillment Fundamentals: Cost Management](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-cost-management/): A look at cost management with Capacity's Chief Strategy Officer, Thom Campbell.
- [A Local Reminder on Insurance and Preparedness](https://www.capacityllc.com/insurance-and-preparedness/): A lesson on insurance and being prepared that hit a bit too close to home for comfort.
- [Prime Day Tries to Stoke Up Summer Ecommerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/prime-day-tries-to-stoke-up-summer-ecommerce/): Prime Day is Amazon's latest attempt to kickstart midsummer sales. Could it push consumers one step too far?
- [Logistics Industry Review: June 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-june-2015/): If June proved too fast for you to follow, here's a quick logistics industry and supply chain update to bring you back up to speed.
- [Fulfillment Fundamentals: Appropriate Technology](https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-technology-fundamentals/): Order fulfillment technology need not be cutting edge, but it does need to give a stable, solid platform for your brand to deliver the goods for customers.
- [Logistics Industry Review: May 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-may-2015-2/): The logistics industry moves fast, especially as summer approaches and peak season looms large. That's why we track the headlines so you don't have to!
- [Can Same-Day Delivery Scale Outside of Metro Areas?](https://www.capacityllc.com/same-day-delivery/): The media and consumers love a good same-day delivery story, but can services that offer fulfillment within hours of ordering really scale countrywide?
- [Logistics Industry Review: April 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-review-april-2015/): Logistics is fast, our monthly updates on the industry are faster.
- [Fulfillment Fundamentals: Brand Consistency](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-brand-consistency/): Brand consistency is based on delivering an expected level of service time and time again. To do so, understanding what customers want and how to fulfill it is key.
- [Fulfillment Fundamentals: Making Service](https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-making-service/): Or order fulfillment fundamentals series/webinar looks at what it takes to move your business through various stages of growth. First up is making service.
- [Review the Five Fundamentals of Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/review-five-fundamentals-of-order-fulfillment/): If you missed our fast-paced webinar on the Five Fundamentals of Outstanding Order Fulfillment, here's your chance to catch up at your own speed.
- [Logistics Industry Review: March 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-march-2015/): It's April already and the logistics industry keeps on moving forward, regardless of how much time you have to take note. Use our monthly review to keep up.
- [Unpacking: Value Added Services in Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-value-added-services-in-order-fulfillment/): To include the right value added service in order fulfillment, you need to find what's on offer and a partner to provide it. Here's the 411.
- [Join Us To Explore Five Fundamentals of Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/five-fundamentals-of-order-fulfillment/): Capacity is hosting a free webinar to explain the five fundamentals of order fulfillment that stands out from the crowd and build brand reputation. Join us!
- [The Global Influence of US Rail Freight](https://www.capacityllc.com/global-influence-us-rail-freight/): Although it often goes unnoticed by most Americans, US rail freight is held up around the world as a model of effective, efficient distribution.
- [7 Ways to Spring Clean Your Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/7-ways-spring-clean-supply-chain/): Springtime means a fresh start and a chance to revitalize the way your business works. Here are seven ways to achieve a clean supply chain
- [Unpacking: The Advantages of Drop Shipping](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-the-advantages-of-drop-shipping/): With the right provider and a carefully constructed business plan, drop shipping can be a powerful option for running an online retail business.
- [Logistics Industry Review: February 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-february-2015/): The logistics industry moves fast. Let our monthly review keep you caught up on anything you may have missed last month.
- [Winter Storm Thor Wreaks More Disruption (But May Be the Last)](https://www.capacityllc.com/winter-storm-thor-weather-update/): A state of emergency in NJ and disrupted service across many states seem like the new normal, but will winter storm Thor be the last of the season?
- [The Advantage of Adaptation and Flexibility in Order Fulfillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/adaptation-flexibility-in-order-fulfillment/): Capacity was featured in Transportation and Infrastructure Magazine, where we were happy to explain the importance of a flexibility in order fulfillment.
- [Delivering Fun at Toy Fair 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/delivering-fun-at-toy-fair-2015-2): We spent the start of this week taking in the sights and sounds of Toy Fair 2015 in NYC. Instead of getting jealous, check out our photos!
- [Disruption & Delay as Winter Storm Octavia Hits the South](https://www.capacityllc.com/disruption-delay-as-winter-storm-octavia-hits-the-south/): As winter storm Octavia impacts all around the U.S., FedEx and UPS announce substantially reduced operations and an inability to meet delivery deadlines.
- [A Quick Look at Why Bicoastal Order Fulfillment is Best](https://www.capacityllc.com/bicoastal-order-fulfillment/): After the west coast port delays, many shippers see the sense - and competitive advantage - of a bicoastal order fulfillment solution.
- [Supply Chain Lessons from Target's Calamity in Canada](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-lessons-target-canada/): Target's brand was well-known and loved north of the border, so what supply chain lessons can we learn from its failure to expand into Canada?
- [Logistics Industry Review: January 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-review-january-2015/): In case you missed any major news from our sector in January, here's our monthly logistics industry review to get you back up to speed.
- [Outdoor Retailer Winter 2015: Bigger Than Any Blizzard](https://www.capacityllc.com/outdoor-retailer-winter-2015-bigger-blizzard/): As the East "hunkers down" for a blizzard with more bark than bite, our team returns from the West with outdoor brands on the brain.
- [Adventurous Brands Are Built On Precise Planning](https://www.capacityllc.com/adventurous-brands-precise-planning/): A look at the firm foundation of planning and logistics, on which some of theworld's best adventure brands are built.
- [Unpacking: Hybrid Delivery Solutions](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-hybrid-delivery-solutions/): What's hybrid delivery and how can it be of use to your business? Our latest 'Unpacking' series entry explains the pros and cons of such services.
- [Post-Holiday Blues Worsen for West Coast Importers](https://www.capacityllc.com/post-holiday-blues-worsen-west-coast-importers/): West coast importers were hoping for a resolution to the labor dispute at the Port of Los Angeles, but all they seem likely to get is longer delays.
- [Logistics and Transport Industry Review: December 2014](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-and-transport-industry-review-december-2014/): In case the holidays had you beat and made you miss the logistics and transport industry new as the year came to a close, here's our summary for December 2014.
- [Capacity at CES 2015: 1/7/15](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-ces-2015-1715-2/): We're at CES 2015 all week, bringing you the latest insights and images from the floor (if they're supply chain-centric, all the better!)
- [Plan for Tomorrow's Supply Chain Technology at CES 2015](https://www.capacityllc.com/ces-2015-supply-chain-technology/): Supply chain technology won't take center stage at CES 2015, but it's the brand-building base that great tech companies are built on.
- [Lists and Logistics: Our Most Popular Articles of 2014](https://www.capacityllc.com/lists-logistics-popular-articles-2014/): After running the numbers, these are our most popular logistics articles of 2014 (and a few extras we wanted to sneak in!)
- [Silly Hats and Santa Stats: The Logistics of Christmas](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-of-christmas-santa-stats/): The logistics of Christmas cover millions of miles & some suitably huge Santa stats. Take some time to enjoy the numbers before rushing back to wrap gifts!
- [Unpacking Order Fulfillment Technology - Part Two](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-order-fulfillment-technology-part-2/): Without the appropriate order fulfillment technology, your operation is in for lots of unnecessary heavy lifting. That's why we explain ( or do) it for you.
- [Unpacking: Order Fulfillment Technology - Part One](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-order-fulfillment-technology-part-1/): Without the right software and fulfillment technology, your order processing is destined for lots of unnecessary heavy lifting.
- [Santa's Supply Chain: The Reality of Seasonal Order Fufillment](https://www.capacityllc.com/seasonal-order-fulfillment/): Seasonal order fulfillment is about much more than writing a nice letter to Santa. But if he can't help your business, find someone who can for 2015!
- [Draining Discounts: Have Retailers Jumped the Shark?](https://www.capacityllc.com/draining-discounts-retailers-jumped-shark/): Retailers hold Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the highest esteem for driving early seasonal sales but have stretched consumer patience to breaking point
- [Logistics Industry Update: November 2014 in Review](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-november-2014-review/): The logistics industry is tough to keep up with at the best of times, but throw in a busy holiday week and you're beat. Here's what happened in November.
- [With Thanks to Our Clients and Colleagues...](https://www.capacityllc.com/thanks-clients-colleagues/): A special message of thanks for clients and colleagues, as the holiday season gets into full swing.
- [Can't Stand Out? Pump Up Your Product Packaging!](https://www.capacityllc.com/pump-up-your-product-packaging/): If your product packaging struggles to stand out on visual appeal alone, it's time to add tactility to your list of distinguishing factors.
- [Vendor Spotlight: Micara Trading LLC](https://www.capacityllc.com/vendor-spotlight-micara-trading/): Micara Trading plays in a very similar sandbox to Capacity LLC, breeding a business relationship that we not only respect but also aspire to recreate.
- [Logistics Industry Update: October 2014 in Review](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-october-2014-review/): As we rush headlong into November and the busy holiday season, these are some of the logistics industry headlines you may have missed last month.
- [Delivery Rates Hike Announced As Seasonal Surge Approaches](https://www.capacityllc.com/delivery-rates-hike-2015): Delivery rates will go up as usual for 2015, but this time dimensional weight pricing has to be factored into the changes. Have you crunched the numbers?
- [Peak Season 2014 Set to Stretch Shipping Records](https://www.capacityllc.com/peak-season-2014-set-stretch-shipping-records/): Peak season 2014 is set to break records, with some expecting their supply chain to be pushed to the limit. But will services stay intact?
- [Happy Halloween from Capacity LLC!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-halloween-capacity-llc/): Capacity LLC wishes clients, friends and family a safe and happy Halloween!
- [Unpacking: Price Ticketing](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-price-ticketing/): Price ticketing is a supply chain activity that's usually undertaken at the point of manufacture, but there are some also good reasons to consider a 3PL.
- [Northside Pharmacy: Lessons in Customer Service from the Little Guy](https://www.capacityllc.com/customer-service-lessons-northside-pharmacy/): Some of the biggest brand reputations are built on heavy advertising. For little guys like Northside Pharmacy, outstanding customer service can win the day.
- [Apple Pay Is Primed to Revolutionize Retail Checkout](https://www.capacityllc.com/apple-pay-primed-revolutionize-retail-checkout/): Retail checkout is a process that we all know well, but few realize the thought that goes into it by retailers eager to keep costs down and lines moving.
- [6 Spectacular Movie Quotes that Sum Up the Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/6-spectacular-movie-quotes-sum-supply-chain/): Quotable movies apply to our daily lives, so why not inform our industry as well? That's the question we asked as we searched for spectacular movie quotes!
- [Develop Your Supply Chain, Build Your Brand](https://www.capacityllc.com/develop-supply-chain-build-brand/): An integrated supply chain fosters better understanding between departments and drives supply chain development. What's more, it's brand building gold dust.
- [Logistics Industry Update: September 2014 in Review](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-september-2014-review/): Will September set the stage for the rest of the logistics industry year, or will economic factors take their toll to limit peak season?
- [Unpacking: Skills Needed for Supply Chain Management](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-skills/): In a field like SCM, choosing the right career path is tough. Thom Campbell explains some of the skills needed for supply chain management.
- [In Photoville, Shipping Containers Get a New Lease of Life](https://www.capacityllc.com/shipping-containers-photoville/): Photoville NYC is an art-photgraphy exhibit housed entirely in repurposed shipping containers. Curious to see our field drive creativity, we paid a visit.
- [Showing Off the Supply Chain: Capacity LLC on Instagram](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-instagram/): Want to take a closer look behind the scenes of the supply chain. The Capacity LLC Instagram is the first feed for you to tune in!
- [How to Evaluate a Provider's Supply Chain Pricing](https://www.capacityllc.com/evaluate-supply-chain-pricing/): There's a lot to consider when it comes to selecting a service provider and comparing supply chain pricing models is always be high on the list.
- [Road Rules at the National Truck Driving Championships](https://www.capacityllc.com/national-truck-driving-championships/): The National Truck Driving Championships is an annual event that reminds us just how tough it is to be a trucker, whether out on the road or in the arena.
- [Next Stop for eCommerce, Social Network Shopping?](https://www.capacityllc.com/social-network-shopping-ecommerce/): As one-click buying expands to social media sites, ecommerce retailers must convince customers that social network shopping is right for them.
- [Logistics Industry Update: August 2014 in Review](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-august-2014-review): In case you missed it, all the important news and numbers from the logistics industry in August 2014.
- [Unpacking Supply Chain Metrics: Managing by Measuring](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-supply-chain-metrics/): Measuring progress towards operational improvement means pulling meaning from the numbers. This starts with developing a set of solid supply chain metrics.
- [No Major (Tea) Party for this Historic NYC Anniversary](https://www.capacityllc.com/major-tea-party-historic-nyc-anniversary/): As a historic NYC anniversary passes without note, the noteworthy role of our area's ports and waterways is an enduring influence.
- [Capacity's Culinary Corner: Dining in North Brunswick, NJ](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacitys-culinary-corner-dining-in-north-brunswick-nj/): Our area doesn't receive the same praise as TriBeCa (or even Teaneck!), but dining in North Brunswick can be far more appetizing than you might think!
- [Has Finland Found the Future of Transport Planning?](https://www.capacityllc.com/finland-found-future-transport-planning/): We're used to organization and technology starting in Scandinavia, so it should come as no surprise that Finland may pioneer future transport planning.
- [Will U.S. Look Inward for Supply Chain Solutions?](https://www.capacityllc.com/will-u-s-look-inward-supply-chain-solutions/): Ports and trucking have dominated American supply chain solutions for decades, but the slow growth of rail and the ruination of U.S. roads may change this.
- [Logistics Industry Update: July 2014 in Review](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-july-2014-review/): The logistics industry moves as quickly as goods do through the supply chain, so we come together every month to review the news and catch you up.
- [Supply Chain Augmented Reality at Work](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-augmented-reality-work/): Augmented reality in the supply chain remains at the research stage, but products are expected soon and should have few barriers to entry when they arrive.
- [Unpacking: Supply Chain Tech Talk](https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-supply-chain-tech-talk/): Technology is at work throughout your supply chain but understanding the terms can be a barrier. So, let's unpack the jargon of supply chain tech.
- [No Truck Stops as Road Haulage Dominates U.S. Freight](https://www.capacityllc.com/road-haulage-usa-2/): Rail has an important role to play in moving goods around the U.S. But when it comes the industry leader, it's road haulage that rules.
- [Delivery Drones: Better In Than Out?](https://www.capacityllc.com/delivery-drones/): Delivery drones are largely considered - and derided - for external use, but the nearest term use for the technology could actually be inside the warehouse.
- [Capacity LLC Video: We Know Logistics #4](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-video-we-know-logistics-4/): Capacity LLC Facilities Manager Adam Wise talks about the North Brunswick, NJ campus as well as about what makes the company a special place to work.
- [Video: Capacity LLC - We Know Logistics #3](https://www.capacityllc.com/video-capacity-llc-know-logistics-3/): Capacity LLC's Director of Operations Karim Fofana talks about handling the daily flow of activity at our New Jersey warehouse and campus.
- [3PL Questions: What Operational Bottlenecks Should We Plan For?](https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-questions-operational-bottlenecks-plan/): When you interview a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, you need to get everything out on the table. Operational bottlenecks should be high on this list.
- [Future of Supply Chains Interview With Thom Campbell](https://www.capacityllc.com/interview-with-thom-campbell/): Thom Campbell sits down with Dustin Mattison from Future of Supply Chains to discuss his experience and passion for supply chain management.
- [Logistics Industry Update: June 2014 in Review](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-june-2014-review/): The logistics industry is so fast-paced, it can be tough to stay on top of trends and data. As with all things logistics, Capacity LLC has you covered!
- [Happy 4th of July (& Preparations) from Capacity LLC!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-4th-july-preparations-capacity-llc/): Capacity LLC wishes our clients, colleagues and readers a very Happy 4th of July!
- [3 Ways Your Smartphone Influences Your Shopping](https://www.capacityllc.com/3-ways-your-smartphone-influences-shopping/): As Amazon is proving, our smartphone influences many things we do, with shopping habits being an increasingly important part of the online experience.
- [The Importance of Passion in Supply Chain Management](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-passion/): Supply chain management is a fragmented industry that often competes on price & space, but Capacity's Thom Campbell sees another key quality that many miss.
- [Capacity LLC Case Study #8: Socket Plugs Into Our Client's Services](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-case-study-8-socket-plugs-services/): The question of core competencies is always at the back of business manager minds. Our neighbors Socket exemplify the answer as to why outsourcing works.
- [Capacity LLC Video: We Know Logistics #2](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-video-know-logistics-2/): In the second video in Capacity LLC's series, "We Know Logistics" Claudia Rodriguez talks about the Assembly Department
- [The Future of Retail: Bigger & Better or Smaller & Slicker?](https://www.capacityllc.com/future-retail-bigger-better-smaller-slicker/): Walmart's domination was assumed to mean big box stores would work forever, but a number of factors are driving even them to consider the future of retail.
- [Four Fun Alternative Uses for Shipping Containers](https://www.capacityllc.com/alternative-uses-for-shipping-containers/): Containerization revolutionized the transport industry, but is more than just pushing product! Here are four fun alternative uses for shipping containers.
- [Capacity LLC Case Study #7: YRC - The Heat Is On!](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-heat-is-on/): Each client presents a unique challenge. But when the relationship is new and no goods have been moved, custom solutions are key! Enter, YRC.
- [Summer Means Sunshine... and Shipping Surcharges](https://www.capacityllc.com/summer-means-shipping-surcharges/): Some argue Memorial Day, others June 21st, but for shippers summer officially begins when the peak shipping surcharges are announced.
- [Assembly Service - Capacity LLC: We Know Logistics #1 -](https://www.capacityllc.com/assembly-service-we-know-logistics/): Our Director of Assembly Emily Siegert talks about how access to an assembly service can be key to a smoothly functioning logistics system.
- [Why Mobile Payments Demand a Robust, Responsive Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/responsive-supply-chain-manage-mobile-payments/): As systems develop to make mobile payments for products easy and secure, e-commerce vendors require a highly responsive supply chain to meet rapid demand.
- [Six Statistics on Logistics Globalization](https://www.capacityllc.com/six-statistics-logistics-globalization-2/): Integrated logistics globalization has been one of the most significant developments in international commerce. These stats show just how far we've come.
- [3PL Questions: Should Businesses Ask for Custom Logistics Solutions?](https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-questions-can-custom-logistics/): When you decide to outsource some or all of your supply chain, a custom logistics solution can make or break the decision. But what should you ask your 3PL?
- [Dimensional Weight Pricing Disrupts the Delivery Industry](https://www.capacityllc.com/dimensional-weight-pricing-disrupts-delivery-industry/): FedEx will adopt a new dimensional weight pricing policy from January 1st, 2015, with the potential to increase business shipping costs across the country.
- [Capacity LLC Case Study #6: Corporate Collateral with ADP](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-corporate-collateral/): When Capacity LLC first met our clients at ADP, the world’s largest provider of payroll services, they were not happy.
- [Capacity LLC Case Study #5: Glo Science](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-glo-science-2/): With a flexible attitude and experience in the field, Capacity LLC helped our client Glo Science pivot to shipping medical equipment.
- [5 Supply Chain Funnies for Friday](https://www.capacityllc.com/5-supply-chain-funnies-friday-2/): What do you mean supply chain management isn't amusing? Check out our selection of Friday supply chain funnies!
- [Capacity LLC Case Study #4: Origin BioMed](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-4-origin-biomed-2/): Capacity LLC worked Origin BioMed to reach the next stage of the pharmaceutical company's development.
- [Kraft Foods Outsourcing Epitomizes a Key Supply Chain Question](https://www.capacityllc.com/kraft-foods-outsourcing-transportation-supply-chain/): Even a multi-billion dollar business needs to review the right supply chain solutions. Kraft Foods outsourcing its transportation is a case in point.
- [Leaders in Logistics: 6 Classic Quotes With Supply Chain Relevance](https://www.capacityllc.com/6-classic-quotes-leaders-in-logistics/): In tough times people look to the wisdom of leaders to guide decisions. These six fine minds would also make great leaders in logistics.
- [How Will 3D Printing Impact the Supply Chain?](https://www.capacityllc.com/3d-printing-impact-on-supply-chain-management/): The technology is developing rapidly but still has significant limitations. So just how - and when - will 3D printing impact the supply chain?
- [How to Review Your Supply Chain Data Solutions](https://www.capacityllc.com/review-your-supply-chain-data-solutions/): With 'Big Data' taking up so much media attention, you may soon be asked to review your supply chain data solutions. Here's what managers need to know.
- [Intermodal Transport Volume Points Again to a Strong Year Ahead](https://www.capacityllc.com/intermodal-transport-volume-points-strong-year-ahead/): Following promising signs at the turn of the year, intermodal transport volumes made good in Q1, with U.S. railroads in particular taking the strain.
- [Case Study #3: Korres Compliance Challenge J&J](https://www.capacityllc.com/case-study-3-korres/): Korres has grown from a small, niche player into a national brand. Capacity LLC has been supporting them since early days.
- [More Than Machinery: Developing the Human Side of Manufacturing](https://www.capacityllc.com/human-side-of-manufacturing-makes-a-comeback/): Let's not rid ourselves of robots, but news that the skilled human side of manufacturing is making a comeback is grease to our assembly line!
- [Case Study #2: AP Deauville](https://www.capacityllc.com/case-study-2-ap-deauville-powerstick/): When men’s care product manufacturer and marketer AP Deauville purchased the license to manufacture PowerStick™, Capacity LLC got the call.
- [Tesla Battles Back to Redefine Its Industry Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/elon-musk-tesla-automobile-industry-supply-chain/): Despite staunch opposition in New Jersey and beyond, Elon Musk's Tesla intends to redefine the automobile industry supply chain.
- [Case Study #1: Skin and Haircare - Weleda](https://www.capacityllc.com/case-study-1-skin-haircare-weleda/): Capacity helped beauty company Weleda to consolidate its operations while expanding its business. A one-stop shop for haircare fulfillment.
- [Are the Skies Open for Commercial Drones?](https://www.capacityllc.com/skies-open-commercial-drones/): Drones have become a topic in any conversation about the future of retail and e-commerce. As a result of a court action, there are no regs against them.
- [Lose the 'E': Connected Order Fulfillment Eliminates E-Commerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/connected-order-fulfillment-eliminates-ecommerce/): With a $300 million investment in connected order fulfillment, Home Depot aims to knock the 'e' out of e-commerce.
- [8 Ways to Eliminate Waste from Your Supply Chain](https://www.capacityllc.com/8-ways-to-eliminate-waste-supply-chain/): Waste can creep in to any area of the business supply chain. Set up systems to eliminate waste and drive efficiency throughout your organization.
- [One-Click Retail in the Cloud](https://www.capacityllc.com/one-click-retail-cloud/): One-click retail is a dream come true for consumers. You click and the next thing you know, it's on your doorstep
- [Video: Capacity at Natirar](https://www.capacityllc.com/video-capacity-natirar/): The Capacity LLC team met at Richard Branson's Natirar culinary center earlier this month to engage in some team building, cooking and eating.
- [Click and Collect Ordering Drives Changes in the Warehouse](https://www.capacityllc.com/click-and-collect-ordering-challenges-warehouse-management/): Order fulfillment lead times are getting shorter as a result of "click and collect" consumption, leading to rapid changes in the way warehouses are run.
- [Capacity Meets Richard Branson (sort of)](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-meets-richard-branson-sort/): Capacity LLC spent last Friday meeting, team building, cooking... and eating at Richard Branson's Natirar estate in Peapack, Jersey.
- [Inspired by HUVr, 10 Movie Technologies Still Awaiting Delivery](https://www.capacityllc.com/huvr-10-movie-technologies-awaiting-delivery/): Despite the claims of HUVr, hoverboards still aren't here. Nor are these 10 other movie inventions, but we hope to see delivery soon.
- [Losers Win Big! Pick & Pack for the Oscars 2014 Swag Bags](https://www.capacityllc.com/losers-win-big-with-oscars-2014-swag-bags/): Losers at Oscars 2014 can still come out big winners, as Acure Organics and other luxury brands pick and pack a high-value gift bag of consolation swag.
- [Self-Driving, Self-Parking... Will Your Next Smart Car Pick Up Your Packages?](https://www.capacityllc.com/smart-car-pick-up-delivery-volvo/): Volvo is testing a "Roam Delivery" feature to allow smart car pick up of packages on-the-go. Smart idea, but not the only alternative delivery game in town.
- [Driving E-commerce: The Advantages of Automated Billing and Single Click Buying](https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-automated-billing-single-click-buying/): Automated billing and 1-click payment systems are driving efficiency through the order fulfillment process, changing the way we buy and how we do business.
- [Capacity LLC - We Know Logistics](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-logistics/): Capacity LLC's co-founders Jeff Kaiden (CEO), Arlen Fish (CFO) and Thom Campbell (Chief Strategy Officer) recently got together to talk about Capacity.
- [Valentine's Day Flower Deliveries Scuppered by Storm](https://www.capacityllc.com/valentines-day-flower-deliveries/): Demand for Valentine's Day flower deliveries is as high as ever, but the ability to supply is under threat from snowstorm. Meanwhile, on the West coast...
- [Consumers Give Retailers the Cold Shoulder as Hard Weather Hits](https://www.capacityllc.com/hard-weather-hits-retail-sales-2/): As hard weather conditions hit our area again, the country as a whole is seeing a slump in retail sales. Even Valentine's Day isn't safe!
- [Panama Canal Strike Threatens Global Trade (and a Local Legend)](https://www.capacityllc.com/panama-canal-strike-threatens-global-trade-local-legend/): Further delays on expansion of the waterway, as a Panama Canal strike over $1.6 billion threatens global trade routes and the memory of a tri-state legend.
- [Amazon's Predictive Delivery Prompt More Dismissal than Delight](https://www.capacityllc.com/amazons-predictive-delivery-prompt-dismissal-delight-2/): Predictive delivery is another step on the road to same-day delivery, but not at the point of the delivery process that you might expect.
- [Capacity to the Rescue](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-to-the-rescue/): When bad weather hits, it's Capacity to the rescue! Our troops rushed to get the orders out during a recent snow storm here in New Jersey.
- [Capacity Digs Out!](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-digs/): Capacity HQ in North Brunswick, New Jersey was right in the middle of it as the Northeast was battered by another snow storm today.
- [Destination: New Jersey - The Logistics of a Tri-State Super Bowl](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-of-a-tri-state-superbowl): As Super Bowl XLVIII heads to the tri-state area, opinions on the location range from supportive to scathing. In the end it will all come down to logistics.
- [7 Surprising U.S. Logistics Statistics](https://www.capacityllc.com/7-surprising-logistics-statistics): Logistics is an extraordinary business that's touches us all, but is often overlooked. These surprising logistics statistics show just how much it matters.
- [Ecommerce Breaks Up, Out and Across Borders](https://www.capacityllc.com/global-ecommerce-growth/): Online order fulfillment will grow five-fold by 2020 to a $130 billion sector. Businesses will need to be ready for the ongoing ecommerce boom.
- [How Will 3D Printing Impact Order Fulfillment?](https://www.capacityllc.com/3d-printing-order-fulfillment/): With the launch of new products, home & professional, 3D printing has arrived. It's early days, but the technology is set to impact order fulfillment.
- [All Aboard! Rail Freight Rises in Importance for U.S. Logistics](https://www.capacityllc.com/us-rail-freight-rises-in-importance/): With rail freight rises of 12.8 million containers & trailers last year, a jump of 4.6% on the previous year, 2013 proved to be a record-breaker.
- [Protective Packaging: Tips and Techniques from Assembly Experts](https://www.capacityllc.com/protective-packaging-and-assembly-tips/): Protective packaging and assembly are two vital elements of order fulfillment. These tips will ensure your products arrive safely (and looking good!)
- [Strength of Last Year's Logistics Confidence Index Bodes Well for 2014](https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-confidence-index-2013-2/): With almost a 10 point jump in the Logistics Confidence Index and stronger global economies, the outlook for 2014 is much more positive than a year ago.
- [Looking Forward to Supply Chain Management in 2014](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-in-2014/): Technology, compliance, and data solutions and security are all likely to be at the forefront of supply chain management in 2014.
- [Holiday Horror Show For Failed Deliveries](https://www.capacityllc.com/christmas-2013-failed-deliveries/): Holiday frustration for seasonal shoppers as some big name brands experience failed deliveries on their Christmas shipping guarantees.
- [How Capacity LLC Handles the Holidays](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays-capacity-llc/): Happy Holidays from Capacity LLC! To celebrate, we dropped eggnog, decorations & an entire gingerbread house off our roof. Here for your viewing pleasure.
- [Last Minute Gifts? The Time Is NOW for Holiday Shipping!](https://www.capacityllc.com/2013-holiday-shipping-deadlines-and-packaging-2/): Now is the time for last-minute U.S. holiday shipping deadlines, but don't skimp on the packing process as you make that last dash to the Post Office.
- [Exploring the Reality of Reshoring](https://www.capacityllc.com/reshoring-means-made-in-usa/): There's pride in that "Made in the USA" sign and reshoring is making U.S. businesses realize that there are advantages to sourcing products closer to home.
- [Dropping Stuff Off The Roof (Fruitcake)](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-dropping-stuff-roof-fruitcake/): At Capacity LLC, we have always wondered what would happen if we dropped a Holiday fruitcake off of our warehouse roof. That question is now answered.
- [Counting the Cost of Supply Chain Disruption](https://www.capacityllc.com/counting-cost-supply-chain-disruption/): A new survey says 75% of managers don't have a complete handle on supply chain disruption and only 25% address the issue at the organizational level.
- [Dropping Things Off The Roof - Egg Nog](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-dropping-things-roof-egg-nog/): We see what happens when egg nog is dropped from the roof at Capacity LLC
- [Dropping Stuff Off The Roof - Holiday Edition #1](https://www.capacityllc.com/dropping-stuff-roof-holiday-edition-1/): Please join us at Capacity LLC as we host a special holiday edition of Dropping Stuff Off The Roof.
- [Five Fantastic Alternatives to Amazon's Delivery Drones](https://www.capacityllc.com/alternatives-for-delivery-drones/): Amazon delivery drones have hit the headlines this week, but we're not so impressed. Here instead are five alternative applications for unmanned automatons.
- [Happy Thanksgiving!](https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-thanksgiving/): Capacity LLC wishes all of our clients, friends and family a safe, happy and filling Thanksgiving!
- [Plan Ahead for the Supply Chain Challenges of 2014](https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-challenges-2014/): Many common supply chain challenges occur due to last-minute planning, so it's crucial to keep one eye on your plans for 2014, even at this busy time.
- [Capacity LLC - Dropping Stuff Off The Roof #2](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-dropping-stuff-roof-2/): In Capacity LLC's continuing pursuit of packaging excellence, we drop more stuff off of the roof. This time we drop off glass bottles and scented candles (in bottles).
- [Jeff Kaiden on Assembly Services and Packing](https://www.capacityllc.com/jeff-kaiden-capacity-assembly-services/): Capacity's Co-founder/CEO Jeff Kaiden leads a "tour of the floor", from kitting and assembly services to the packing process and technology.
- [Santa's Real Workshop](https://www.capacityllc.com/santas-real-workshop/): Santa has commissioned Capacity LLC to help with the Holidays.
- [The Impact of Booming mCommerce on Retail Supply Chains](https://www.capacityllc.com/mcommerce-and-the-retail-supply-chain/): mCommerce is booming and the figures are exciting retailers. In just one year, mobile shopping has surged 68.2%. But the supply chain impact?
- [Amazon Hits Sunday Delivery](https://www.capacityllc.com/amazon-hits-sunday-delivery/): Amazon announced this week that it would begin making Sunday deliveries. If you think this is a half-baked scheme, think again.
- [Dropping Stuff Off The Roof #1](https://www.capacityllc.com/dropping-stuff-roof-1/): At Capacity LLC our pursuit of packaging perfection knows no bounds. Please join us as we go back to the good old days of "Dropping Stuff Off The Roof."
- [Capacity LLC's Pick and Pack for the 21st Century](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llcs-pick-pack-21st-century/): Capacity LLC has installed a new pick and pack technology system which expands our 21st Century capabilities.
- [Capacity LLC - All Hands on Deck](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-hands-deck/): Recently Capacity LLC performed a very high-volume, short-turnaround job for a prospective client. The executive suite showed its stuff.
- [Put-To-Light in Milwaukee](https://www.capacityllc.com/put-light-milwaukee/): This summer Capacity LLC acquired a state of the art pick-to-light system in Milwaukee. The technology simplifies the packing process.
- [Trucking Scams Hurt Everyone (But You Get What You Pay For)](https://www.capacityllc.com/trucking-scams-reports-vs-reality-2/): Trucking scams may seem like a common problem after recent reports, but the quality of security must be examined before labeling it an industry wide issue.
- [Same-Day Order Fullfillment Proves Alluring Yet Elusive for Retailers](https://www.capacityllc.com/same-day-order-fulfillment-challenges/): The promise of satisfying consumers with same-day order fulfillment is tantalizingly close, yet far from widespread and still fraught with difficulty.
- [Seasonal Supply Chain Planning Recommendations for Online Retailers](https://www.capacityllc.com/seasonal-supply-chain-planning-tips/): Seasonal supply chain planning tips for retailers seeking to manage the online shopping surge of the 2013 holiday season.
- [What are the Strategic Advantages of Outsourcing Order Fulfillment?](https://www.capacityllc.com/outsourcing-order-fulfillment/): A closer look at the strategic reasons that explain why more and more companies are outsourcing order fulfillment.
- [New Jersey Proves Itself a Prime Location for Capacity LLC and Logistics](https://www.capacityllc.com/new-jersey-proves-itself-a-prime-location-for-capacity-llc-and-logistics/): New Jersey is proving itself to be a prime location for Capacity LLC and the logistics industry. It's home to s one of the nation'a largest ports.
- [Warehouse Management Embraces Mobile Tech](https://www.capacityllc.com/warehouse-management-embracing-mobile-tech/): Warehouse management is seeing significant benefits thanks to advances in mobile technology. We've implemented a lot of it at Capacity LLC
- [Bloomingdales Seeks an End to Wardrobing](https://www.capacityllc.com/bloomingdales-seeks-an-end-to-wardrobing/): Bloomingdales is seeking to end wardrobing by placing plastic tags in conspicuous places on clothing. If the tag is removed the item may not be returned.
- [Affluent Millennials Purchase Online Daily](https://www.capacityllc.com/affluent-millennials-purchase-online-daily/): Affluent millennials who refer to themselves as "influencers" are making online purchases on a daily basis
- [Is the New Gmail Bad for Retail?](https://www.capacityllc.com/is-the-new-gmail-bad-for-retail/): Google's latest tweak to Gmail is for consumers but brands say this new Gmail is bad for retail and different folders discourage buyers.
- [Panama Canal Expansion Expected to Boost U.S. East Coast Businesses](https://www.capacityllc.com/panama-canal-expansion-expected-to-boost-u-s-east-coast-businesses/): The expansion of the Panama canal, due to be finished in the next year, is expected to lead to a growth in the logistics business in the United States.
- [Trucking Companies Face Challenges as Economy Rebounds](https://www.capacityllc.com/trucking-companies-face-challenge-as-economy-rebounds/): As the U.S. economy begins to haul itself back into the black, American trucking companies companies are facing up to a series of challenges
- [Warby Parker and the Future of Retail](https://www.capacityllc.com/warby-parker-and-the-future-of-retail/): When hip e-commerce glasses store Warby Parker launched three years ago is was said to represent the future of retail. No its approach is "omni-channel."
- [Good News Department: Consumer Confidence in Logistics Grows](https://www.capacityllc.com/consumer-confidence-logistics-economy/): Consumer confidence in logistics continues to grow - 15 percent in the first half of 2013 according to the good news team at LCI.
- [Twitter Enters E-Commerce Fray](https://www.capacityllc.com/twitter-enters-e-commerce-fray/): Twitter has appointed its first head of commerce to start retail partnerships. But so far social media has been a disappointment for retailers.
- [China's Alibaba is Bullish on E-Commerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/chinas-alibaba-is-bullish-on-e-commerce/): Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is on an investment spree. It's confidence in the sector is an indication that the Chinese are bullish on e-commerce.
- [E-Commerce Wave Pushes Warehouse Demand](https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-wave-pushes-warehouse-demand/): Warehouse demand is increasing as e-commerce becomes an ever more important part of the economy.
- [Port of New York Congestion Causes Indigestion](https://www.capacityllc.com/port-of-new-york-congestion-causes-indigestion/): Shipping delays at the Port of New York are now causing concern among shippers and retailers before the start of the pre-holiday peak shipping season.
- [TJ Maxx and Other Low-Price Retailers Get Into E-commerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/tj-maxx-and-other-low-price-retailers-get-into-e-commerce/): Low-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Off Fifth have a difficult time with e-commerce. But the dollar signs are now too big to ignore.
- [E-Commerce and Customer Engagement](https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-and-customer-engagement/): Customer engagement is the name of the game in e-commerce. There are several easy steps you can take to enhance customer engagement.
- [Asia is Boon for Booming E-Commerce](https://www.capacityllc.com/asia-is-boon-for-booming-e-commerce/): Asia is the next frontier for e-commerce. The continent's growth in online retail has soared by nearly 140 percent in the last three years.
- [Recession in the Rearview?](https://www.capacityllc.com/recession-in-the-rearview/): The effects of the Great Recession may finally be coming to an end. That's if consumer sentiment aligns with the 2013 Retail Outlook Survey by KPMG.
- [The Logistics of Globalization](https://www.capacityllc.com/the-logistics-of-globalization/): Globalization is a challenge for logistics providers. Consumers now expect to be to access goods and services from around the world at a moments notice.
- [Energy Efficient - Capacity LLC's Carpool Data](https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-commuting-carpool-data/): According to our carpool data and employee logs, the Capacity team saves over 35,000 gallons of gas a year by carpooling, biking and walking
- [North Brunswick Sentinel Business Influx](https://www.capacityllc.com/north-brunswick-sentinel-business-influx/): "North Brunswick offers a combination of great personnel, good value per square foot & a relationship with the township," says Thom Campbell.
- [Silly String Is Shipped Off To Iraq](https://www.capacityllc.com/silly-string-is-shipped-off-to-iraq/): As Marcelle Shriver ran into red tape trying to ship Silly String to troops in Iraq Capacity's experienced fulfillment team got goods moving.
---
#
# Detailed Content
## Pages
### Featured Press
- Published: 2024-06-03
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/featured-press
Featured Press
---
### Capacity Logistics IQ
> Struggling to scale your business? Our Order & Inventory Management System provides real-time data to make data-driven decisions for growth.
- Published: 2024-04-16
- Modified: 2024-09-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/the-capacity-difference/cliq
Powerful Data, Actionable Insights Powered by ChannelApe, our inventory order management system, CLIQ, ties your entire operation together to fuel smarter decision-making in real-time. Everything You Need to Deliver at ScaleYour Ecommerce Mission Control CLIQ shows you your entire ecommerce operation. Connect your ERP. Sync data from multiple distribution channels. Implement EDI and wholesale. Drill Down into Your Data Use CLIQ to zoom in on all fulfillment activity. Monitor orders across all channels. Access SKU-level detail. Track carrier activities and shipment statuses. View pending and completed returns. Manage holds and order edits. Create rules to automate recurring actions. Next Level Inventory Management Make good on your brand promise. Monitor incoming goods based on SKU Lot tracking. Reserve, manage and distribute inventory. Handle returns QA and refurbishment. Integrate with Toolio or Singuli for precision forecasting. Plan Like a Pro Grow and scale with certainty. Update rules for future sales and promotions. Pre-sell inventory to avoid out of stocks. Make alt="" />Built for Your Business Customize CLIQ to meet your brand’s specific needs. Set up dynamic kitting to sell bundled SKUs. Configure rules to support marketing and packaging initiatives. Create evolving subscription boxes. CLIQ is Built for the Enterprise Military-grade AES-256 encryption protects sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) during transmission and in storage. Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality controls access and simplifies team member on- and off-boarding. Standard Data Processing Agreement adheres to key data privacy and compliance...
---
### Press
- Published: 2024-04-10
- Modified: 2025-03-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/press
The Capacity Story Capacity has been a player in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry since 1999. Focus on Expertise: From the start, Capacity has focused on providing expert order fulfillment services, warehousing, and value-added services like assembly. Technological Investment: We have consistently invested in technology to support our services. We have dozens of in-house engineers and IT specialists who support both our proprietary systems and key integrations. Bicoastal (and beyond) Reach: Capacity boasts a bicoastal presence with facilities in New Jersey, California, as well as our Midwest facility in Indiana. This strategic positioning allows us to offer faster shipping times and more flexible transportation solutions. Industry Focus: From the beginning, Capacity focused on ambitious brands. In the past decade, that has led to ongoing relationships with celebrity and influencer-backed brands, especially in the beauty space. Ecommerce and B2B Focus: Capacity has always worked with ecommerce DTC brands, even before it was cool. But we also have great relationships with retailers, including a consolidator relationship with Sephora and Ulta. Press Assets Capacity LLC offers a comprehensive toolkit to equip journalists and media professionals with the resources they need to tell our story. Download high-resolution logos, access press coverage, and discover our executive team. LogosExecutive BiosFeatured PressSee all press posts
---
### Our Technology
> Yours, Mine, Ours We're passionate about providing a seamless experience for both you and your customers. To achieve this, we approach technology from
- Published: 2024-04-08
- Modified: 2024-09-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/our-tech
We Work How You Work From ERPs and ecommerce platforms to BI tools and CRMs, our clients use lots of different technologies to power their businesses. With Capacity, you don’t have to change any of that. We work how you work, integrating our fulfillment tech stack to the systems that drive your business. Fulfillment Tech Built by Fulfillment ProsFoundationAutomationIntelligenceDriving Fast and Accurate Fulfillment Custom-built from the ground up, our proprietary warehouse management system ensures that your products are stored, picked, packed and shipped exactly as specified. Accelerating Timelines, Supporting Scale From robots that work 24/7 to the latest scanning solutions, we invest in cutting-edge technologies and automations to meet demand and support growth. Accurate Tracking, Total Visibility Advanced data intelligence allows for near real-time inventory tracking and order visibility, driving a smooth and efficient fulfillment process. Learn moreEverything in One Place Our client portal gives brands everything they need to track real-time inventory levels, order status updates, key performance metrics and even invoices and billing statements. Need Even More Control? Our inventory and order management system, CLIQ, uses advanced technology and data, giving brands greater control over their inventory and orders across all channels. Learn moreDive DeeperCapacity Logistics IQLearn moreWho we serveLearn moreFAQsLearn moreSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on LinkedIn
---
### Blog
- Published: 2024-02-27
- Modified: 2025-02-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/blog
Blog: Navigating the Supply Chain Symphony
---
### Landing Page LI White Paper
> Collective experience of over 60 years delivering EDI, retail and eCommerce fulfillment services for diverse clients in B2B and B2C sectors.
- Published: 2023-12-11
- Modified: 2024-03-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/landing-page-li-white-paper/
Now Is The Time Don't wait until 2024 to evaluate your 3PL. Find out why peak season is the perfect time to make sure you have the right partner. DownloadCapacity Can Solve Your 3PL ProblemsRetail fulfillment After more than two decades of shipping to retailers with diverse routing requirements, our B2B retail game is second to none. From EDI compliance to precise inventory management, shipping to major retailers like Sephora and Ulta is a frictionless experience with Capacity in your corner. Ecommerce fulfillment Our Ecommerce fulfillment services are fast and flexible. From warehousing and product storage to high-accuracy pick and pack services, rapid delivery and real-time tracking, our clients have everything they need to delight online customers and keep them coming back. Our Technology Real-time visibility Data analytics and visualization Key integrations through partnerships Ecommerce, ERP, and EDI integrations Material handling hardware and software Our Clients Want To Know More? Our TeamLearn moreOur IntegrationsLearn moreFAQsLearn more
---
### Resources
- Published: 2023-12-07
- Modified: 2024-09-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/resources
MediaLearn moreFAQsLearn moreEventsLearn more
---
### Thank you for Subscribing
> Thank you for contacting Capacity. Our fulfillment experts respond to inquiries as soon as possible.
- Published: 2023-12-05
- Modified: 2023-12-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/thank-you-for-subscribing/
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Be on the lookout for next month's installment.
---
### Careers
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Modified: 2024-03-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/careers/
Why Choose Us? We value achievementsWe are looking for people to join our team – people who value achievements more than job titles. People who would rather chat on Zoom with their CEO than schedule performance reviews. People who celebrate small wins along the path to major accomplishments. Capacity LLC is headquartered in North Brunswick, NJ. Open JobsNew JerseyOpen JobsIndianaOpen JobsCaliforniaWe Offer Our Employees Opportunity So you can grow as we grow International Exposure ComprehensiveHealth Insurance Interesting and Challenging Work ProjectOwnership SupportiveEnvironmentHear From Our Team MembersAdam Wise Facilities Manager “I’ve been facilities manager at Capacity for over a decade now. I am very impressed by and proud of the hardworking maintenance and janitorial teams at Capacity. I am extremely grateful to have a job that provides me stability in these challenging times of Covid. ”Kristina Crockett Director of Finance “In my 14 years at Capacity, I have thrived in its amazing, dynamic and diverse culture. This setting has allowed me to express my full entrepreneurial spirit by keeping me engaged with its multifaceted yet autonomous atmosphere. The constant immersion with a family of talented and collaborative peers all innovating towards common goals has been a life changing experience that has helped me grow and scale not only as a professional, but as an active and compassionate individual in my community. ” Cathy Betances Assembly Manager “Working at Capacity is like being home. I feel comfortable and productive. I’ve gain so much knowledge about the fulfillment industry, really enjoying the day to...
---
### Ecommerce
> Scale your Ecommerce operations with Capacity's warehousing, pick and pack, rapid delivery, and real-time tracking solutions.
- Published: 2023-11-17
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/ecommerce
Built for Ecommerce From our warehousing and product storage to our high accuracy pick and pack services, rapid delivery and real-time tracking, our ecommerce solutions are built for brands that sell online. Whether you’re graduating from the garage or looking to hit that next level of scale, Capacity has the people, process and technology to get you there. Modern Integrations Our technology integrates seamlessly with some of the most powerful logistics tools on the market to support your brand’s specific requirements. Optimal Performance,Strategic Growth Warehousing and FulfillmentWarehouse space and inventory management are table stakes. We handle the entire order fulfillment process – from picking and packing to shipping – so you can focus on growing your business. Shipping OptimizationWith deep shipping expertise and extensive networks to optimize routes, we help brands reduce shipping costs and improve delivery times. Ecommerce Platform IntegrationsOur technology integrates seamlessly with all of the major ecommerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce and more to streamline inventory management, order processing, and data exchange. Dive DeeperOur TeamLearn moreOur PartnersLearn moreFAQsLearn moreSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on LinkedInIdeas & Insights
---
### B2B
> 20+ years of B2B fulfillment expertise: EDI compliance, inventory management, shipping, returns, and growth-focused solutions.
- Published: 2023-11-16
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/b2b
Experience, Technology, Support We’ve been building B2B fulfillment solutions for over 20 years, handling everything from EDI compliance and inventory management to quality control, shipping and returns. We invest heavily in our talent, our technology and our retailer relationships to fuel your growth. Shipping to the World’s Leading Retailers Contact us to request our current retailer list. The Expertise you Expect EDI FulfillmentWe have deep, long-standing relationships with EDI compliance departments at dozens of retailers ranging from Sephora and Ulta to QVC/HSN, Nordstrom and Macy’s. Compliance, accuracy and speed drive our EDI fulfillment service to ensure your brand delivers exactly what your retailers ask for. Retail FulfillmentFrom product preparation to transportation routing requirements, we take the headache out of non-EDI retail fulfillment. Our dedicated Client Account Managers are trained and equipped with meticulous documentation to make sure your brand meets your retailer’s standards and avoid chargebacks. QualityControlIn B2B fulfillment, compliance means everything – and it’s our job to make sure your brand consistently meets retailer presentation and packaging standards. We handle first article inspection, damage and quality inspection, certified destruction, bath and lot code labeling and expiration tracking – all to keep service levels high and chargeback costs down. Dive DeeperLocationsLearn moreFAQsLearn moreWho we serveLearn moreSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on LinkedInIdeas & Insights
---
### Partners
> Explore partnership opportunities with Capacity LLC. Contact us at partnerships@capacityllc.com to collaborate on innovation and excellence.
- Published: 2023-11-15
- Modified: 2025-02-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/partners
Become a Strategic Partner We're excited about the prospect of collaborating with businesses that share our commitment to excellence and innovation. If you're interested in exploring a partnership with Capacity, please reach out to our partnership team at partnerships@capacityllc. com. We're eager to discuss how we can work together to create mutually beneficial relationships. Our Partners See our partner directorySome More About our PartnersView all PostsBecome a Strategic Partner Ready to take your business to the next level? Let’s Talk
---
### Integrations
> Enhance logistics efficiency with Capacity's robust Ecommerce integration, streamlining supply chains from end to end.
- Published: 2023-11-14
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/integrations
Making Connections Capacity offers robust integration capabilities with major Ecommerce, retail, and inventory management systems to ensure a smooth logistics workflow. We provide connectivity with major Ecommerce providers, streamlining your supply chain from end to end. Our commitment is to deliver seamless data exchange and process alignment, enhancing efficiency across your entire distribution network. IntegrationsLoop Loop Returns is a software platform designed to streamline the product return process for ecommerce retailers. It automates and simplifies returns, providing a seamless experience for customers while enabling businesses to efficiently manage and process returns, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and retention. Shopify Plus Shopify Plus is an enterprise-level ecommerce platform tailored for high-volume businesses, offering advanced features, scalability, and customizable solutions to streamline operations and maximize sales. It provides robust tools for customization, automation, and integration, empowering large businesses to create unique and powerful online shopping experiences for their customers. NetSuite NetSuite is a cloud-based, all-in-one business management suite offering a comprehensive range of applications for financials, ERP, CRM, and e-commerce. It integrates various core functionalities into a unified platform, enabling businesses to manage their operations more efficiently and gain real-time insights for better decision-making. Happy Returns Happy Returns is a service that facilitates in-person returns for online purchases, offering a network of physical return locations in retail stores for various participating brands. It provides consumers with a convenient way to return items, reducing the hassle of shipping while allowing retailers to enhance customer satisfaction and streamline the return process. See All Our Integrations
---
### The Capacity Difference
> Discover The Capacity Difference in EDI, Retail, and Ecommerce Fulfillment Services. Elevate your logistics with our expertise and seamless solutions.
- Published: 2023-11-14
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/the-capacity-difference
We Answer to You Not investors. Not the market. Not shareholders. At Capacity, we’ve built a customer-centric culture that puts your success above all. Our deep industry experience combined with the right mix of customer engagement and fulfillment technology is how we get there. Committed, Responsive, Creative At Capacity, our team is an extension of yours. Our warehouse associates love contributing to your customer experience. Our customer service team is eager to problem solve. Our logistics specialists are passionate about accelerating your brand’s growth. No matter who you encounter within our organization, you’ll find unique passion and true dedication. Meet the teamOur ProcessOnboardingEngineeringClient ServicesPreparing for Launch Onboarding dives deep into your brand’s story and vision, mapping out your product lines, inventories and distribution strategies. A true collaborative effort, Onboarding pulls in our sales, relationship management, finance, account management, IT and engineering teams. With your team, we conduct a comprehensive discovery, assess products, document IT integrations, determine warehouse locations, optimize layouts and define live order testing requirements. Learn more about our onboarding processExperience, Expertise, In-House Equipped with the outputs of Onboarding, our engineers and programmers design your fulfillment systems and solutions in-house. At Capacity, our fulfillment systems and solutions are designed in-house. No third parties. No contractors. Our industrial and software engineers bring decades of technical expertise and deep familiarity with not just what we build, but how and why. With that level of control, we’re able to deliver efficient, innovative solutions that scale. Communication, Clarity, Action...
---
### Media
- Published: 2023-10-27
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/media
Featured PressSee all press postsBlog: Navigating the Supply Chain SymphonySee all blog postsLinkedIn LogisticsThe CompanyIndustry ExpertiseSolutionsPersonal Stories
---
### Home
> Capacity LLC, is a trusted 3PL fulfillment company that provides quality 3PL solutions. Located in New Jersey, Indiana, California and UK.
- Published: 2023-10-11
- Modified: 2025-02-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/
MeticulousOnboarding StrategicLocations Value-AddedServices ExpertSolutions Real-Time Portal Scalable IntegrationsMore Than a Partnership From day one, we’re an extension of your brand, delivering to your customers exactly what you promised. Everywhere You Are Capacity locations are strategically positioned across the USA and the globe to delight your customers and accelerate growth. View locationsDriven by Data With over 1,000,000 square feet of operating space, we have fulfillment down to a science. Anyone Can Ship a Box At Capacity, we aim for something higher, blending a passion for helping brands build lasting customer relationships with an obsession for exceeding key fulfillment metrics. Here’s how. We Partner with Ambitious Companies and Products See some of the brands we’re proud to work with.
---
### Cookie Policy (EU)
- Published: 2022-10-19
- Modified: 2022-10-19
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/cookie-policy-eu/
---
### FAQs
- Published: 2022-05-19
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/faqs
Company Information Services What kind of company is agood fit for Capacity? Explore a Partnership withCapacity
---
### Events and Trade Shows
- Published: 2021-11-10
- Modified: 2025-01-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/resources/events
Where We’ll Be and When Below are the shows and events that Capacity is set to attend in the coming months. If you're at one of these shows and would like to learn more about the services Capacity offers, we'd love to connect with you in person. Let's discuss how how our fulfillment solutions can help your brand.
---
### Subscribe
> Subscribe for e-mail updates from the team at Capacity.
- Published: 2021-03-19
- Modified: 2025-02-10
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/subscribe
Subscribe for Industry UpdatesSubscribe to receive our latest news, views, insights and analysis.
---
### Site Map
> This is the site map page for the website of Capacity LLC - www.capacityllc.com
- Published: 2021-03-19
- Modified: 2024-06-10
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/site-map
---
### Contact
> Contact the team at Capacity to speak to order fulfillment experts about your supply chain challenges today.
- Published: 2021-03-08
- Modified: 2025-02-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/contact
Reach Out Capacity is Ready to Get Your Business Moving Are you ready to partner with us? We are a great 3PL partner for growing brands. If you’re ready to take your business to the next stage and provide your customers with an amazing order fulfillment experience, get in touch with us. Simply fill out our form, and let’s work together to scale your brand. Capacity HQ 1600 Livingston AvenueNorth Brunswick, NJ 08902info@capacityllc. comCapacity Midwest 4330 S. County Road 500 EWhitestown, IN 46075Capacity West 16180 Ornelas StreetIrwindale, CA 91706Capacity UK Little Oak Drive, Sherwood Business Park, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ,United Kingdom.
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### Value Added Services
> Collective experience of over 60 years delivering fulfillment services for retail, ecommerce and EDI clients in B2B and B2C sectors.
- Published: 2021-01-08
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/value-added-services
Delivering Experiences Through customization, presentation, kitting, packaging, gift set assembly and labeling, we help brands leverage fulfillment to deliver picture perfect experiences that build loyalty. Elevating Customer Value and Staisfaction KittingOur kitting services allow brands to neatly deliver multiple products in one unit, consolidating shipping and reducing waste — all while keeping customers happy and loyal. Gift Set AssemblyWhen the unboxing experience means everything, Capacity is your partner to create unique, beautiful gift sets. From special packing materials to premium box design, we help brands make moments worth remembering. PackagingWe know how important packaging is to brand building. That’s why we make sure that your products are perfectly packed to your exact brand specifications before they head out for delivery. From retailer and quantity repacking to variety/combo packing and gift wrapping, we’re ready to help you deliver on your brand promise. LabelingOur labeling capabilities allow brands to track and monitor inventory in real-time, through our client portal. Also on the labeling menu: UPC labeling, retailer-specific labeling, tamper-evident labeling, government/FDA labeling, and product/brand relabeling. Dive DeeperOur TeamLearn moreOur PartnersLearn moreFAQsLearn moreSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on LinkedInIdeas & Insights
---
### Font Sizes
- Published: 2020-11-23
- Modified: 2021-12-14
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/font-sizes/
Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3 Heading 4 Heading 5 Heading 6 Paragraph Small Paragraph Default/Regular Paragraph Medium Paragraph Large Paragraph Larger Paragraph Huge Paragraph Largest
---
### Who We Serve
> Build trust and success with Capacity's client-focused fulfillment expertise across beauty, fashion, and more.
- Published: 2020-10-27
- Modified: 2025-01-27
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/who-we-serve
True Partnerships At Capacity, our client partnerships are rooted in trust, collaboration and creativity. We apply our fulfillment experience and expertise to a broad range of verticals — from beauty and skincare to apparel, fashion and footwear. Engaged, accessible and passionate about our clients’ success, we are the fulfillment extension of your brand. Industry ExpertiseBeauty & Skincare Transform your beauty and skincare logistics with our expert 3PL services, ensuring your products are handled with the care and sophistication they deserve. Learn moreHealth & Wellness Specialized 3PL services, delivering precision, efficiency, and care to every product journey. Learn moreConsumer Electronics & Medical Devices Advance your market reach with 3PL services that account for high-tech precision and compliance in every shipment. Learn moreApparel, Fashion & Footwear Where style meets streamlined fulfillment for a seamless wardrobe journey. Learn moreShelf StableCPG Maximize shelf-stable CPG logistics durable, efficient, and reliable supply chain solutions. Learn moreSmall Home Goods Streamline small home goods shipments with dedicated 3PL services built around fast and safe delivery. Learn moreBrands We Serve Dive DeeperOur teamLearn moreOur partnersLearn moreFAQsLearn moreSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on LinkedIn
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### Order Fulfillment
> Collective experience of over 60 years delivering order fulfillment services for retail, eCommerce, and EDI clients in B2B and B2C sectors.
- Published: 2020-10-01
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do/order-fulfillment/
We’rerobust,strategicand flexible Offering a full spectrum of order fulfillmentRising to every occasion A true fulfillment partner offers the creativity to build custom solutions that solve the unique supply chain challenges of your business. Blending engineering and experience is what makes Capacity a strategic partner, not just a service provider. Our order fulfillment services cover every mile, and we’re ready to scale whenever you are. Rising to every occasion A true fulfillment partner offers the creativity to build custom solutions that solve the unique supply chain challenges of your business. Blending engineering and experience is what makes Capacity a strategic partner, not just a service provider. Our order fulfillment services cover every mile, and we’re ready to scale whenever you are. “We can provide our partners with a global eCommerce fulfillment solution, shipping thousands of orders daily, in just a few weeks. ” Thom Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer, Capacity LLCThe expertise you expect And your customers deserve Pick and PackPick to Light We manage a broad range of order picking, packing and product shipment techniques. Dual scanning guarantees 99. 5% or greater accuracy. Flexible solutions support high throughput and scalability. EDI Fulfillment Capacity’s technical expertise and long-established ties with retailers’ EDI compliance groups furthers brands’ goals. We show excellence in our key retailer relationships, including Sephora, Ulta, QVC/HSN, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and many others. We offer a proven and reliable approach to bringing new retail partners online as quickly as possible. Retail Fulfillment Non-EDI retailers can require a significant amount of compliance,...
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### Where to Find Us
> With facilities on both coasts and the heart of the US, plus partners serving the UK & Europe, we have Capacity locations where you need them
- Published: 2020-08-03
- Modified: 2025-03-10
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/where-to-find-us
Facilities and Campuses Serving Key Locations Across the US Warehouses in New Jersey, California, and Indianapolis Close to key consolidation points Within carriers' commercial zones facilitating freight collect In proximity to major parcel carrier distribution hubs Locations allow for reduction in transit times Multiple locations increase reliability New Jersey Our headquarters and largest campusLearn moreIndianapolis Our Midwest order fulfillment campusLearn moreCalifornia West Coast access to strategic ports and LAXLearn moreUK Powered by Prolog, our UK partnerLearn morePune, India Global technology talent hub Allows for 20+ hours service support Increased depth to our domestic teams Programming, service, and salesforce Efficient Shipping Location, relationships, accuracy and experience. This is how we move goods quickly and cost-effectively. Our shipping and fulfillment experience enables Capacity to aggregate shipments and move larger volumes, resulting in significant shipping discounts that we pass on to our clients. By leveraging our locations and relationships with trusted partner shipping and transportation services, Capacity delivers a different kind of fulfillment that our clients can trust.
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### Privacy Policy
> Our Privacy Policy details how and what personal data we collect, how we use it, and the options we provide to access and update this data. Contact us at privacy@capacityLLC.com.
- Published: 2019-01-04
- Modified: 2024-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/privacy-policy
Capacity Privacy Policy Effective date: October 1st, 2024 At Capacity LLC, Capacity MidWest LLC and Capacity West LLC, (collectively “Capacity”, ”we”, “us”, “our”), we are committed to protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal and financial information. We collect and use personal data only as it might be needed for us to deliver order fulfillment and warehouse distribution services (“Services”). Your personal data includes information such as:• Name• Address(es)• Telephone number(s)• Email address(es)• Other data collected that could directly or indirectly identify you Our Privacy Policy provides you with details about how and what data we collect, and how and why we use your personal data. It also describes options we provide for you to access, update or otherwise take control of your personal data that we process. If at any time you have questions about our Privacy Policy or any of your rights described below, you may contact us at privacy@capacityLLC. com. We understand that in using our Services, you will provide to us personal data regarding your customers. This data remains under your sole control. We only process this data in accordance with your instructions. This is explained in further detail below. This policy is intended to help you understand:• What information we collect about you• How we use the information we collect• How we share information we collect• How we secure, store and retain your data• How you can access, update or delete your data• How we transfer information we collect internationally• How you can...
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### Capacity Team
> The Capacity team is passionate and we take great pride in our work for clients. Here are some of the great people who are Capacity.
- Published: 2018-04-12
- Modified: 2024-03-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/the-capacity-difference/team/
Experienceand Know-How, Mixed in With Lots of MoxieWe get passionate about lots of things, and right up there is our excitement about the exceptional people we get to work with every day. Ours is not traditionally a glamorous industry, but engaging with the Capacity team makes it fun, fast-paced, and intellectually challenging. While we can’t put everyone in our company up in lights, we wanted to highlight some of the great people who are Capacity.
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### What We Do
> Discover how great 3PLs go beyond logistics, building collaborative partnerships that solve challenges and drive strategic insights.
- Published: 2015-08-07
- Modified: 2025-01-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/what-we-do
Fulfillment Delivered Good 3PLs move boxes from point A to point B. Great ones build collaborative partnerships with their brands, solving challenges, uncovering insights, implementing feedback and making strategic recommendations. What We Do B2B Retail With over two decades of shipping to major retailers like Sephora and Ulta, we help brands build frictionless B2B retail relationships – handling everything from inventory management to EDI compliance. GET STARTEDEcommerce Fulfillment Our fast and flexible warehousing, product storage solutions, high accuracy pick-and-pack services, rapid delivery and real-time tracking give ecommerce brands a competitive leg up. GET STARTEDValue Added Services Go beyond storage and distribution with our custom packaging and product services and specialized kitting to transform standard operations into a strategic advantage. GET STARTEDQuality Control Committed to keeping retail partners happy and your costs down, our quality control services leave nothing to chance. From presentation and packaging standards compliance to first article inspection, damage and quality inspections and certified destruction, we make sure you’re in a good place with the partners that matter. GET STARTEDSubscription Boxes Following standard Current Good Manufacturing Guidelines, we help subscription box brands deliver happiness in a cost effective way. We adhere to strict documentation and line clearance and setup procedures, handling the entire process through our online portal and inventory management system. GET STARTEDShipping Cost Savings Strategic locations, a robust network of shipping and transportation providers, pinpoint accuracy and decades of experience get your goods where they need to go – on time and often at discount –...
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### Thank you
> Thank you for contacting Capacity. Our fulfillment experts respond to inquiries as soon as possible.
- Published: 2015-08-07
- Modified: 2023-12-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/thank-you/
Thank you for contacting Capacity. One of our fulfillment professionals will contact you soon to discuss your inquiry.
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## Posts
### How Capacity & OpenBorder Facilitated The Perfect Jean's Foothold in the UK
> Here’s how we, along with D2C global growth platform and Capacity partner, OpenBorder, made it happen for The Perfect Jean (TPJ).
- Published: 2025-03-20
- Modified: 2025-03-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-capacity-and-d2c-global-growth-platform-openborder-helped-the-perfect-jean-gain-a-foothold-in-the-u-k
- Categories: Case Study, Order Fulfillment, Partnerships
- Tags: case study, Order fulfillment, partnerships, UK
Here’s how we, along with D2C global growth platform and Capacity partner, OpenBorder, made it happen for The Perfect Jean (TPJ).
Challenge Help U. S. -based brand, The Perfect Jean, effectively expand into the United Kingdom and efficiently manage international returns. Solution Tap D2C global growth platform, OpenBorder, to support internationalization and related warehouse management system integration. Outcome Processing orders U. K. -based orders within two weeks of project launch; local return hubs facilitating faster product assessments and refunds. For young, scaling ecommerce apparel brands, international expansion can feel daunting. All of a sudden, a well-oiled domestic operation has to figure out multiple currency management, localized online shopping and checkout experiences, preferred regional payment methods, different units of measurement for sizing, tax and duty calculations, international returns management... It’s not as easy as flipping a switch. Here’s how we, along with D2C global growth platform and Capacity partner, OpenBorder, made it happen for The Perfect Jean (TPJ). Not long after moving its fulfillment operation to Capacity, TPJ came to us with some news: They were preparing to open up into international markets and they had found the right partner in OpenBorder to support the expansion. “Everyone knows how real return volume is in apparel,” said TPJ co-founder, Ovadia Labaton. “We knew that whoever we partnered with had to have solid international returns capabilities in order for international expansion to be worth it for us. ” Building the Integration To start, OpenBorder installed its private, Shopify-approved app on the backend of TPJ’s Shopify store. This provided TPJ a currency picker, localized pricing by market and comprehensive tax and duty...
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### Our Appreciation, Worldwide: Women Shaping Logistics
> At Capacity, we understand that a truly robust supply chain is built on the strength of its people. This Women's History Month, we're celebrating the incredible women who drive Capacity forward, not just here in our New Jersey and California locations, but across the globe.
- Published: 2025-03-14
- Modified: 2025-03-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/our-appreciation-worldwide-women-shaping-logistics
- Categories: Culture
- Tags: culture, international women's day, women's history month
At Capacity, we understand that a truly robust supply chain is built on the strength of its people. This Women's History Month, we're celebrating the incredible women who drive Capacity forward, not just here in our New Jersey and California locations, but across the globe.
At Capacity, we understand that a truly robust supply chain is built on the strength of its people. This Women's History Month, we're celebrating the incredible women who drive Capacity forward, not just here in our New Jersey and California locations, but across the globe. From the bustling streets of Pune, India, to our own backyard, the strength, innovation, and dedication of our female team members are the backbone of our international supply chain logistics. We're honored to spotlight some of the remarkable women who make our global operations possible, highlighting the vital role of our interconnected, diverse team. Akansha Salwatkar – Software Engineer II at Capacity Pune, India Through my own experiences, I've learned some valuable lessons that have helped me navigate both professional and personal challenges. To help you on your own journey, here are a few essential points I want to share: Build Your Confidence: Confidence is key to how you're perceived. Dress for yourself, not others, and focus on building your expertise and believing in your skills. Stay True to Yourself: Don't let others dictate your path. Follow your own instincts and pursue your own definition of success. Strengthen Your Defenses: Learn to protect yourself, both emotionally and physically. Prioritize your mental and physical health. Manage Your Emotions at Work: Keep emotional attachments separate from professional responsibilities to maximize productivity. Jessica Medel - Client Services Supervisor at Capacity West, Irwindale, CA A key influence in my career was a colleague I met early on in...
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### Fulfillment Built for Beauty Brands
> How Capacity’s fulfillment operation scales with a global beauty brand at peak season, year round and into the UK – all without having to sit next to bags of chips.
- Published: 2025-03-10
- Modified: 2025-03-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/fulfillment-built-for-beauty-brands
- Categories: Beauty, Case Study, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: case study, Order fulfillment, Supply chain
How Capacity’s fulfillment operation scales with a global beauty brand at peak season, year round and into the UK – all without having to sit next to bags of chips.
How Capacity’s fulfillment operation scales with a global beauty brand at peak season, year round and into the UK – all without having to sit next to bags of chips. Editor’s Note: Typically, our case studies name names: r. e. m beauty, Fur, The Perfect Jean. But sometimes a brand wants to keep things close to the vest. We respect that. So in order to tell the story, we anonymize it. This is one of those cases. And about the quotes? They’re from the brand’s VP of Operations. Highlights What “beauty-first” fulfillment is and how it gives brands a competitive advantage. How robotic putwalls optimize peak season. How our Sephora consolidator relationship streamlines B2B business. How we take U. K. expansion plans from pipedream to reality. Beauty brands don’t want their inventory stored next to furniture that can impact pick times and package integrity. They don’t want it shelved next to Doritos (no offense, Frito-Lay and PepsiCo) or chocolate that can melt and drip during the summer months. Beauty brands should want their inventory to live with a fulfillment provider that is built for beauty. That means high attention to detail, beauty-first warehouse design and a deep understanding of what it takes to get small, high-value products to a high-standards consumer. In 2023, one of the world’s most recognizable beauty brands moved in with Capacity, trading their “we can fulfill anything! ” partner for one that has spent the last 25 years turning beauty fulfillment...
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### Unpacking the Tariff Wars (As of March 5, 2025)
> What beauty and apparel brands can do and how 3PLs can help in the face of double-digit duties coming from all angles.
- Published: 2025-03-05
- Modified: 2025-03-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/unpacking-the-tariff-wars-as-of-march-5-2025
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: ecommerce, Logistics, news, Order fulfillment, retail, Supply chain
What beauty and apparel brands can do and how 3PLs can help in the face of double-digit duties coming from all angles.
What beauty and apparel brands can do and how 3PLs can help in the face of double-digit duties coming from all angles. It’s early March, 2025, and we’re beginning to get some clarity as to what the global tariff situation is going to look like. Here’s who’s done what: The United States has implemented 25% tariffs on (almost) all imports from Canada and Mexico and a 20% tariff on all goods imported from China, marking a pivotal shift in international trade dynamics. China has announced a 15% tariff on U. S. chicken, wheat, corn and cotton as well as 10% tariff on U. S. sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables and dairy products Canada has announced an immediate tariff of 25% on roughly $20 billion worth of U. S. goods. An additional 25% tariff on an additional $86 billion worth of U. S. goods is queued up for March 25. The bulk of these tariffs are aimed at food and beverage and consumer goods – including apparel and cosmetics. Mexico currently has plans for "retaliatory tariffs. ” We should know more when Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum addresses her nation this coming Sunday (March 9, 2025). Obviously the ripple effects will be felt throughout the global economy, but let’s drill down into two verticals we know well: beauty and apparel. How the Tariff War Will Likely Impact the Beauty Industry From cosmetics to skincare, over 25,000 products in the U. S. beauty market are primarily sourced from...
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### How to Handle 1Q25’s Economic Uncertainty
> Navigating the 2025 retail landscape is a rollercoaster, with shifting tariffs and evolving retailer strategies leaving brands wondering what to do. This article explores key considerations and advice for brands seeking clarity amidst the uncertainty.
- Published: 2025-02-24
- Modified: 2025-02-25
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-to-handle-1q25s-economic-uncertainty
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Logistics, News, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Logistics, news
Navigating the 2025 retail landscape is a rollercoaster, with shifting tariffs and evolving retailer strategies leaving brands wondering what to do. This article explores key considerations and advice for brands seeking clarity amidst the uncertainty.
From global politics and on-again-off-again tariffs to “resets” of retailer-vendor relationships, the beginning of 2025 has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for brands. As a result, we’ve had countless conversations with our client brands that start with a variant of the same question: What should we be doing? The short answer is that there is no short answer. Every brand is different. Every fulfillment operation is different. But most critically, the dust is far from settled. Tariff proclamations are changing every day. Slapped on one day; stayed the next. Retailers are unveiling new, bold “master plans” to provide “clarity” on vendor strategy. But since the question persists, here’s what we’re telling clients... Sit Tight We’re in the first 100 days of the new administration and as we’ve all seen, it is making good on (most of) its campaign promises. Economic policy implementation has been bumpier than that of other policies, due much in part to the many moving parts of a global commercial and political economy. So as tomorrow’s headline counters today’s, we’re telling brands to sit tight. Any hedging you might want to act on (say, threatened duties on Chinese goods) could come back to bite you. Canada will soon have a new Prime Minister. The U. S. and Mexico are initiating a series of negotiations between the two countries, with the first conversation aiming to bring clarity to recent tariff talk. The U. S. will continue to float potential tariffs on Chinese...
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### In Pursuit of Operational Excellence
> Capacity identified unallocated inventory for The Perfect Jean, rapidly developed a solution, and ensured a successful holiday season.
- Published: 2025-02-04
- Modified: 2025-02-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/in-pursuit-of-operational-excellence
- Categories: Case Study, Customer Experience, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: case study, Order fulfillment
Capacity identified unallocated inventory for The Perfect Jean, rapidly developed a solution, and ensured a successful holiday season.
How even the smallest issues get big attention at Capacity Not in the mood for the full story? Here’s the 104-word summary. A few weeks before Black Friday, we noticed that our client, The Perfect Jean, had some unallocated inventory. For the uninitiated, this happens in every warehouse across the country all the time – and the overwhelming majority of 3PLs don’t bring it to the clients’ attention. We do. We bring all anomalies to light because in pursuit of operational excellence, we do not accept problems. We contacted The Perfect Jean, told them what we identified and briefed them on our plan of attack. Within a few hours, we had all inventory allocated and accounted for. And then we helped them deliver an outstanding peak season. A few weeks before Black Friday 2024, The Perfect Jean co-founder, Ovadia Labaton, got an email from his relationship manager here at Capacity: "We noticed some unallocated inventory. Let’s talk about it. We have a strategy we want to brief you on. ” Most 3PL would never send an email like that – especially just days before Black Friday. We aren’t most 3PLs. We sent that email to Ovadia because long before we ever signed a contract, we were transparent. We made it clear that fulfillment is tough. It’s even tougher when you have an incredibly wide range of SKUs like The Perfect Jean does. (More on that in a minute. ) We told The Perfect Jean, just like we...
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### Building Tomorrow's Supply Chain Leaders: The ABCO Systems Scholarship Program
- Published: 2025-01-31
- Modified: 2025-02-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/abco-systems-scholarship-program
- Categories: Culture, Partnerships, Press Releases
- Tags: ABCO, culture, news, partnerships
Dreams start with opportunity. At Capacity, we're proud to partner with ABCO Systems in creating pathways for ambitious students through their innovative scholarship program at Raritan Valley Community College. This isn't just about financial support - it's about hands-on experience solving real supply chain challenges. The competing students made multiple visits to our New Jersey headquarters, focusing their talents on optimizing our box making operations. This practical challenge gave them first hand exposure to the complexities of modern fulfillment while delivering real value to our operations. Roland Hoffman captured what many first-time visitors experience: "I never realized how intricate the processes can be. The variety of boxes, the diversity of clients—it's a whole world. " Pictured from left to right: Roland Hofmann and Aaron Czajkowski, the recipients of this year's ABCO Scholarship For Debra Burnejko, our company culture stood out. She shared, "I was taken aback by the community vibe here. I used to view work as a place to clock in and out, but you guys have so many engaging events—it's refreshing. " The hands-on improvement project sparked new career aspirations. Aaron Czakowski found his path forward: "This experience solidified my vision for supply chain management. It showed me that with dedication, I can achieve my goals and thrive in this field. " Thais Barros discovered a new passion for practical problem-solving: "Before, it was all about programming. But now, I crave projects where I can provide solutions. " The experience opened new horizons for Roland Hoffman: "I never...
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### Supply Chain Trends: What to Expect in 2025
> Discover the groundbreaking trends set to revolutionize shipping and logistics by 2025, with findings from our CXO, Darren Lavelle!
- Published: 2025-01-27
- Modified: 2025-02-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/supply-chain-trends-what-to-expect-in-2025
- Categories: Logistics, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Logistics, Supply chain, Supply chain management
Discover the groundbreaking trends set to revolutionize shipping and logistics by 2025, with findings from our CXO, Darren Lavelle!
Recently, our Chief Experience Officer Darren Lavelle sat down with Supply Chain Brain to share his insights on what ambitious brands can expect in 2025. Here's what he had to share about the future of fulfillment and how we're preparing to support your growth. Technology That Delivers Results Your vision for growth deserves technology that can keep pace. While many are talking about AI and digital twins, Darren emphasized the importance of building strong foundations first. That means focusing on data standardization and practical process automation – the building blocks that enable truly transformative technologies. One of the most exciting developments? AI-powered demand forecasting that helps you maintain optimal inventory levels. By analyzing everything from historical data to weather patterns, we're helping brands reduce both stockouts and overstock situations. Sustainability Meets Practicality Fast shipping isn't just about speed – it's about responsibility. Darren highlighted how brands are embracing more sustainable practices, from streamlined packaging to eco-friendly warehouse operations. We're particularly excited about innovative recycling programs that help beauty brands and retailers turn sustainability into foot traffic while solving real environmental challenges. The Future of Fulfillment Dream big about reaching your customers. Micro-fulfillment centers are changing the game for urban delivery, and we're ensuring seamless coordination between traditional warehouses and these new facilities. It's about having the right technology, processes, and partners to keep your products flowing smoothly. Building Resilience Your growth can't stop for disruptions. That's why we're implementing sophisticated risk management tools that combine real-time weather data, port congestion...
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### Capacity Earns Great Place to Work Certification
- Published: 2025-01-14
- Modified: 2025-01-14
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/capacity-earns-great-place-to-work-certification
- Categories: Culture, Inside Capacity, Press Releases
- Tags: best of capacity, culture, news
Certified: Capacity is a Great Place to Work We recently earned a Great Place to Work Certification from Great Place to Work, a global leader in workplace culture. Fueled by extensive employee feedback, this certification is a nod to our vibrant company culture, our engaging employee experience and our steady leadership. As a team, we’re proud of this achievement. It’s a reflection of the company we’ve built. We also believe that this certification has a broader impact that resonates with our clients, future clients and future employees. Here’s why. Our Clients Are Building Their Dreams They need partners that bring their best and deliver every day. They need a fulfillment partner whose people have deep industry knowledge. (More than a third of our team members have been with us for over six years, honing their expertise. ) They need a partner whose people are empowered to develop creative solutions to complex problems. (Eighty-four percent of our people feel empowered to develop innovative solutions. ) They need a partner whose people are invested in their success. (Nearly 80% of our folks express pride in their work. ) Bottom line: Our clients stick with us because of our expertise, our ingenuity and our commitment to their success. People Want to Work with Good People Our Great Place to Work certification is a signal to prospective team members. Seventy-three percent of Capacity employees say it is a great place to work compared to 57 percent of employees at a typical...
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### The Definitive Guide to 3PLs: Engineering Your Brand's Growth
> Your brand is ready to scale. Your vision extends beyond today's success to tomorrow's possibilities. Let's ensure your fulfillment infrastructure matches that vision with the right 3PL partnership.
- Published: 2025-01-06
- Modified: 2025-01-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-3pls
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, Inside Capacity, Logistics, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Logistics, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, Supply chain management
Your brand is ready to scale. Your vision extends beyond today's success to tomorrow's possibilities. Let's ensure your fulfillment infrastructure matches that vision with the right 3PL partnership.
Your brand is ready to scale. Your vision extends beyond today's success to tomorrow's possibilities. Let's ensure your fulfillment infrastructure matches that vision with the right 3PL partnership. What Is a 3PL? Third-party logistics providers have evolved far beyond their roots as simple warehousing operations. Today's 3PLs serve as strategic growth partners, offering advanced technology, data-driven insights, and customized solutions to match the speed of modern commerce. They manage key supply chain functions including: Warehousing Inventory Management Order Fulfillment Shipping Returns Processing Essentially, 3PLs serve as your operational backbone while you focus on building your brand. Key Benefits of Partnering with a 3PL Scalable Infrastructure Growth brings both opportunity and complexity. A reliable 3PL provides the infrastructure to handle everything from seasonal peaks to unexpected viral moments, adapting seamlessly to your needs without compromising quality. Instead of worrying about warehouse space or staffing, you can focus on capturing market opportunities. Financial Optimization Running your own warehouse operations requires significant capital investment and ongoing fixed costs. By partnering with a 3PL, you transform these fixed costs into variable ones, creating a more flexible cost structure that scales with your business. This approach frees up capital for product development, marketing, and other growth initiatives. Deep Expertise Modern fulfillment involves navigating complex shipping regulations, retail compliance requirements, and ever-evolving customer expectations. Experienced 3PLs bring years of knowledge that helps you avoid costly mistakes and accelerate growth. Their expertise becomes your competitive advantage. Strategic Focus With logistics in expert hands, your team can dedicate...
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### Evaluating Your 3PL Partnership After Section 321 Changes
> The recent changes to Mexico's Section 321 policies have many brands questioning their current fulfillment partnerships. If your 3PL was chosen primarily for their border-skipping capabilities, it's worth taking a fresh look at your fulfillment strategy.
- Published: 2025-01-03
- Modified: 2025-01-27
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/evaluating-your-3pl-partnership-after-section-321-changes
- Categories: News, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Logistics, news
The recent changes to Mexico's Section 321 policies have many brands questioning their current fulfillment partnerships. If your 3PL was chosen primarily for their border-skipping capabilities, it's worth taking a fresh look at your fulfillment strategy.
Your brand's vision deserves a fulfillment partner ready for tomorrow's challenges, not just today's solutions. The landscape of e-commerce fulfillment is undergoing significant transformation, with Mexico's December 19th decree introducing a 35% tariff on textile imports and restricting the IMMEX program. Additionally, proposed changes from U. S. Customs and Border Protection could further impact cross-border fulfillment strategies. For brands relying on 3PLs chosen primarily for their border-skipping capabilities, now is the critical time to ensure your fulfillment partnership can support your future growth. Understanding the New Context for 3PL Evaluation The regulatory changes create a more complex operating environment that demands more from your fulfillment partner. Beyond Mexico's immediate tariff increases, proposed CBP regulations may soon require: Enhanced reporting requirements for all de minimis shipments Detailed tracking of shipment contents, origins, and destinations Potential elimination of Section 321 benefits for certain products New documentation requirements for customs compliance This evolving landscape means that 3PLs must demonstrate capabilities beyond cost-effective border-skipping to remain valuable partners in your growth journey. Core Capabilities for Modern Fulfillment When evaluating your current 3PL partnership, look for excellence in these essential areas: Sophisticated compliance management across multiple jurisdictions Real-time inventory visibility and tracking systems Detailed data collection and reporting capabilities Proven ability to scale operations quickly Strong quality control and verification processes Evaluating Adaptability in Unprecedented Times The current regulatory shifts highlight a crucial truth about modern fulfillment: you can't have a playbook for something that hasn't happened before. The most valuable 3PL partnerships aren't built...
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### Shopify Winter '25: Engineering Growth Across Every Touchpoint
> Shopify Winter '25: 150+ updates to empower ambitious brands to scale across online, retail, wholesale, and global markets with confidence.
- Published: 2025-01-02
- Modified: 2024-12-31
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/shopify-winter-25-engineering-growth-across-every-touchpoint
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, News, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerce, news, retail, shopify
Shopify Winter '25: 150+ updates to empower ambitious brands to scale across online, retail, wholesale, and global markets with confidence.
Shopify's Winter '25 Edition introduces over 150 updates designed to help ambitious brands scale with confidence. From enhanced commerce tools to global capabilities, these updates transform how brands operate across online, retail, wholesale, and global markets. Here's a comprehensive look at the most significant changes. Online: Engineering the Digital Experience The digital storefront sees major advances in speed and functionality. These improvements help brands deliver seamless customer experiences through: Enhanced search and discovery tools Combined product listings Optimized load times Streamlined cart functionality Retail: Bridging Digital and Physical The upgraded point-of-sale system brings digital sophistication to physical retail. New features transform in-store operations with: Integrated customer insights Personalized recommendations Bundle management tools Real-time inventory synchronization Checkout: Engineering the Final Touch The checkout process receives robust upgrades that matter most for growing brands: New customization APIs Enhanced UI components Expanded draft orders Bundle integration support Marketing: >visit the Shopify Winter '25 Edition page. As the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve, these tools equip growing brands with the infrastructure needed to reach their full potential.
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### From Dream to Icon: Engineering Health & Beauty Fulfillment Excellence
> Experience the thrill of viral success in the beauty and wellness industry. But are you prepared for the explosive growth that follows? Learn how to navigate the challenges of scaling your operations, from fulfilling orders to managing inventory, to ensure your brand thrives amidst sudden demand.
- Published: 2024-12-31
- Modified: 2024-12-31
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/from-dream-to-icon-engineering-health-beauty-fulfillment-excellence
- Categories: Beauty, eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: beauty, beauty fulfillment, ecommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment
Experience the thrill of viral success in the beauty and wellness industry. But are you prepared for the explosive growth that follows? Learn how to navigate the challenges of scaling your operations, from fulfilling orders to managing inventory, to ensure your brand thrives amidst sudden demand.
It's 2:47 AM when your phone lights up. Your social campaign just went viral. Orders are flooding in – hundreds, then thousands. Your brand's big moment has arrived. But in the beauty and wellness industry, these moments of overnight success can quickly become operational nightmares. One viral social post, one celebrity endorsement, one successful retail pitch meeting – any moment could trigger exponential growth. What happens next defines your brand's future. The Beauty of Being Prepared The health and beauty industry runs on dreams and precision. But scaling isn't just about handling more orders. It's about maintaining the quality, accuracy, and brand experience that got you noticed in the first place. We've seen this story play out countless times: A beauty brand goes viral, but their fulfillment partner can't scale fast enough A wellness company lands their dream retail contract, only to drown in chargebacks A skincare line's subscription service grows faster than their operations can handle These are the moments that define brands. They're also the moments we live for. Engineering Growth, One Order at a Time When , they saw their D2C fulfillment soar while B2B chargebacks virtually disappeared. This wasn't magic – it was precision engineering, focusing on every detail that matters in beauty and wellness fulfillment: The Viral Moment Scaling from 100 to 100,000+ orders while maintaining 99. 9% accuracy Real-time inventory tracking across multiple facilities Rapid response teams ready for sudden surges The Retail Evolution Seamless EDI compliance for major retailers like Sephora and Ulta...
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### How Mexico's Section 321 Changes Impact Your Supply Chain Strategy
> Recent changes to Mexico's trade policies have created significant implications for brands using Section 321 fulfillment strategies. Here's what you need to know and how to adapt your supply chain approach.
- Published: 2024-12-27
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-mexicos-section-321-changes-impact-your-supply-chain-strategy
- Categories: News, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Logistics, news, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, Supply chain management
Recent changes to Mexico's trade policies have created significant implications for brands using Section 321 fulfillment strategies. Here's what you need to know and how to adapt your supply chain approach.
Recent changes to Mexico's trade policies have created significant implications for brands using Section 321 fulfillment strategies. Here's what you need to know and how to adapt your supply chain approach. The Policy Change On December 19, Mexico's government issued an immediate decree that affects how companies can import and distribute goods through Mexico to the U. S. Key changes include: New tariffs on 121 apparel products and 17 textile items (increased from 20-25% to 35%) Additional 15% duty on 17 tariff headings related to textiles (up from 10%) Restrictions on the IMMEX program for certain finished products Immediate implementation affecting goods in transit Impact on Supply Chain Operations If your brand uses Section 321 fulfillment through Mexico, you may experience: Increased costs on affected product categories Need for immediate supply chain restructuring Potential disruptions to existing fulfillment processes Changes in delivery timeframes Practical Steps Forward Consider these strategies to maintain efficient operations: 1. Assess Your Current Exposure Review which products are affected by the new tariffs Calculate the cost impact on your operations Identify immediate risks to your supply chain Evaluate current inventory positions 2. Explore Alternative Options Evaluate different fulfillment locations Consider direct shipping alternatives Assess domestic manufacturing options Review other international sourcing locations 3. Optimize Operations Update inventory management strategies Revise demand forecasting models Adjust pricing strategies as needed Review customer service protocols Planning Your Transition As you adapt to these changes, focus on: Immediate Action Items Document affected SKUs Calculate new landed costs Communicate with suppliers...
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### The Strategic Guide to Modern Inventory Management
> In today's complex retail landscape, effective inventory management has become a critical differentiator between thriving businesses and those struggling to keep pace. At Capacity, we've observed that successful inventory management extends far beyond simply tracking stock levels—it's about creating a strategic advantage that impacts every aspect of your business operations.
- Published: 2024-12-05
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/inventory-management-systems-the-definitive-guide-to-optimizing-your-inventory
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
In today's complex retail landscape, effective inventory management has become a critical differentiator between thriving businesses and those struggling to keep pace. At Capacity, we've observed that successful inventory management extends far beyond simply tracking stock levels—it's about creating a strategic advantage that impacts every aspect of your business operations.
In today's complex retail landscape, effective inventory management has become a critical differentiator between thriving businesses and those struggling to keep pace. At Capacity, we've observed that successful inventory management extends far beyond simply tracking stock levels—it's about creating a strategic advantage that impacts every aspect of your business operations. The Evolution of Inventory Management The traditional view of inventory as a necessary cost center has given way to a more nuanced understanding of its strategic importance. Modern inventory management combines art and science, balancing the technical aspects of stock control with strategic decision-making that drives business growth. This evolution reflects the changing nature of consumer expectations, market dynamics, and supply chain complexity. Strategic Foundations of Inventory Management Successful inventory management rests on several key strategic pillars that together form a comprehensive approach to stock control and optimization: Demand-Driven Planning At its core, effective inventory management starts with understanding and anticipating demand. This goes beyond simple sales forecasting to encompass market trends, seasonal variations, and changing consumer preferences. By taking a demand-driven approach, businesses can align their inventory levels with actual market needs, reducing both stockouts and excess inventory. Working Capital Optimization Inventory represents one of the largest investments for many businesses. Strategic inventory management involves finding the optimal balance between having enough stock to meet demand while minimizing the capital tied up in inventory. This requires sophisticated analysis of carrying costs, turnover rates, and opportunity costs to make informed decisions about inventory investments. Supply Chain Integration Modern inventory management...
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### Your Last-Minute BFCM Ecommerce & Fulfillment Checklist
> Don't let peak season catch you off guard. Prepare your ecommerce and fulfillment operations for Black Friday and Cyber Monday with our essential checklist.
- Published: 2024-11-22
- Modified: 2024-11-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/bfcm-ecommerce-fulfillment-checklist
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: ecommerce, Order fulfillment
Don't let peak season catch you off guard. Prepare your ecommerce and fulfillment operations for Black Friday and Cyber Monday with our essential checklist.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) just days away, now is not the time for brands to launch a complete overhaul to their ecommerce and fulfillment operations. It is, however, time to double and triple check your setup to ensure that you are ready ready for peak season. Here’s our quick rundown of to-dos that will help brands be as close to certain as is possible that their ecommerce and fulfillment operations are in lockstep. Ecommerce Infrastructure & Performance Let’s first look at server capacity. Load test your site at three to four times normal peak traffic to stress test its ability to manage significant traffic spikes. Ensure that your CDN caching is properly configured so that copies of your site’s static content are stored on multiple servers across different geographies. This results in quicker load times. Double check redundancies. Are backup services on standby? Next, examine your cart and checkout operations. Is your cart abandonment tracking active? This will help you identify potential issues in the checkout process, understand customer behavior, and ultimately improve the shopping experience. Is guest checkout working properly? Do you have payment gateway redundancies in place so that you can still handle transactions in the instance in which one gateway experiences technical issues or goes down? Is the checkout flow pixel perfect on mobile? Have you tested it on multiple devices? Multiple browsers? (Mobile accounted for over 50% of all Black Friday purchases in 2023. You cannot pay enough...
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### What Promising Brands that Scale Rapidly Tend to Have in Common
> Fulfillment expertise gained over years in the industry. Insights on common factors driving rapid growth for brands across verticals like beauty, wellness, apparel, and CPG. Avoid common pitfalls and unlock new heights for your business.
- Published: 2024-11-13
- Modified: 2024-11-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/what-promising-brands-have-in-common
- Categories: Apparel, B2B Retail Fulfillment, Beauty, Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
Fulfillment expertise gained over years in the industry. Insights on common factors driving rapid growth for brands across verticals like beauty, wellness, apparel, and CPG. Avoid common pitfalls and unlock new heights for your business.
We’ve been in the fulfillment game for a long time. We’ve seen a lot. We’ve seen young promising brands fall apart. We’ve seen them grow modestly and perhaps plateau. But we’ve also been a part of rapid scale. In those cases, brands tend to have a combination of common characteristics. Across a variety of verticals – from beauty and wellness to apparel and shelf-stable CPG – brands that check most, if not all, of these boxes, tend to repeatedly reach new heights. Follower Count Brands that prioritize building a movement over quick (and often one-time) sales understand that amassing an army of believers is key to rapid scale. We’ve seen this first hand with some of our brands like r. e. m. beauty, Touchland, and Goodles. Takeaway: Invest in social. Not every follower will convert into a customer. In fact, a very small percentage will. But there’s a tipping point that happens where the army you’ve built becomes a growth asset. Influence Let’s be honest: brands with influencers backing and/or strong strategic influencer relationships are positioned to do extremely well. A built-in audience? Check. High engagement? Check. Loyalty, admiration, aspiration? Check, check, check. We’ve seen it time and again: whether it’s a brand directly backed by an influencer or a one with a strong influencer engagement program, those that utilize this strategy tend to scale quickly. Operational Experience Followers and influence are important, but little of that matters if a brand doesn’t have the operational...
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### Going Global?
> Global-e, a leading platform for D2C e-commerce, integrates seamlessly with Capacity to unlock new global markets.
- Published: 2024-11-06
- Modified: 2024-11-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/going-global
- Categories: Order Fulfillment, Partnerships
Global-e, a leading platform for D2C e-commerce, integrates seamlessly with Capacity to unlock new global markets. By integrating with Shopify and other major platforms, merchants can boost sales and provide localized shopping experiences to customers in over 200 countries.
Here’s How Using Global-e with Capacity Can Unlock International Markets For high-growth, scaling e-commerce brands, going international requires new skill sets, nuanced knowledge and complex technical integrations. Considerations include international customs and import processing, localized shopper experiences and checkout, global regulation and tax compliance, tax and duty calculations, alternative payment options by market, varied customer service requirements, currency fluctuations, shipping options, international returns management – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. However, a fulfillment partner with the right relationships can make going global as simple as selling here at home. Enter Global-e. Integrating Global-e with Capacity unlocks access to the world’s leading platform for enabling and accelerating global D2C e-commerce. Global-e integrates with all major e-commerce platforms including Shopify, enabling merchants to increase international conversion rates and boost sales by providing shoppers in over 200 markets worldwide with an advanced end-to-end localized shopping experience. “Both Capacity and Global-e bring to the table vast experience supporting retail clients across a wide range of verticals, from beauty, health and wellness and apparel to consumer electronics. With a proven record of success, enabling over 1000 retailers and brands to drive online sales and revenues across the world, Global-e helps Capacity clients shipping at high overall volume, that are also seeing international traction, scale at the global level. ” Dan Brow VP Global Partnerships, Global-e With Global-e, Capacity clients – existing and future – have access to a comprehensive best-in-class global e-commerce solution, that covers all aspects of...
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### Beauty Brands: Here’s What to Think About for Packaging in 2025
> 2025 is shaping up to be a year of packaging innovation for beauty brands. Whether you're riding high on current success or looking to revamp your offerings, now is the time to strategize.
- Published: 2024-11-04
- Modified: 2024-11-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/packaging-in-2025
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Beauty, Logistics, Order Fulfillment
2025 is shaping up to be a year of packaging innovation for beauty brands. Whether you're riding high on current success or looking to revamp your offerings, now is the time to strategize.
Right now, at the calm before the storm that is peak season, your packaging is your packaging. Perhaps you’ve nailed it and can’t wait for it to deliver that extra little something to customers. Or maybe you’re less than in love with it and want to make changes once the holidays are behind you. Wherever you fall within that spectrum, here’s what beauty brands should be thinking about when it comes to the packaging decisions in 2025... Sustainability: Find the Balance Consumers are increasingly supporting beauty brands that exhibit sustainable business practices. As a result, packaging made from recycled materials has become very en vogue. But what often gets forgotten in recycled packaging materials initiatives is durability. Shipping packaging that becomes too flimsy dents and crushes. Materials that are light colored (which recycled packaging materials often are) risk dirtying. Ultimately, brands need to find the middle ground: How can we be sustainable in our shipping and product packaging while still delivering the brand experience we want our customers to have? Consider How Brand Decisions Impact Packaging and the Customer Experience Matte packaging can help brands deliver a sense of luxury or exclusivity. It can also attract dust, creating pilling that communicates anything but luxury. With sheen packaging, individual products can scuff each other. Bottom line: Don’t forget about end-of-line fulfillment when making brand decisions. Get That Wafer Seal The wafer seal offers two benefits. Most obviously, it offers added product security. Oils stay in containers. Lip gloss stays in...
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### Meet Treet
> Treet is revolutionizing the resale industry by empowering brands to reclaim their unsold inventory. With Capacity's latest partner, brands can generate additional revenue and reduce their environmental impact.
- Published: 2024-11-01
- Modified: 2024-11-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/meet-treet
- Categories: Order Fulfillment, Partnerships
Treet is revolutionizing the resale industry by empowering brands to reclaim their unsold inventory. With Capacity's latest partner, brands can generate additional revenue and reduce their environmental impact.
Resale used to be a dirty word. Inventory that didn’t sell ships off for a life in retail purgatory for maybe a few pennies on the dollar. Beyond that: the landfill. But times have changed. Today, there’s demand for resale. Thanks in part to macro trends like the rapid growth of unofficial buy/sell/trade groups and platforms like ThreadUp and Poshmark, consumers are buying secondhand apparel at a record pace. Missing from that equation, however, are... The brands – which is precisely where Treet comes in. With Treet, brands can create fully-branded resale experiences mixing and matching whichever solution works for them: peer-to-peer, trade-in, returns or off-price. So instead of losing money on old school resale or watching inventory fill giant holes in the ground, Treet helps brands grow revenue and reduce their carbon footprint. And it’s working. The ideal Treet customer is in the apparel, footwear, and accessory categories with existing resale markets, engaged communities. (Bonus points if they have Facebook buy/sell/trade groups. ) Sometimes they have a high volume of aged, excess or sample inventory piling up or a high percentage of returns that can’t be restocked. In less than four weeks, Treet had apparel brand, Sozy, up and running and sold three years of excess inventory in three months. That’s a 97% sell-through rate. For bedding brand, ettiude, Treet rerouted 1500+ returns, generating over $100,000 of incremental revenue. And here’s the kicker: Shoppers spent 468% of brand credit when repurchasing from ettiude. Treet and Capacity So much of...
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### 9 Key Performance Indicators for Monitoring 3PL Operations
> Insight into the strategic shift from in-house to 3PL fulfillment for growing brands, and how to maintain visibility and control over operations when outsourcing. Explore the key metrics and partnership considerations for effective 3PL performance monitoring in 2025.
- Published: 2024-10-15
- Modified: 2024-11-18
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/9-key-performance-indicators-kpis-for-monitoring-3pl-operations
- Categories: Logistics, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
Insight into the strategic shift from in-house to 3PL fulfillment for growing brands, and how to maintain visibility and control over operations when outsourcing. Explore the key metrics and partnership considerations for effective 3PL performance monitoring in 2025.
There comes a point in every growing brand's journey when in-house fulfillment no longer makes strategic sense. That's when forward-thinking companies turn to 3PLs like Capacity. While outsourcing fulfillment is transformative for operations, it does mean letting go of direct warehouse oversight. The key question becomes: How do you maintain visibility and control when you're no longer handling day-to-day operations? Rest assured – with the right metrics and partnership, monitoring your 3PL performance becomes straightforward and insightful. Here's what matters most for brands in 2025... First Steps: Define Your Strategic Objectives Before diving into metrics and KPIs, it's essential to clearly define what success looks like for your brand's fulfillment operations. Consider these key questions: What are your broader logistics objectives? What delivery timeline expectations do your customers have? What ROI are you targeting from outsourced fulfillment? The Essential KPIs for Modern Brands 1. On-Time Shipping: The Foundation of Customer Satisfaction Here's a compelling reality: 87% of online shoppers consider delivery time when making purchasing decisions. Your customers expect consistent, timely delivery, and we're here to make that happen. At Capacity, we maintain comprehensive tracking of every shipment's journey. 2. Shipping & Order Accuracy: The Non-Negotiables Brand loyalty can be severely impacted by incorrect shipments or misrouted packages. We maintain accuracy rates above 99% because anything less creates unnecessary friction in the customer experience. 3. Order Accuracy Just as with shipping accuracy, it’s not enough for packages to simply reach the correct address—they must also contain the correct items. Ensuring...
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### What Every Brand Needs to Know Going into a Netsuite-3PL Integration
> We sat down with Ekwani founder and CEO, Melanie Martens, to capture a high-level overview of what brands need to know going into a Netsuite-3PL integration.
- Published: 2024-10-07
- Modified: 2024-10-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/netsuite-3pl-integration
- Categories: EDI Fulfillment, Partnerships
We sat down with Ekwani founder and CEO, Melanie Martens, to capture a high-level overview of what brands need to know going into a Netsuite-3PL integration.
Implementing a Netsuite-3PL integration is no small task. But for fast-scaling brands requiring increased visibility, operational efficiency and high data accuracy, it’s a necessary one. Here at Capacity, we partner with Ekwani Consulting to design, build and deploy custom Netsuite integrations for our clients. Frankly, they’re the best in the business. Melanie Martens, CEO and Founder of Ekwani Consulting We sat down with Ekwani founder and CEO, Melanie Martens, to capture a high-level overview of what brands need to know going into a Netsuite-3PL integration. Let’s get to it. Capacity: Appreciate you taking the time today, Melanie. Melanie: Happy to. Capacity: So we’ve done a number of custom Netsuite-3PL integrations together. What do you wish they all knew ahead of time? Melanie: It sounds simple, but what do you want tracked and where? Where does the brand want the lot being tracked? In the ERP or with the 3PL? What about expirations? Where should those be tracked? Do they want that data to feed back into Netsuite? Oftentimes we’ll recommend that the 3PL manage that to reduce the overhead on the backend operations. Capacity: So it’s better or easier for the 3PL to track lots and expirations and feed that data back into Netsuite? Melanie: When you do a bulk, B2B order, it’s not a problem. But when you’re doing mixed bin D2C commerce, that’s where you start seeing a certain level of complexity. Things like tracking multiple lots and expiration dates in...
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### Should You Change Fulfillment Providers? Probably, But Not Right Now.
> When you’re in the thick of peak season, make some mental notes on the health of the relationship between your brand and your 3PL. Come January you can ask yourself: Are we truly partners or not?
- Published: 2024-10-04
- Modified: 2024-10-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/changing-3pls
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, Inside Capacity, Logistics, Order Fulfillment
When you’re in the thick of peak season, make some mental notes on the health of the relationship between your brand and your 3PL. Come January you can ask yourself: Are we truly partners or not?
Don’t look now but Black Friday is roughly 50 days away. If you’ve been less than happy with your fulfillment provider, we’re here to tell you that now is absolutely not the time to make a switch. (But you already knew that. ) But now is the time to sketch out what criteria you need to evaluate during peak season in order to make a decision – once the chaos is behind you – as to whether or not you’re going to make changes to your fulfillment operation. Here’s what to gauge. The True Meaning of Partnership Even with immense amounts of data at our fingertips, fulfillment is still very much a business rooted in relationships. When was the last time you heard from your fulfillment partner? Did they proactively reach out months ago to help you prep for peak season? Are you giving them what they need to satisfy their end of the relationship? When you’re in the thick of peak season, make some mental notes on the health of the relationship between your brand and your 3PL. Come January you can ask yourself: Are we truly partners or not? The SLA This is the most obvious metric: Is your fulfillment partner meeting the service level agreement, or SLA? Are they exceeding it? On the backend of peak season, compare your numbers against the SLA. Did your 3PL deliver as promised? Did they fall short? Did they do better than last year? Quality Your 3PL...
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### How Hair and Skin Care Brand, Fur, Leveled Up its Fulfillment Game
> Fur, a rapidly growing hair and skin care brand, faced challenges with unpredictable D2C order ship times and increasing B2B chargebacks. Discover how FUR sought a new fulfillment solution to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.
- Published: 2024-09-24
- Modified: 2025-04-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/fur-case-study
- Categories: Beauty, Case Study, Customer Experience
Fur, a rapidly growing hair and skin care brand, faced challenges with unpredictable D2C order ship times and increasing B2B chargebacks. Discover how FUR sought a new fulfillment solution to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.
By the end of Q1 of 2023, Fur was in need of a new fulfillment solution. While the hair and skin care brand was experiencing significant growth, D2C order ship times were growing less predictable while chargebacks became more common on the B2B side of the business. Something Had to Change On an industry recommendation, the Fur leadership team reached out to a fulfillment provider that had a strong track record in the beauty space. This 3PL’s stability, experience and expertise was just what Fur was looking for. (In case it’s not obvious by now, that fulfillment provider was us, Capacity. ) The Fur and Capacity teams quickly aligned on requirements and a roadmap to get D2C and B2B fulfillment operations up and running by the end of the summer. By August we were live. Immediate Results Once up and running with Capacity, Fur’s D2C fulfillment soared. Order processing, accuracy and ship times hit and exceeded SLA benchmarks, meeting not just brand expectations but those of the customer too. On the B2B side, Fur took full advantage of Capacity’s consolidation program with Ulta and saw chargebacks all but disappear. "We couldn’t be happier with Capacity. They know fulfillment – inside and out. But beyond that, they’re real people. They’re professional and supportive. They communicate. They eliminate surprises. As long as you're not a competitor of ours, we’ll recommend Capacity all day long. ” Gabriel Blachette Director of Operations | Fur A Scaling Partnership Not long...
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### How Capacity and Envision Horizons Help Beauty Brands Scale on Amazon
> Envision Horizons and Capacity have forged a successful partnership, providing Amazon scaling expertise and comprehensive fulfillment solutions to their shared clients. This collaboration ensures that brands looking to grow on Amazon or needing reliable fulfillment services have access to the perfect resources.
- Published: 2024-09-10
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-we-help-brands-scale
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment, Partnerships
Envision Horizons and Capacity have forged a successful partnership, providing Amazon scaling expertise and comprehensive fulfillment solutions to their shared clients. This collaboration ensures that brands looking to grow on Amazon or needing reliable fulfillment services have access to the perfect resources.
Envision Horizons knows Amazon. More specifically, they know how to help high-growth brands scale wildly on Amazon by leveling up product positioning and category strategy, on-platform SEO and Amazon advertising strategies. Given Amazon’s unofficial mission to be the internet’s everything, it's a universe that brands have to play in if they want to grow to their full potential. What brands often lack, however, is a deep understanding of how Amazon works. It’s so much more than loading up a catalog, connecting some backend pieces and kicking back. It requires knowledge that only comes with experience. And Envision Horizons has that in buckets. Better Together Since connecting a few years ago at a Beauty Independent event, the Envision Horizons and Capacity teams have built a mutually beneficial partnership, supporting a number of shared clients. When one of our brands expresses a desire to scale its Amazon business, we’ve got just the right resource for them. When an Envision Horizons’ client needs a fulfillment solution with decades of D2C and B2B experience, they know exactly where to send them. It’s a symbiotic relationship. As Envision Horizons helps a brand scale its Amazon channel, the Capacity fulfillment machine is able to meet demand. The more we meet Amazon demand, the better Envision Horizons is able to do their job. Drilling Down into Envision Horizons’ Services Envision Horizons functions as an extension of a brand’s team and maintains a holistic view of its business. Their account management services...
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### Fulfillment 101: The Warehouse Invoice
> The warehouse invoice is a crucial document in the brand-fulfillment provider relationship, going beyond just a bill for service. Here's tips on how to assess it.
- Published: 2024-09-03
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/the-warehouse-invoice
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
The warehouse invoice is a crucial document in the brand-fulfillment provider relationship, going beyond just a bill for service. Here's tips on how to assess it.
The relationship between brand and fulfillment provider is built on a number of things: trust, experience, technology, support, data, performance and yes... documentation. One of the most crucial documents is the warehouse invoice package. In the truest sense, a warehouse invoice is a bill for services rendered in a calendar month that the fulfillment provider sends to the brand. But there’s more to it than that. The warehouse invoice is about visibility. It’s about transparency. And it’s about eliminating surprises. The Anatomy of the Warehouse Invoice There are two parts to the warehouse invoice package: the summary of charges and the supporting documentation. The summary aggregates changes by service type: orders, fulfillment, shipping. Think of this as the macro view. At a micro level, the supporting documentation covers all activity: every single order, how orders are classified, charges for each individual order, value added service charges, surcharges at the order level and everything else specified in a given contract. The supporting documentation tells a story that helps brands monitor performance against cost. It helps accounting and finance teams make payments and analyze results. Operations teams frequently use it to guide inventory decisions. Oftentimes, this level of detail can overwhelm those receiving it. At Capacity, our Finance Account Management (FAM) Team walks through the warehouse invoice each month until our clients feel comfortable digesting it independently. And even once they reach that point, we’re always just a phone call or email away! Anytime a client wants to...
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### Fulfil and Capacity: ERP-3PL Integration that Just Works
> We're excited to welcome Fulfil as the newest addition to our Capacity partner platform! Here's why. Fulfil is a powerful ERP solution tailored for fast-growing ecommerce and wholesale brands.
- Published: 2024-08-21
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/3pl-integration-that-just-works
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, EDI Fulfillment, Partnerships, Technology
We're excited to welcome Fulfil as the newest addition to our Capacity partner platform! Here's why. Fulfil is a powerful ERP solution tailored for fast-growing ecommerce and wholesale brands.
Fulfil is an ERP designed for high volume, high growth brands. Purpose-built for ecommerce and wholesale, the platform requires minimal customization and can manage order data, inventory and inventory planning data, accounting data, production data, purchasing data and fulfillment data all in one place. In other words: lots of data, one source of truth. Fulfil is the latest ERP to join the Capacity partner platform – and we’re thrilled to have them aboard. Here’s why. Deep Integration Capabilities Fulfil can integrate with our systems to provide a seamless connection between a brand’s ecommerce operations and its physical logistics. Streamlined Order Processing When an order is placed through a brand’s ecommerce platform, Fulfil manages the order processing and then communicates with us for the physical fulfillment. Real-Time Inventory Sync Fulfil keeps track of inventory levels and feeds that data back to us to ensure accurate stock levels are maintained and orders are fulfilled efficiently. Shipping and Tracking Simplified Once we ship an ecommerce order, our systems send tracking information back into Fulfil, keeping the customer informed and business records up-to-date. Who Should Use Fulfil? Whether a brand is considering an ERP for the first time or kicking the tires on a replacement, here are a few questions to which the answer is “maybe you should give Fulfil a look. ” Struggling to enable optimal order routing because your inventory is stored across multiple locations? Is a lack of real-time inventory visibility resulting in overselling and stockouts? Are you having...
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### Streamlining E-Commerce Operations with NetSuite and Shopify Plus Integration
> Integrating NetSuite and Shopify Plus offers a powerful solution, enabling businesses to streamline processes, enhance customer interactions, and drive revenue growth. This seamless integration eliminates manual workflows, ensures real-time data synchronization, and sets the stage for long-term success.
- Published: 2024-08-13
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/streamlining-e-commerce-operations-the-benefits-of-integrating-shopify-plus-and-netsuite
- Categories: Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, EDI Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerce, Order fulfillment
Integrating NetSuite and Shopify Plus offers a powerful solution, enabling businesses to streamline processes, enhance customer interactions, and drive revenue growth. This seamless integration eliminates manual workflows, ensures real-time data synchronization, and sets the stage for long-term success.
In the competitive world of e-commerce, success often hinges on the ability to operate efficiently while delivering an exceptional customer experience. Integrating NetSuite and Shopify Plus offers a powerful solution, enabling businesses to streamline processes, enhance customer interactions, and drive revenue growth. This seamless integration eliminates manual workflows, ensures real-time data synchronization, and sets the stage for long-term success. Why Integrate NetSuite and Shopify Plus? NetSuite serves as a comprehensive cloud-based ERP platform, managing financials, inventory, and customer data. It acts as the operational backbone for businesses, enabling smooth management of core processes. Shopify Plus, on the other hand, powers e-commerce success with a scalable, customizable platform for creating stunning online storefronts and providing seamless shopping experiences. Together, these platforms amplify efficiency and elevate the customer journey. The Benefits of Integration 1. Real-Time Operational Visibility Integrating NetSuite with Shopify Plus enables businesses to sync critical data in real-time. Inventory levels, order statuses, and customer information flow seamlessly between the two systems, ensuring accurate, up-to-date insights. This visibility empowers better decision-making in areas such as inventory planning, sales forecasting, and resource allocation. 2. Streamlined Business Processes By automating workflows, such as order management and inventory updates, the integration reduces manual data entry and eliminates errors. For instance: A Shopify Plus order triggers updates in NetSuite, automatically adjusting stock levels and initiating fulfillment processes. Automated order confirmation emails and shipping notifications enhance operational efficiency and improve customer satisfaction. 3. Enhanced Customer Experience Integration enriches the customer journey by enabling personalized, omnichannel interactions....
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### Internship Insights: Shaping the Supply Chain of the Future
> Discover the real-life experiences of interns at Capacity, a leading 3PL fulfillment company. Learn what it's like to launch a career in supply chain management through firsthand accounts of day-to-day challenges, career-defining moments, and valuable insights from those who've been there.
- Published: 2024-08-09
- Modified: 2024-08-16
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/internship-insights-shaping-the-supply-chain-of-the-future
- Categories: Culture, Inside Capacity
Discover the real-life experiences of interns at Capacity, a leading 3PL fulfillment company. Learn what it's like to launch a career in supply chain management through firsthand accounts of day-to-day challenges, career-defining moments, and valuable insights from those who've been there.
Capacity started our summer internship program almost ten years ago with their first intern, Ed Shapiro. Now, he’s our Senior Director of Engineering. “Over a decade ago, we had our first Capacity intern, Eddie. While hard at work on his Engineering degree at McGill, he sought hands-on experience. Boy, did he find it! He joined us just as we were onboarding a massive candy company, Dylan's Candy Bar, and quickly found himself knee-deep in gummy bear counts late into the night. Eddie played a pivotal role in developing a new solution for a novel product type and managing a significant account for our business at the time. Fast forward about a decade, and Ed is now our Senior Director of Engineering, leading a team of engineers, analysts, and interns. ” Thom Campbell, CSO and Co - founder Since our first intern, Capacity has been dedicated to shaping the careers of future supply chain leaders through our internship program. In those 10 years, we’ve had dozens of interns join us for a summer of skill-building, hands-on learning, and networking. Many of these interns have gone on to become valuable members of our team. Want to know more about the intern experience at a 3PL fulfillment company? We sat down with a few of our bright, talented college students to get the inside scoop on their summer experiences. From day-to-day tasks to career insights, these interns shared their honest thoughts on what it's like to be part of...
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### 8 Things Your Brand Should Know About Your 3PL
> From tech stacks to scalability, uncover the critical questions brands often overlook when selecting a fulfillment provider.
- Published: 2024-07-22
- Modified: 2024-07-18
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/questions-for-your-3pl
- Categories: Apparel, B2B Retail Fulfillment, Beauty, Consumer Electronics, CPG, eCommerce Fulfillment, EDI Fulfillment, Logistics, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
From tech stacks to scalability, uncover the critical questions brands often overlook when selecting a fulfillment provider.
When brands are kicking the tires on a new fulfillment provider, they ask a lot of questions related to their business. We have a wild Black Friday. How do you plan for peak volume? Some of our products are hazmat. What’s your approach? We’re planning to expand into Europe. Have a footprint there? Knowing what you know you need to know is good. But you don’t always know what else you need to know. (Those two sentences were fun. ) Tongue twisters aside, here’s a shortlist of things every brand should know about their prospective fulfillment partner – whether they know to ask or not. 1. Tech Stack and Integrations “We have robust cutting-edge technology,” said every 3PL ever. Unfortunately, that doesn’t say much of anything at all. Brands need to drill deeper and understand what type of software their prospective 3PL uses. Did they build it in-house? Is it outsourced? What does that mean for support and customization? Is it cloud-based? What are the backup and risk mitigation protocols? What can it actually do? Can it integrate with ERPs, returns management systems and ecommerce platforms? Are those integrations plug-n-play or custom? If a brand can learn one thing from the technology conversation with a potential fulfillment partner it’s this: Requirements will change over time. Is the 3PL I’m talking to right now built for that? 2. Scalability Again, all 3PLs will tell a brand that they can scale with their clients. But what brands need to...
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### Capacity Revamped r.e.m. beauty's Ecommerce Fulfillment Operation in 8 Days
> Discover how Ariana Grande's r.e.m. beauty scaled fulfillment operations to meet demand while keeping customers happy - in just 8 days!
- Published: 2024-07-18
- Modified: 2025-04-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/case-study-rem-beauty
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Beauty, Case Study, Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, Logistics, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
Discover how Ariana Grande's r.e.m. beauty scaled fulfillment operations to meet demand while keeping customers happy - in just 8 days!
Without the brand missing a beat. Highlights Flexible. Capacity adapted to client deadlines and navigated unique challenges to help r. e. m. beauty relocate its ecommerce fulfillment operation in record time. Meticulous. Capacity ensured a successful move through situational analysis, rigorous planning and detailed project management. Committed. Members of the Capacity leadership team were on-site for the entire project, providing oversight, direction and real-time status. In early 2023, Ariana Grande’s r. e. m. beauty was experiencing significant growth, fueled by social virality and launches within multiple new retailers. A pleasant challenge but a challenge nonetheless, leadership knew it needed to bolster its fulfillment operations in order to meet this new level of demand, without sacrificing short-term customer experience. That meant this fulfillment upgrade had to happen quickly. Like 20 days quickly. Building Out the Plan r. e. m. ’s VP of Operations, Lauren Ferguson connected with Capacity’s VP of Sales, TJ Moriarty. Together, they fleshed out the situation, defining requirements, non-negotiables, nice-to-haves, technical setups and integrations (Shopify, EDI), timelines and milestones, product volume, on-site equipment and labor needs and everything else that could impact the move. In a few days, the Capacity team came back with a plan that condensed what typically takes 8 to 12 weeks into less than two. “The Capacity team didn’t just ask all the right questions, they asked every question. How they plan, their thoroughness, their attention to detail... I had all the confidence in the world that they would deliver. ”...
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### Demystifying Hazardous Materials Shipping
> Navigating the intricacies of hazmat management can be daunting. Learn how to think about possible hazardous materials you're shipping.
- Published: 2024-07-18
- Modified: 2024-07-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/demystifying-hazmat-shipping
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Beauty, CPG, eCommerce Fulfillment, Logistics, Order Fulfillment
Navigating the intricacies of hazmat management can be daunting. Learn how to think about possible hazardous materials you're shipping.
The rise of ecommerce has brought exciting opportunities for businesses, but also new complexities, especially when dealing with hazardous materials (hazmat). Understanding how to navigate hazmat shipping regulations can feel overwhelming. This guide offers clear and actionable steps to ensure safe and compliant deliveries, featuring insights from our very own VP of Logistics, Tony Ruiz. A Holistic Approach to Product Mix In the past, hazmat concerns were often addressed on an individual product basis. Today's e-commerce landscape, particularly in beauty, health, and wellness sectors, demands a more comprehensive approach. As Tony emphasizes, "Consumers today often buy multiple items, such as sunscreen, eyeshadow, and nail polish remover simultaneously, resulting in these items being shipped together. " Brands must consider their entire product mix to effectively navigate hazmat challenges. Beyond Individual Products: Considering Interactions A key aspect of this approach is evaluating potential interactions between products. Bundled product kits containing seemingly harmless items might pose hazards if they can leak or react during shipping. Tony warns, "Certain packaging combinations could exacerbate the risk of spills or chemical reactions during shipping. " Brands should also consider the chemical and physical properties of products when determining storage solutions. "A face serum may not be hazardous individually but could pose risks when stored inappropriately," he explains. Understanding B2C vs. B2B Nuances The way you handle hazmat shipments differs depending on your sales channel. Business-to-business (B2B) shipments typically involve larger quantities and require more extensive documentation compared to smaller direct-to-consumer (D2C) shipments. B2B recipients are typically...
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### 6 Signs It's Time to Change Your 3PL (And How to Make the Switch)
- Published: 2024-07-12
- Modified: 2025-02-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/6-signs-its-time-to-change-your-3pl-and-how-to-make-the-switch
- Categories: Customer Experience, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Order fulfillment
For growing brands, partnering with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) is a strategic move that allows you to focus on what matters most – developing great products and building your brand. But as your business evolves, you may find your fulfillment partner no longer aligns with your ambitions. What started as a perfect match can begin to show signs of strain as your volume increases and operations become more complex. Let's explore the six key signs that indicate it's time for a change, and how to navigate the transition successfully. 1. Technology That Holds You Back In today's fast-paced ecommerce landscape, outdated technology isn't just an inconvenience – it's a competitive disadvantage. Modern fulfillment operations require sophisticated systems that can handle complex order routing, multiple sales channels, and real-time inventory management. Many growing brands find themselves held back by legacy systems that worked fine at lower volumes but create bottlenecks as order volume increases. When your team spends more time creating workarounds than focusing on growth, it's a clear sign that your technology foundation needs an upgrade. The cost of staying with outdated systems often far exceeds the investment required to transition to a more capable platform. Watch for these warning signs: Limited inventory visibility Manual processes that should be automated Poor system integration capabilities Lack of real-time reporting Outdated order management systems Modern fulfillment demands sophisticated technology that can scale with your growth and integrate seamlessly with your tech stack. 2. Missing or Inadequate KPI Tracking Performance metrics are...
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### Plans to Scale in the UK and the EU?
- Published: 2024-07-08
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/scale-in-uk
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, Logistics, Order Fulfillment, Partnerships
Capacity and Prolog Have Your Answer. Today we are excited to officially announce our partnership with Prolog Fulfilment, a leading European fulfillment provider based in Nottingham, England. But this announcement isn’t about us. It’s not even about Prolog, really. It’s about brands looking for an efficient, effective way to scale in the United Kingdom and Europe. It’s a Whole Different Market The United Kingdom is roughly the same size as Oregon. But while Oregon has a population of 4. 24 million, nearly 67 million people call the UK home. That’s a ton of people in a relatively small space. This creates an entirely different set of consumer expectations when it comes to ecommerce delivery timelines. In the UK, the standard expectation is that if an order is placed by 4:00 p. m. – or even 8:00 p. m. in some cases – it will arrive the next day, within 24 hours. Worst case, 48 hours. By partnering with Prolog, we’re able to hold client inventory on-site, in the UK, and ultimately meet ecommerce delivery expectations amongst UK shoppers. Prolog’s innate understanding of the various UK carrier tiers plays a big part in that as well. “Every brand knows that meeting the consumer’s delivery expectations plays a huge role in satisfaction and loyalty. Being able to tap into Prolog’s existing infrastructure and its deep knowledge of the UK is huge. When a UK customer places an order with a US-based brand, they’re no longer waiting 10,...
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### Brands: How Does Your 3PL Prepare for the Worst?
> Shield your brand with a robust Business Continuity Plan. Mitigate risks, ensure supply chain resilience, and safeguard customers' trust.
- Published: 2024-06-24
- Modified: 2024-08-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/brands-how-does-your-3pl-prepare-for-the-worst
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Hurricanes happen. So do earthquakes, blackouts, brownouts, wildfires, floods, pandemics, superstorms, tornadoes, geopolitical events, road closures, strikes, tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, blizzards, derechos and countless other events that can wreak havoc on a brand’s supply chain. Zeroing in on the fulfillment link of that chain, your 3PL’s business continuity plan can make or break your defense against the unexpected. Here’s what to look for. An Actual Business Continuity Plan This is a physical document that a 3PL should have. Typically, the CEO owns it. The Business Continuity Plan outlines business disruption risk mitigation that addresses the loss of strategic, critical, and non-critical staff as well as the loss of on-site utilities (i. e. , power, water). It covers what the 3PL will do if a facility or location is rendered inaccessible, if suppliers are offline and what happens when transport services are inoperable. Additionally, the Business Continuity Plan details procedures and protocols for what are called “global disruptive events” such as snow storms, floods and hurricanes and “local events” such as fire, power outages and damage from localized storms. At Capacity, we have specific levels of disruption tolerance. Disruption tolerance is industry speak for the minutes, hours, days or weeks a particular business function is allowed to effectively be offline before we initiate specific protocols. The more critical the business function, the smaller the level of disruption tolerance. This applies to things like data processing, receiving, warehousing, order pick and pack, order shipment, communication (client services), assembly and...
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### E-commerce Fulfillment: Best Practices and Benefits
> As consumer demands grow and technology advances, adopting the right strategies can transform your fulfillment process from a logistical necessity into a competitive advantage. Here’s how businesses can deliver on their promises with precision, efficiency, and a touch of innovation.
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Modified: 2025-02-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/e-commerce-fulfillment-best-practices-and-benefits
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerce, Order fulfillment
As consumer demands grow and technology advances, adopting the right strategies can transform your fulfillment process from a logistical necessity into a competitive advantage. Here’s how businesses can deliver on their promises with precision, efficiency, and a touch of innovation.
At its heart, e-commerce fulfillment is about meeting expectations—every order, every time. In today’s dynamic retail landscape, fulfillment isn’t just a back-end operation; it’s the bridge between brands and their customers. As consumer demands grow and technology advances, adopting the right strategies can transform your fulfillment process from a logistical necessity into a competitive advantage. Here’s how businesses can deliver on their promises with precision, efficiency, and a touch of innovation. 1. Invest in Automation for Smarter Fulfillment Automation is reshaping the fulfillment landscape, and for good reason. By integrating robotics and AI into operations, businesses can scale faster, process orders more accurately, and respond to surges in demand seamlessly. Imagine warehouses where robotic systems pick and pack with pinpoint accuracy, cutting down processing times during peak seasons. Automation doesn’t just streamline workflows—it ensures consistency and reduces costly errors. Industry leaders like Walmart are already reaping the benefits, doubling throughput while maintaining operational reliability. For brands looking to elevate their game, automation is no longer a “nice-to-have”—it’s a must. 2. Omnichannel Fulfillment: One System, Endless Possibilities Your customers don’t think in silos, and your fulfillment strategy shouldn’t either. Omnichannel fulfillment allows businesses to manage inventory across e-commerce platforms, retail stores, and wholesale channels in real time. The result? A unified experience that matches the way modern consumers shop. With omnichannel capabilities, your business can reduce stockouts, shorten delivery times, and offer customers the flexibility they crave—whether that’s shipping directly to their door or letting them pick up an order in-store....
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### Automate to Augment: How Covariant Helps Capacity Handle Spikes and Meet Demand Without Missing a Beat
- Published: 2024-06-10
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/automate-to-augment-how-covariant-helps-capacity-handle-spikes-and-meet-demand-without-missing-a-beat
- Categories: Order Fulfillment, Partnerships, Technology
Roughly three years ago, Waldo joined the Capacity team. Waldo is an AI-powered robotic putwall that autonomously sorts items from mixed-SKU totes to increase throughput. Said differently, Waldo is a robot. Developed by our partner and one of the world’s leading AI Robotics companies, Covariant, Waldo has been instrumental in our ability to support our clients in an ever-changing ecommerce world – so much so that since Waldo’s first day on the floor, we’ve added four more robotic putwalls to the team: C-3PL, Maggie, PutWALL-E and Jarvis With five robots essentially on staff, we’re able to scale fulfillment operations for our brands at a moment’s notice. When a celebrity-led beauty brand does a new product launch at midnight on a Tuesday, we’re able to instantly meet that demand without having to scramble for additional staff. The same can be said for the peak holiday season. But that’s not to say Waldo and his crew are here to replace our people. It’s actually quite the opposite. Core to our strategy as a business is building technology around knowledge. As much as fulfillment is moving things from one place to another, doing it at scale requires deep experience and informed decision-making. It is equal parts art and science. Through this strategy we are reshaping the responsibilities of our associates and building the next generation of warehouse operators that are capable of maintaining and troubleshooting complex automated systems. “Covariant’s technology has absolutely given us an edge. When prospective clients ask us about...
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### Anti-Diversion: How 3PLs Tackle Theft
> Here are theft prevention anti-diversion best practices brands should look for in their 3PL.
- Published: 2024-06-05
- Modified: 2024-07-18
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/how-3pls-tackle-theft
- Categories: Apparel, B2B Retail Fulfillment, Beauty, Consumer Electronics, Customer Experience, Order Fulfillment
Here are theft prevention anti-diversion best practices brands should look for in their 3PL.
In the 3PL world, the first step towards fighting theft and diversion is to acknowledge it. Whether we’re talking about the counterfeiting of luxury goods or legit product “falling off the truck,” a 3PL can be a brand’s best ally towards fighting theft and diversion. Here are theft prevention anti-diversion best practices brands should look for in their 3PL. Security Strong security protocols are non-negotiable. Who has warehouse access? How is that access logged? What are the points of entry and exit like? Security guards? Screening? Are there security cameras? Inside the warehouse? Outside the building? Any blind spots? How is that footage stored? What can staff bring in and out of the warehouse? What about access controls to picking products? How’s the lighting inside the buildings? 3PL security ultimately comes down to trust. Brands are trusting them with their goods and, largely, the success of their business. They should be doing everything they can to ensure a secure facility. Training Fulfillment is still very much a people-driven business. 3PLs that invest in training their employees on theft and theft prevention are signaling to brands that they take their role seriously. Here at Capacity, we conduct initial and continuing employee education on a range of topics, including theft and theft prevention. We identify suspicious behaviors folks should look out for. We offer an anonymous tip service where employees can report observations without risk of retribution or retaliation. Team leaders are trained on how to handle theft-related...
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### Learning from Each Other: A Multigenerational Perspective at Capacity
- Published: 2024-05-13
- Modified: 2024-05-16
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/learning-from-each-other-a-multigenerational-perspective-at-capacity
- Categories: Culture, Inside Capacity
At Capacity, we value the connections our employees bring and encourage referrals from both friends and family. We believe this is a great way to discover talented individuals who are a good fit for our team. Of course, it's important to maintain a fair and objective hiring process so, regardless of referral source, all candidates go through the same rigorous interview and evaluation process. This ensures we find the best person for the role, and avoids any potential conflicts of interest. Additionally, to foster a healthy work environment, family members cannot directly supervise or report to each other. We have several examples at Capacity of how employee referrals of family members contribute to our workplace culture. Today, we're featuring an interview with one of our Managers of Client Service, Grace Chetta, who gets to experience that sense of community in a truly unique way – by working alongside their son. Here’s what she had to say: Working at the same company as a family member can be rewarding, but also comes with unique challenges. When my son recently joined Capacity after finishing graduate school, it created an interesting dynamic. I never expected I'd end up working at the same company as my son, let alone in the same department! After almost three years at Capacity, the opportunity to recommend my son for a role arose at the perfect time. I watched and supported Capacity’s growth into a well-respected 3PL in the consumer industry. My son Joe had...
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### Stories of Experience: Capacity’s Most Tenured Team Members Share What Makes us a Different Kind of 3PL
- Published: 2024-05-08
- Modified: 2024-05-14
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/stories-of-experience-capacitys-most-tenured-team-members-share-what-makes-us-a-different-kind-of-3pl
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary, we caught up with some of Capacity’s longest tenured employees to capture what makes us different from your everyday 3PL. Kristina Crockett, Director of Finance (15 Years) I started here at Capacity in October of 2008. I was a supervisor in accounts receivable. Back then, we were just one building, C1. We didn’t even call it that because there was no C2! But when I think about the company’s major moments, adding that second building was big. We were going from “OK, we’re a strong, small, little company to this thing is growing in a significant way. ” It was a big leap for a company that started with three guys, a plan and a little bit of funding. Fourteen years later, we’re at just over 1. 2 million square feet spread across four buildings in New Jersey, one in California and one in Indianapolis. But it was that first big step of going from one to two that really stands out in my mind. People are sometimes surprised when they find out I’ve been with the same company for 15 years. That’s not all that common these days. But career growth is a big focus at Capacity. We’ve created an environment where people don’t have to leave to grow. We want people to want to be here – and that’s a two-way street. I think, as a company, we do a great job of building a culture of...
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### International Shipping Solved: How Capacity and Passport Make it Happen
- Published: 2024-05-02
- Modified: 2024-07-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/international-shipping-solved-how-capacity-and-passport-make-it-happen
- Categories: Logistics, Partnerships
A few years back, we had a client that wanted to start serving international markets. That client was also a client of Passport, a solutions provider that helps brands simplify global commerce and boost international growth. Together, we stood up an international shipping solution for our shared client that allowed them to ship customer orders with duties prepaid. As more of our clients began expanding into other markets around the world, our relationship with Passport grew. Fast-forward to today, we’re able to offer a low-cost, highly efficient end-to-end solution that streamlines international shipping for our clients. What Value Does the Capacity-Passport Partnership Afford Brands? For scaling brands, international markets are key to sustained growth. But shipping internationally introduces a whole new layer of complexity. With Passport, we’re able to offer our brands an experienced international parcel shipping provider for ecommerce. Passport also provides door-to-door visibility and performance monitoring through branded tracking pages and a Shipping Intelligence dashboard in their online portal. Their global team of dedicated support specialists have our brands’ backs too, helping them navigate local markets with store localization strategies, hands-on customer service, and in-house compliance brokers. But perhaps one of the biggest challenges the Capacity-Passport partnership solves for our brands relates to trade rules, tax obligations, and local standards. We’re talking about Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU)... Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)... who pays for what... the list goes on. Passport handles all of that, including a bundled shipping and internationalization solution, Passport Global, to...
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### Omnichannel vs. Multichannel Fulfillment: Choosing the Right Strategy
> In today's complex retail landscape, choosing the right fulfillment strategy is crucial for business success. As a 3PL partner, Capacity helps brands navigate the decision between omnichannel and multichannel approaches, providing the infrastructure and expertise needed to execute either strategy effectively.
- Published: 2024-04-22
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/omnichannel-vs-multichannel-retail-making-the-right-choice-for-your-business
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerce, multichannel, omnichannel, Order fulfillment
In today's complex retail landscape, choosing the right fulfillment strategy is crucial for business success. As a 3PL partner, Capacity helps brands navigate the decision between omnichannel and multichannel approaches, providing the infrastructure and expertise needed to execute either strategy effectively.
In today's complex retail landscape, choosing the right fulfillment strategy is crucial for business success. As a 3PL partner, Capacity helps brands navigate the decision between omnichannel and multichannel approaches, providing the infrastructure and expertise needed to execute either strategy effectively. Understanding Omnichannel Fulfillment Omnichannel fulfillment integrates all sales channels into a unified fulfillment network, allowing inventory to be dynamically allocated across channels based on demand and efficiency. This approach requires sophisticated warehouse management systems and integrated inventory control to ensure seamless order processing regardless of order source. How 3PLs Enable Omnichannel Success A sophisticated 3PL partner provides several critical capabilities for omnichannel operations: Unified Inventory Management By maintaining a single pool of inventory that serves all channels, 3PLs help brands minimize inventory investment while maximizing availability. This approach enables: Cross-channel inventory visibility Dynamic stock allocation Reduced overall inventory requirements More efficient use of warehouse space Integrated Order Processing Modern 3PL operations can receive and process orders from multiple channels through a single system, ensuring consistent handling regardless of source. This includes: Order prioritization across channels Channel-specific packaging requirements Customized shipping solutions Returns processing for all channels Real-Time Data Synchronization 3PLs provide the technology infrastructure needed to maintain accurate inventory and order data across all channels, including: Live inventory updates Order status tracking Performance analytics Channel-specific reporting Supporting Multichannel Fulfillment Multichannel fulfillment treats each sales channel as a distinct operation, often with dedicated inventory and specific fulfillment requirements. This approach can be particularly effective for brands with channel-specific packaging, handling,...
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### Sustainable Logistics: Balancing Green Initiatives and Business Success
> As terms like “green logistics” and “sustainable logistics” gain traction, retail brands are reevaluating their supply chains to uncover every opportunity to reduce carbon footprints. A critical focus of these efforts is freight transportation, which the EPA identifies as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Heavy-duty trucks are the fastest-growing contributor within this sector, intensifying the urgency for change.
- Published: 2024-04-17
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/green-logistics
- Categories: Customer Experience, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Supply chain
As terms like “green logistics” and “sustainable logistics” gain traction, retail brands are reevaluating their supply chains to uncover every opportunity to reduce carbon footprints. A critical focus of these efforts is freight transportation, which the EPA identifies as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Heavy-duty trucks are the fastest-growing contributor within this sector, intensifying the urgency for change.
As terms like “green logistics” and “sustainable logistics” gain traction, retail brands are reevaluating their supply chains to uncover every opportunity to reduce carbon footprints. A critical focus of these efforts is freight transportation, which the EPA identifies as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U. S. Heavy-duty trucks are the fastest-growing contributor within this sector, intensifying the urgency for change. The Impact of Freight Growth The logistics industry plays a vital role in moving goods, but its environmental cost is steep. In 2015, U. S. logistics handled over 49. 5 million tons of goods daily, valued at nearly $52. 7 billion. By 2025, freight activity is projected to grow another 23. 5%, with a 45% increase by 2040. This growth is expected to drive emissions from freight transportation higher than those from all other transportation activities, including passenger vehicles. Sustainability’s Dual Benefits For many brands, sustainability is no longer just a moral imperative; it’s also a business opportunity. Consumers increasingly demand eco-conscious practices. According to Accenture, 66% of “Reimagined” consumers—those whose values shifted during the pandemic—expect brands to prioritize sustainability and demonstrate their commitment through transparent practices. These consumers are willing to pay more and remain loyal to brands that align with their values, confirming findings from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Eco-Friendly Supply Chain Solutions Brands looking to make meaningful environmental impacts must consider every phase of their supply chains. Beyond packaging, fulfillment presents significant opportunities for improvement. At Capacity, we help brands implement...
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### If Environmental Sustainability is Core to Your Brand Your Fulfillment Partner Plays a Major Role
- Published: 2024-04-05
- Modified: 2024-07-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/if-environmental-sustainability-is-core-to-your-brand-your-fulfillment-partner-plays-a-major-role
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Here’s What to Look For For brands operating in the beauty, cosmetics, health and wellness and apparel industries, meaningful environmental sustainability practices are no longer a nice-to-have. They’re required. Employees want to work somewhere that prioritizes sustainability and, increasingly, customers are making purchasing decisions based on a brand’s sustainability practices. There’s social and financial value in environmental sustainability. But on their own, brands can only do so much. Their partners’ environmental sustainability practices are the dominant contributors. We’re talking about suppliers, manufacturers and yes, fulfillment partners. How these supply chain partners embrace environmental sustainability directly impacts the brand’s overall sustainability. Drilling down into sustainability initiatives amongst fulfillment partners, here’s what brands should look for. Carbon Reduction Efforts This is the key performance indicator of a fulfillment partner’s environmental sustainability initiatives. At a high level, overall carbon reduction is a summation of the three Rs: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse. “Brands today expect this of their 3PL partners. They expect real recycling and waste management initiatives. I think there’s a future where all supply chain partners are going to be able to position themselves as zero waste. That’s the holy grail that we’re all working towards. ” – Nate Schisler, Chief Maven | Maven Circular At Capacity, we developed a custom carbon footprint calculator that measures our emissions, waste, electricity usage, gas consumption, water usage and landfill contributions for our New Jersey campus. In 2022, we recycled 698,220 lbs of mostly cardboard. In 2023, we added wood and metal,...
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### Evolution of the Fulfillment Industry: A 25-Year Retrospective
- Published: 2024-03-25
- Modified: 2024-03-25
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/evolution-of-the-fulfillment-industry-a-25-year-retrospective/
- Categories: Culture, Inside Capacity, Order Fulfillment
As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary, Capacity Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Jeff Kaiden, reflects on how the industry has changed over the last quarter of a century – and how it hasn’t. Back in the late 90s when someone would ask me what I did for a living, I would tell them that I designed distribution centers. Oh, so you’re an architect, they would say. No, I work as an industrial engineer to design the insides of warehouses, you know the conveyor and the rack and sortation and stuff like that. Blank stares. No one really knew that fulfillment existed as a business, as a discipline. Jeff KaidenThat all changed with the dawn of the ecommerce revolution. And when Amazon started selling everything under the sun, suddenly everyone became aware of our industry. Demand for fulfillment services soared and has shown no signs of slowing down. And if you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. It’s relatively inexpensive for brands to put their products in front of the right audiences at precisely the right times. The ecommerce experience has become virtually frictionless thanks to the Shopifys of the world. It’s a great time to be in the fulfillment business. Although it would be even better if it were just my little secret from 1999 instead of the competitive industry it has become! E-commerce hasn’t been the sole driver. While it’s experienced its own series of shakeups, the retail world is still strong. Remember, "U....
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### Three Expert Ways to Design Your Packaging This Year: A Guide for E-Commerce Brands
> This guide explores three strategies to revolutionize product packaging, ensuring it's recyclable and a powerful tool for marketing.
- Published: 2024-03-18
- Modified: 2024-03-18
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/three-expert-ways-to-design-your-packaging-this-year-a-guide-for-e-commerce-brands/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
With 2024 well underway, small e-commerce brands are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role of packaging design in creating a lasting impression. In this upcoming year, the focus isn't just on aesthetics but also on sustainability and functionality. This shift reflects a deep understanding that eco-friendly and sustainable packaging can significantly enhance brand identity and customer experience. This guide will explore three expert strategies to revolutionize product packaging, ensuring it's not just recyclable but also a powerful tool in a marketing arsenal. 1. Utilize Sales Data to Streamline Packaging Options One of the most overlooked aspects of packaging design is its direct correlation with sales data. As a small e-commerce brand, it's crucial to use this data to consolidate the number of sizes and packaging types on offer. This approach not only streamlines the supply chain but also minimizes environmental impact, aligning with the principles of the circular economy. How does this work? By analyzing up to date sales data, it’s easy to identify the most frequently purchased items and optimize packaging solutions to fit these products perfectly. This strategy not only reduces waste but also enhances the unboxing experience by ensuring products arrive in tailor-made packaging. Plus, by minimizing excess material, it helps contribute to an eco-friendlier packaging system. 2. Design Double-Sided Packaging to Enhance User Experience The unboxing experience is a critical moment that can bolster customer loyalty. Interactive and informative packaging is a trend that's gaining momentum, and one way to leverage this is by designing double-sided packaging....
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### It’s Time to Generate Revenue Out of Your Non-New Returns
- Published: 2024-03-13
- Modified: 2024-06-19
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/its-time-to-generate-revenue-out-of-your-non-new-returns
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Non-salable returns have always been a burden on brands. A cost of doing business. That’s changing. Arrive is a fully managed recommerce resale platform that turns cost centers into profit centers by helping brands and retailers divert products such as non-new returns, excess and damaged inventory into revenue-generating inventory. Brands already using Arrive include YETI, Burton, Blanqi and The Citizenry. The platform, which includes its Recommence Management Technology, Recommerce Storefront Technology, and analytical tools, allows merchants and brand to own their entire path to purchase. The result is higher profits, operational efficiency, and customer acquisition and lifetime value. It’s also built to integrate seamlessly with 3PLs, which brings us to our reason for writing this post... ... The Capacity recommerce program, powered by Arrive, has officially launched. Here’s why we’re excited about that: 50% of customers who make purchases through a brand-certified resale channel are net new. By making products more accessible to price-sensitive customers, brands are increasing their exposure and expanding their base - all while protecting brand equity. 35% of customers who make purchases through a brand-certified resale channel transact in new and non-new. They're buying returned and new products. Instead of liquidating and selling excess inventory for pennies on the dollar, Arrive is helping brands resell returns and overstock inventory for up to 70% of MSRP through a fully branded experience. The customer doesn't even know Arrive exists. Arrive helps brands reduce their waste and carbon footprints by diverting non-new returns and excess inventory...
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### We’re Partnering with Two Boxes to Navigate Complex Returns Processing.
> Capacity 3PL is happy to announce our partnership with Two Boxes to enhance our customers' returns experience.
- Published: 2024-03-08
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-two-boxes
- Categories: Order Fulfillment, Partnerships
Here’s What That Means for Our Brands. We’ve added Two Boxes to our partner ranks. Named one of 2023’s most promising startups by The Information, Two Boxes is a returns management system (RMS) that helps brands identify high priority returns, improve customer service and get more inventory back to stock faster. For brands, that means returns are no longer a black box. Two Boxes gives them complete visibility into their return lifecycle. For 3PLs like us, Two Boxes helps us efficiently manage those returns inside our warehouses. Think of Two Boxes as a 3PL’s returns mission control center. The platform helps us digitize our brand SOPs, cut down on training time and process returns up to two times faster. With Two Boxes, we can access critical data on performance, quality and cost, generate automated reporting for internal and external audiences, and better predict returns-focused staffing demands. All of this helps our brands track and analyze data, identify fraud, monitor restock rates, and predict how many returns will get back to stock at what time. The result? We’re able to handle returns with greater efficiency and predictability, helping our brands reduce costs. And we’re already up and running with Two Boxes: Implementing Two Boxes has dramatically improved our workflow. The volumes that we’re processing have had a direct impact on the scale of our apparel brands. – Casey Pipero, Director of Value Added Services You might be thinking, “Capacity has announced a number of returns-focused...
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### Celebrating Women's History Month And Inspiring Inclusion
- Published: 2024-03-08
- Modified: 2024-03-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/celebrating-womens-history-month/
- Categories: Culture, Inside Capacity
In supply chain management, women have made significant progress, pushing boundaries and transforming the industry. From streamlining operations to optimizing logistics, they have played a pivotal role in driving success and fostering innovation. However, despite these strides, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions within traditionally male-dominated sectors. It is crucial to acknowledge and honor the accomplishments of women who continue to challenge stereotypes, break through barriers, and pave the path for generations to come. Take Amiee Bayer-Thomas, a highly accomplished and respected figure in supply chain management. As the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Ulta Beauty, she has made significant contributions to the company's success and growth. Amiee's expertise and leadership have earned her numerous awards, including a well-deserved place among the top 10 Chief Supply Chain Officers of 2023, as recognized by Logistics Transportation Review Magazine. Or our own Chief Financial Officer, Jocelyn Petersen, who is an extraordinary leader who possesses a unique blend of empathy and resilience, empowering those around her to rise to their fullest potential. She cultivates a culture of inclusivity where everyone's voice is heard and valued. We’re not the only one who thinks Jocelyn is remarkable, as she was recently named one of NJBIZ’s Top 50 Women in Business. Here's what she has to say about women in business and supply chain management: “In business, an optimized management of supply chain process, including excellent service delivery to customers, serves as a competitive differentiator. An organization itself strengthens through collaboration and by keenly listening...
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### A Look Back on 25 Years of Capacity
- Published: 2024-03-04
- Modified: 2024-03-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/a-look-back-on-25-years-of-capacity/
- Categories: Culture, Inside Capacity
In celebration of our 25th anniversary, Capacity Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder, Thom Campbell, kicks off our milestone year with an oral history of the company. Throughout the year, we’ll look back on major milestones, game-changing moments and how we navigated a few inevitable bumps in the road. We’ll also highlight a handful of client success stories too – because 25 years doesn’t happen without the amazing brands we’ve been lucky enough to support. Enjoy. In the late 90s, fulfillment wasn’t a word that many people knew how to define. Jeff , Arlen and I were doing different things. Jeff and Arlen were in business school at night. They had day jobs. Jeff was a consultant designing distribution centers with his father. I was working on Wall Street with Morgan Stanley. Jeff and Arlen were in an entrepreneurship class at NYU and had the idea to create a 3PL in response to the wild west days of the dot-com boom. They asked me if I was interested and before we even sketched out the business on the back of a napkin, we were all in. In those pre-bust dot-com days, everyone was working on coming up with the next big internet-powered, consumer-facing innovation. And that’s really what struck us: Someone’s going to have to ship all of this stuff. We saw an opportunity that was not getting a lot of attention – and our advantage was that we had Jeff and his father, Allen. After working...
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### Fulfillment Trends and How Brands Can Capitalize on Them
> As we examined the year end data for 2023, we found some interesting stories with insights that you can apply.
- Published: 2024-02-12
- Modified: 2024-02-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-trends/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
As a 3PL, we generate a lot of data. We use this data to make strategic business decisions and ensure that we’re able to deliver for our clients. We also use it to capture trends that we can share with our client base with the intent of helping them identify growth opportunities.
Coming out of 2023, here are a few data stories and trends we found interesting...
As a 3PL, we generate a lot of data. We use this data to make strategic business decisions and ensure that we’re able to deliver for our clients. We also use it to capture trends that we can share with our client base with the intent of helping them identify growth opportunities. Coming out of 2023, here are a few data stories and trends we found interesting... Growth Goes International In 2021, we fulfilled 8. 1 million units internationally. That number grew 17% in 2022 to 9. 5 million. But in 2023, we processed 20. 9 million units internationally, resulting in a 120. 6% jump compared to 2022. Why the massive leap? We can point to a few factors. One of our leading beauty brands opened up to Sephora Europe in 2023. They worked hard to grow their Sephora presence in Canada, the Middle East and Australia as well. There were also a handful of regulatory changes that created opportunity for the brand. (Side note: We keep our finger on the pulse of commerce legislation both in the U. S. and internationally to help our clients evaluate markets and opportunities. ) As our client entered new Sephora markets, we scaled with them. Takeaway: If you’re only selling domestically, let’s talk about how you might be able to expand internationally. The growth opportunities are too significant to ignore. Celebrity Brands Skyrocket We handle ecommerce and retail fulfillment for a number of celebrity-backed brands. We don’t name names, but you’d know more...
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### Consolidation Delivers
> Capacity is a consolidator for Ulta and Sephora. A consolidator is a third party logistics company (3PL) that ships multiple brands to a single retailer.
- Published: 2024-02-09
- Modified: 2024-02-09
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/consolidation-delivers/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
We’re a Consolidator for Ulta and Sephora. Here’s What That Means. Capacity is a consolidator for Ulta and Sephora, two of the biggest beauty retailers in the world. In logistics parlance, a consolidator is a third party logistics company (3PL) that ships multiple brands to a single retailer. Instead of your brand shipping one purchase order to the retailer, a consolidator aggregates multiple brands into one full container load, a much more cost effective way to transport goods. Working with a 3PL that is a consolidator is win-win for brands and retailers. And it’s a win for the 3PL too. Here’s the breakdown. Brand Benefits of Working with a 3PL ConsolidatorThe Retailer Pays for Shipping For brands this is huge. Their shipments are no longer prepaid. For a number of our brands that we consolidate to Sephora and Ulta, that translates into hundreds of dollars saved per week. For some, thousands. Because Sephora and Ulta send their own trucks and cover the shipping costs, consolidated brands don’t have to work with LTL carriers. They don’t have to deal with the time and expense that comes with managing their own B2B freight. Access to the Right People Breaking in with a retailer like Ulta or Sephora typically isn’t easy for young upstart brands. As a consolidator and long-time partner to both Ulta and Sephora, we know what that takes. In fact, we’ve helped a number of our brands strike relationships with both retailers. For our brands with Sephora or Ulta aspirations,...
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### Thinking about switching 3PLs?
- Published: 2024-01-25
- Modified: 2024-04-09
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/thinking-about-switching-3pls/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment, EDI Fulfillment, Logistics, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
Evaluate your current solution, define what you need, and make an action plan. It's January 2024 The holiday crush is in your rearview mirror. You made it. The dust is still settling and you’re more than likely processing a few (or many) returns, but the fact remains... you made it. Now it’s time to retrospect; to look back at how things actually went. It’ll be a while before accounting can deliver financial reports. Your retailer relationships appear to be strong. The IT team says the eCommerce experience was bug-free. But how about your 3PL? Heading into the holiday season, you and your leadership team kept wondering: Are we with the right partner? At that time, you also knew that switching to a new 3PL mere months before Black Friday (or even Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days) was a very bad idea. But still. You couldn’t shake the feeling. Whether your current 3PL is the one you’ve been with since you graduated to actually needing a 3PL or if it’s the one that fit your business at a particular moment in time, you’ve been wondering. Wondering, however, is often rooted in a gut feeling. And you want facts. Data. You're trying to make a decision on your 3PL: Stick with the status quo or make a move? We hope the following will help you make a decision. 1. Are you getting what you expected? TL;DR: Review your SLA. Is your 3PL making good on it? At the beginning of your relationship...
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### Capacity and Happy Returns Strike Strategic Partnership to Optimize Ecommerce Returns
- Published: 2024-01-16
- Modified: 2024-09-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-and-happy-returns-strike-strategic-partnership-to-optimize-ecommerce-returns
- Categories: Order Fulfillment, Partnerships
We are excited to announce a strategic partnership with Happy Returns, a UPS company, one of the industry’s top commerce returns management platforms. With complementary expertise and a shared commitment to enhancing the ecommerce experience, this collaboration is set to fundamentally change the way businesses handle returns while driving customer satisfaction to new heights. So, what does this partnership mean for ecommerce businesses and their customers? 1. A Seamless Returns Experience Capacity and Happy Returns will provide an end-to-end returns experience that is simple, efficient, and hassle-free. Customers will enjoy the convenience of multiple return options, including in-person drop-offs at Happy Returns' Return Bar network of nearly 10,000 locations nationwide, making the returns process as effortless as the initial purchase. 2. Enhanced Efficiency By leveraging Capacity’s extensive logistics network and industry-leading fulfillment capabilities and Happy Returns' returns management software, businesses can expect a significant boost in efficiency. The partnership will optimize return routing, reduce transit times, and expedite the processing of returned items, ensuring quicker resolution for customers and decreased strain on ecommerce operations. 3. Insights Backed by Data In the ever-evolving world of ecommerce, reliable data and actionable insights are crucial for making informed business decisions. Through this partnership, businesses will gain access to comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities that will help them better understand return patterns, identify trends, and make target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Give us a shout.
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### Why Apparel and Fashion Brands Need to Start Thinking Hard About Returns in 2024
> Here at Capacity, we recently onboarded a number of new apparel and fashion brands. Unsurprisingly, these markets see return rates as high as 40 percent. That translates into tens of thousands of units per month that require sorting, grading and restocking (if resellable). For these brands and their 3PLs, the struggle is real. And it’s only growing. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in building out a robust, streamlined reverse logistics program to make return management as cost effective as possible. Part of that investment has gone towards creating strong partnerships and integrations with return management systems, or RMSs. One of those RMSs is Loop Returns.
- Published: 2024-01-11
- Modified: 2024-01-18
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/why-apparel-and-fashion-brands-need-to-start-thinking-hard-about-returns-in-2024/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Here at Capacity, we recently onboarded a number of new apparel and fashion brands. Unsurprisingly, these markets see return rates as high as 40 percent. That translates into tens of thousands of units per month that require sorting, grading and restocking (if resellable).
For these brands and their 3PLs, the struggle is real. And it’s only growing.
That’s why we’ve invested heavily in building out a robust, streamlined reverse logistics program to make return management as cost effective as possible. Part of that investment has gone towards creating strong partnerships and integrations with return management systems, or RMSs. One of those RMSs is Loop Returns.
Here at Capacity, we recently onboarded a number of new apparel and fashion brands. Unsurprisingly, these markets see return rates as high as 40 percent. That translates into tens of thousands of units per month that require sorting, grading and restocking (if resellable). For these brands and their 3PLs, the struggle is real. And it’s only growing. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in building out a robust, streamlined reverse logistics program to make return management as cost effective as possible. Part of that investment has gone towards creating strong partnerships and integrations with return management systems, or RMSs. One of those RMSs is Loop Returns. Together, we have more than a dozen mutual customers that we’re helping optimize returns. Our go-to person at Loop is Nate Lesperance. Our head of partnerships, Jason Depietropaolo, recently caught up with Nate to talk about the future of returns and what all brands – including fashion and retail – need to be paying attention to down the road. Here’s the recap. Gone are the Days of Growth at all Costs Nate: From the pandemic you had so many VC-backed brands that put customer acquisition above everything else, it was growth at all costs. Now you’re really starting to see a lot of them change their focus. The focus is on revenue efficiency so they’re trying to reduce various costs. They’re trying to pull any lever they can. Jason: And getting smart about returns is a big part of...
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### Engineering Success Across Channels: A Guide to Unified B2B and B2C Fulfillment
> Many growing brands start with a single channel focus – either B2B or direct-to-consumer (DTC). But as your brand evolves, managing multiple channels becomes essential for sustainable growth. While it might seem logical to handle B2B and DTC fulfillment separately, this approach often creates unnecessary complexity and missed opportunities. Let's explore why unifying your fulfillment operations can drive better results, and what to look for in an omnichannel fulfillment partner.
- Published: 2023-12-15
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/manage-both-b2b-b2c-through-one-3pl
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Logistics, Order fulfillment, Supply chain
Many growing brands start with a single channel focus – either B2B or direct-to-consumer (DTC). But as your brand evolves, managing multiple channels becomes essential for sustainable growth. While it might seem logical to handle B2B and DTC fulfillment separately, this approach often creates unnecessary complexity and missed opportunities. Let's explore why unifying your fulfillment operations can drive better results, and what to look for in an omnichannel fulfillment partner.
Many growing brands start with a single channel focus – either B2B or direct-to-consumer (DTC). But as your brand evolves, managing multiple channels becomes essential for sustainable growth. While it might seem logical to handle B2B and DTC fulfillment separately, this approach often creates unnecessary complexity and missed opportunities. Let's explore why unifying your fulfillment operations can drive better results, and what to look for in an omnichannel fulfillment partner. The Power of Unified Inventory Management Managing inventory across channels is one of the most complex challenges growing brands face. When B2B and DTC operations are separated, you're essentially running two parallel businesses with double the complexity. The reality is that modern inventory management should be channel-agnostic at its core, while accommodating channel-specific requirements in execution. Consider these key differences in channel requirements: B2B typically requires EDI compliance and retail routing guides DTC demands real-time inventory accuracy and fast shipping B2B orders are largely predictable and scheduled DTC ordering patterns can be highly variable B2B tracks by pallet and case DTC requires individual unit tracking A unified approach brings clarity and control to these complexities. Smart Storage Strategy: The Efficiency Multiplier When you combine B2B and DTC inventory storage, you unlock significant operational advantages. Smart storage strategy isn't just about warehouse space – it's about creating flexible inventory pools that can serve any channel while maintaining clear visibility and control. Key benefits of unified storage include: Reduced overall inventory requirements Lower carrying costs Minimized dead stock Improved inventory turns Greater...
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### Seamless Logistics Solutions: Capacity and Loop Returns Partnership
- Published: 2023-12-04
- Modified: 2023-12-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/seamless-logistics-solutions-capacity-and-loop-returns-partnership/
- Categories: Customer Experience, eCommerce Fulfillment, Inside Capacity, News, Partnerships
Capacity and Loop Returns have entered into a partnership to optimize e-commerce logistics and tackle the longstanding issue of product returns. What this means: Streamlined Returns Management: Combining Capacity's logistics expertise with Loop Returns' advanced technology, the partnership presents a returns management system seamlessly integrated into the e-commerce ecosystem. This system simplifies the returns process, increases customer satisfaction, and optimizes operational efficiency. Enhanced Visibility and Analytics: Through advanced analytics and access to real-time data, retailers can gain valuable insights into their returns process. This equips them with the knowledge to implement strategies to reduce return rates and increase customer satisfaction. Exceptional Customer Experience: The collaboration aims to deliver an enhanced customer experience, by providing hassle-free returns, swift processing, and transparent tracking. This commitment bolsters customer loyalty, improves brand reputation and encourages repeat purchases. In conclusion, the partnership between Capacity and Loop Returns offers comprehensive logistics solutions, providing e-commerce businesses with an efficient platform for returns management. The collaboration highlights a shared commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and the potential growth of the e-commerce sector.
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### Are You Ready for MoCRA?
- Published: 2023-11-28
- Modified: 2023-11-28
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/are-you-ready-for-mocra/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Logistics, News, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: news, Supply chain management
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) is a new law empowering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee cosmetics in the United States. This law is intended to improve the safety of cosmetic products that millions of people use daily. This legislation introduces various changes impacting the creation and sale of cosmetic products. It mandates stricter adherence to regulations, with the FDA taking a closer look at cosmetic products and their ingredients. The majority of these regulations were originally intended to go into effect one year after the law was passed, December 29, 2023. However, on November 8, The U. S. FDA announced they have postponed enforcement of cosmetic product registration and listing requirements under the MoCRA until July 1, 2024. Additionally, facilities engaged in post-Dec. 29, 2022, cosmetic production and products marketed after this date have enforcement relief until the July 1, 2024, deadline. MoCRA establishes significant rules, including: Adverse Event Reporting: A representative of the company is required to promptly inform the FDA of any serious issues resulting from the use of a cosmetic product within the United States, within a 15-day timeframe. Additionally, they must provide a copy of the product's packaging label. Mandatory Recall Authority: Should the FDA identify a cosmetic product as unsafe or improperly labeled, posing a risk of harm or fatality, the FDA can mandate the removal of the product from the market if the responsible party fails to take action independently. Records Access: Under certain conditions, the FDA...
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### Maximizing Cash Flow Through Strategic Inventory Control
> In today's competitive business environment, effective inventory control is more than just keeping track of stock—it's a critical driver of cash flow and business success. At Capacity, we've seen how improved inventory control directly impacts our clients' financial performance through four key business outcomes: enhanced customer satisfaction, increased sales volume, improved profit margins, and optimized cash flow.
- Published: 2023-11-08
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/save-money-maximize-cash-flow
- Categories: Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: inventory, Supply chain
In today's competitive business environment, effective inventory control is more than just keeping track of stock—it's a critical driver of cash flow and business success. At Capacity, we've seen how improved inventory control directly impacts our clients' financial performance through four key business outcomes: enhanced customer satisfaction, increased sales volume, improved profit margins, and optimized cash flow. The Critical Connection Between Inventory and Cash Flow For e-commerce brands and retailers, maintaining healthy cash flow can mean the difference between success and failure. Industry studies have shown that nearly one-third of e-commerce businesses cite "running out of cash" as their primary reason for failure. This sobering statistic underscores the vital importance of strategic inventory control in maintaining positive cash flow. Cash flow, defined as the net movement of money in and out of a business, is particularly sensitive to inventory management decisions. Every dollar tied up in excess inventory is a dollar unavailable for other critical business needs, from marketing investments to operational improvements. Understanding this relationship is crucial for sustainable business growth. Four Pillars of Cash Flow Optimization Enhanced Customer Satisfaction Drives Revenue When brands maintain precise inventory control, they can deliver a superior post-purchase experience that drives customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. This improvement in customer satisfaction has a direct impact on cash flow by: Reducing customer acquisition costs through increased referrals Minimizing costly returns and exchanges Generating repeat purchases that provide predictable revenue streams Accurate Inventory Enables Multi-Channel Growth With real-time inventory visibility and control, businesses can confidently...
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### Signs You've Outgrown Your 3PL (And What to Do About It)
> Your brand is scaling fast. Orders are flowing in, your customer base is growing, and what started as a dream is becoming a thriving reality. But there's a challenge: your fulfillment partner isn't keeping pace with your growth.
- Published: 2023-10-02
- Modified: 2025-01-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/when-youve-outgrown-your-3pl
- Categories: Customer Experience, Order Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, Order fulfillment
Your brand is scaling fast. Orders are flowing in, your customer base is growing, and what started as a dream is becoming a thriving reality. But there's a challenge: your fulfillment partner isn't keeping pace with your growth.
Your brand is scaling fast. Orders are flowing in, your customer base is growing, and what started as a dream is becoming a thriving reality. But there's a challenge: your fulfillment partner isn't keeping pace with your growth. This scenario is more common than you might think. Many scaling brands switch fulfillment partners every few years as they outgrow their current provider's capabilities. While this can feel daunting, it's often a positive sign – your brand has reached a new level of success and needs operations that can match your ambitions. Let's explore the key indicators that suggest it's time for a change, and what to look for in your next fulfillment partnership. When KPIs Start Slipping Growth shouldn't mean compromising on quality. If you're seeing consistent issues with order accuracy, shipping timeliness, or inventory management, it's a clear signal that your current fulfillment operations need an upgrade. Watch for: Increasing error rates in picking and packing Rising customer complaints about wrong or damaged items Delays in order processing and shipping Inventory discrepancies affecting your ability to sell These issues aren't just operational headaches – they can directly impact your customer experience and brand reputation. Technology That Can't Keep Up In today's fast-paced ecommerce environment, basic or outdated fulfillment technology can hold your brand back. Warning signs include: Limited visibility into real-time inventory levels Delays in order status updates Difficulty troubleshooting customer service issues Manual processes that should be automated Lack of integration capabilities with your tech stack...
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### Unpacking Assembly: What Does Kitting Mean?
> What does 'kitting' mean for your order fulfillment process? Our team assembles to help you unpack the problem of full kitting and assembly!
- Published: 2023-07-11
- Modified: 2024-07-17
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/assembly-and-kitting-explained
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: assembly, gift boxes, kitting, Order fulfillment, Packaging, packing, product sets, promotional literature, unpacking, value added assembly
(Updated 2023) In logistics, jargon is common. If you've spoken with a logistics professional, you know this well. One such term is "kitting," which we will explain today. What Is Kitting? Kitting may not be a term you hear often, but it's crucial in supply chain and order fulfillment. Kitting involves assembling individual products into a ready-to-ship set or "kit. " These kits can range from gift boxes to promotional bundles. They don’t need to be complex—think of a skincare set or assorted candy bars. Kitting adds significant value beyond initial impressions. It enhances customer convenience and enriches the standard packing process. Picture receiving a beautifully packaged gift set versus items tossed in a box. Benefits of Kitting Kitting services benefit businesses in a number of ways: Enhanced Value It elevates standard packing by creating attractive packaging that delights customers. Time Efficiency It saves time by consolidating products from multiple suppliers into one kit. Promotional Opportunities Kitting can include promotional materials like catalogs or coupons. Product Range Expansion It allows quick expansion of your product range by combining complementary items. Proximity Advantage Kits assembled closer to distribution points reduce handling errors and potential damage. The Kitting Process, Explained To illustrate the kitting process, let’s consider an example from cosmetics: Product Selection Choose products that complement each other (e. g. , cleanser, toner, moisturizer). Kit Design Determine the layout of the kit, including product arrangement and packaging materials. Receiving and Storing Products Receive items from the brand and store them separately in the...
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### Sustainability: the new business model
> Many of our clients view sustainability as not only a core responsibility but also a driver of business growth. Here's how we work with them.
- Published: 2023-04-20
- Modified: 2024-04-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/sustainability-the-new-business-model
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: culture, inside capacity
As an omnichannel order fulfillment provider to numerous beauty companies, we respect our clients for making sustainable, environmentally-conscious decisions in operating their businesses. Our initiatives range from consolidating and reducing miles on the road for Ulta to making eco-friendly packing material choices. Capacity is always looking for sustainable and environmentally conscious solutions whenever we can. Last April, we were able to consolidate shipments to such an extent that more than 900,000 trucking miles were eliminated for Ulta. That's a lot of air pollution avoided, thanks to our Ulta and Capacity colleagues! Our New Jersey campuses have over 100,000 SF of solar panels, with excess solar production delivered back to the state's grid. We do not use any Styrofoam packing peanuts and make sure to use recycled corrugates and other recyclable materials. We even encourage our employees to carpool as much as possible, which we estimate removes the use of approximately 50,000 gallons of fuel per year. As we continue to work on being more environmentally conscious, our clients go above and beyond to ensure sustainable ways of sourcing eco-friendly ingredients and creating ecologically optimal ways to get their products to their customers. Actively choosing to go green in the beauty space is a complicated choice, but that does not mean it is impossible. The number of customers seeking out clean beauty and wellness brands is growing. More and more brands are successfully executing this goal. Here are some of our clients that have sustainability as a core value:Moonjuice Founder Amanda...
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### Unpack Opportunities from 2023 Ocean Container Rates
> 2023 ocean carrier rates are finally in decline, but how low should you go? For shipping services, beware deals that are too good to be true.
- Published: 2023-04-14
- Modified: 2023-04-18
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/2023-ocean-container-rates/
- Categories: Logistics, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Logistics
While carriers might be missing the heady days of 2022, we're a few months into 2023 and ocean container rates are heading in a much better direction, as far as shippers are concerned. The market has gradually adjusted back towards shippers, with rates normalizing from the crazy peaks of recent years. Once again, shippers have some degree of bargaining power and are beginning to use it. 2023 Ocean Container Rates Present Opportunities We’ve all seen e-mails offering ocean freight container rates from China to the US of $1,000 to $2,000. To put those numbers in context, this is approximately one-tenth of what we saw during the pandemic. As our supply chains adjust to this new reality, it's time to investigate possibilities for your international inventory moves. As we remain in an otherwise inflationary environment, 2023 ocean container rates present a compelling opportunity to reduce costs. But wait! As container rates decline, so can service. Not all rates are created equal and some are simply too good to be true. Let's look at why that is. Balancing cost with reliability Down from $21,000 to $1,400 in just 15 months? Incredible! But consider this: would you book a critical ocean freight shipment by responding to an unsolicited email for low low carrier rates, like the ones we get every day? How do you know whether to trust the terms offered by your manufacturer, forwarder, or fulfillment partner? Pulling containers off of the port seems increasingly like a dark art: how many times...
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### Unpacking the Full Range of Order Fulfillment
> Customers love to see orders hit their doorstep in days or even hours. Here's the full spectrum of order fulfillment that makes it possible!
- Published: 2023-03-29
- Modified: 2024-04-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/the-spectrum-of-order-fulfillment
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Order fulfillment extends far beyond picking and shipping an order. For over two decades, the Capacity team has embraced an approach focused on the full spectrum of order fulfillment. From setting up pick-pack systems that seamlessly blend human expertise and robotic automation to designing/implementing creative packaging that enhances a brand and delights customers, our fulfillment services influence so many aspects of the customer experience. In the video below, our CSO Thom Campbell covers the creative approach that's required to achieve this breadth of service. And in this article, we'll unpack some of the ways that full spectrum of order fulfillment can be used to enhance a customer's experience with your brand! Packaging Encapsulates Full Spectrum Fulfillment Packaging has become synonymous with customer experience. There is a wide spectrum of customer experiences you can choose from. On one end, there is cheap and cheerful. Amazon drops a product in a nondescript box, tapes it up, and sends it off to the customer. Cost-effective? Sure. Exciting for the end customer? Not so much. They just open the box and put away the item, which is absolutely fine for some product categories but a missed opportunity for so many others. On the other end of the packaging spectrum, there's a curated experience that makes the customer feel special. The enormous amount of care taken in the presentation of their order, added to the fact that the physical package is aligned with their online experience and overall sense of the company, combines to build...
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### Celebrating Women and Embracing Equity for International Women's Month
> In recognition and respect of International Month 2023, Capactity looks at the achievements of exceptional women across the sectors we serve.
- Published: 2023-03-17
- Modified: 2023-05-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/international-womens-month-2023/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: culture, inside capacity
For International Women’s Month, we want to take the time to #embraceequity and recognize the women in leadership here at Capacity who make a difference every day through their dedication and guidance. Even in the beauty and wellness space, a vertical that we often service, a vast majority of cosmetic businesses are owned and operated by men. The realm of supply chain and logistics is a male-dominated space. However, the demographic has slowly changed over time, with more women like Anne Drake, Founder of AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain, Operations, Management and Education) and Ellen Voie, President and CEO of Women in Trucking Association, showing up and showing the industry that women can get it done. This commendable group of Capacity women reflects on what it takes to show up as a woman in leadership in a male-dominated space, as well as sharing their valuable perspectives, thoughts, and advice on how they paved the way to become strong leaders. Jocelyn Petersen, CFO "For me, being a female executive leader has often been about being part of a minority standout in a multitude of corporate settings often dominated by male colleagues. It's all about raising the bar to show why you – as a female leader - are the exception. This means operating with integrity, being measured and collaborative, demonstrating business smarts, and having a high level of emotional intelligence. I do believe there’s a level of inherent gender dynamics that distinguishes the female voice and contributes to...
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### Turn Your Multichannel Dreams into Reality: The Power of 3PL Fulfillment
- Published: 2023-02-27
- Modified: 2025-02-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/mastering-multichannel-fulfillment-how-3pl-can-power-your-omnichannel-strategy
- Categories: Logistics, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Order fulfillment, Supply chain, Supply chain management
Your customers expect seamless experiences across every channel. When you're ready to scale your multichannel strategy, reliable fulfillment becomes the foundation of your success. Here's how partnering with a 3PL can transform your ambitious plans into flawless execution. Beyond the Warehouse: Modern 3PL Solutions Today's 3PL providers deliver more than storage space. They're strategic partners equipped with advanced technology and deep expertise to handle every aspect of your fulfillment: Real-time inventory management across all channels ensures you never miss a sale or disappoint a customer. Our systems track every item with over 99. 9% accuracy, giving you the confidence to expand into new markets. Advanced picking, packing, and shipping operations process orders within 24 hours, maintaining consistency even during your biggest growth moments. When your brand goes viral, your fulfillment keeps pace. Value-added services like kitting and quality control support your brand's unique needs, letting you focus on product development and marketing while we handle the operational details. Building Your Multichannel Success When you're ready to scale across channels, these strategies ensure your fulfillment supports your growth: Strategic Communication Maintain clear alignment with your 3PL partner through: Regular performance reviews to track progress against your growth targets Real-time updates on inventory levels and order status Proactive planning for seasonal peaks and promotional events Technology Integration Turn data into growth opportunities with: Immediate inventory insights across all sales channels Automated order routing to optimize delivery times Predictive analytics to inform expansion plans Location Optimization Support rapid delivery while controlling costs through:...
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### Celebrating Black History Month
> In recognition and respect of Black History Month 2023, Capacity honors the legacy of black pioneers across supply chain and logistics.
- Published: 2023-02-02
- Modified: 2025-02-10
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/celebrating-black-history-month-2023
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: culture, inside capacity
In recognition of Black History Month, it's our great privilege to feature some of the black men and women who pioneered the path in supply chain management and logistics. We recognize those like Mary Fields, Elijah McCoy, Andrew Beard, and Edwina Justus, who made their mark in this integral and growing industry. Mary Fields Mary Fields was the first Black woman to work as a route mail carrier for the United States Postal Service. After being emancipated in the 1860s, she became a groundskeeper for a convent in Ohio then eventually found her way to the USPS as a star route carrier. Mary traveled by stagecoach to defend and protect mail from thieves and bandits, whilst also delivering mail. Known as Black Mary and Stagecoach Mary, she had a tough demeanor, fearlessly spoke her mind, and enjoyed her spare time at shooting ranges. While she exhibited an intimidating exterior, she was also known to be a generous and kind mail carrier who paved the way for female minorities in the distribution field. Elijah McCoy Elijah McCoy was an iconic inventor who helped trains move faster and more efficiently with his invention of an automatic oil lubricator in 1872. He was born in Canada to parents who had fled enslavement in Kentucky. At three years old his family returned to the states where he became a citizen and resident. At the age of 15, after showing some interest in mechanics, he was sent to Scotland to learn mechanical engineering. Upon his...
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### Strategic Inventory Operations: A Modern Approach to Retail Success
- Published: 2023-02-01
- Modified: 2025-02-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/what-is-strategic-inventory-operations-sio
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Order fulfillment, retail
In today's dynamic retail landscape, inventory management has evolved far beyond the traditional concepts of stock counting and reordering. Strategic Inventory Operations (SIO) represents a fundamental shift in how businesses approach inventory management, moving from reactive tactics to proactive strategy. At Capacity, we've seen firsthand how this evolution is reshaping retail success stories and creating competitive advantages for forward-thinking brands. The Strategic Evolution of Inventory Management The journey from traditional inventory management to Strategic Inventory Operations reflects the broader transformation of retail itself. Where businesses once focused primarily on maintaining stock levels, today's market demands a more sophisticated approach that treats inventory as a strategic asset rather than just a necessary cost of doing business. This evolution has been driven by several key factors. First, the rise of omnichannel retail has created complex networks of inventory movement, where stock must flow seamlessly between online and offline channels. Second, changing consumer expectations have raised the stakes for inventory accuracy and availability. Finally, economic pressures have made it more critical than ever to optimize working capital tied up in inventory. Understanding the Strategic Value of Inventory Strategic Inventory Operations recognizes that inventory decisions impact every aspect of a business's performance. Stock levels affect not just availability but cash flow, storage costs, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, market competitiveness. This broader perspective helps businesses make inventory decisions that align with their overall strategic objectives rather than just operational needs. Consider how inventory strategy influences customer experience. When a business maintains optimal inventory levels, it...
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### WWD Digital Beauty 2023: Event Walkthrough
- Published: 2023-01-25
- Modified: 2023-02-10
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/wwd-digital-beauty-2023-event-walkthrough/
- Categories: News, Order Fulfillment
The intersection of personal care and digital-first customer journeys gets busier every year. Online sales are a key driver of the beauty and wellness sector's growth, so events that gather experts and leaders from the field are inevitably a popular ticket. The annual WWD Digital Beauty Forum continues to lead this category and push the envelope on topics that define beauty brands in the digital age. Its latest iteration was held at CONVENE in New York City on January 24th, with Team Capacity in attendance. Here's a quick recap of what we saw and heard during a hectic day of expert speakers and panel discussions. WWD Digital Beauty 2023: What We Saw First things first: you know a show is going to resonate when your clients' products are putting in work as you set foot in the building. Touchland hand sanitizer (left) in the lobby and MALIN + GOETZ toiletries (right) in the restroom reiterated that we work with some of the best brands in the business! The first talk we caught was from Angelica Munson, Global Chief Digital Officer at Shiseido. Japanese beauty brand Shiseido anchors itself in the intricacies of the microbiome. Specifically, the microbiome of healthy Japanese women, from which the brand creates skincare products that nourish the skin as a diverse ecosystem. Shiseido aims to cater its products to a wide variety of skin types, while rooting its mission in the Japanese drive for continuous improvement and innovation. According to Tokyo-based Munson, this considered, holistic approach...
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### 5 Third-Party Logistics/3PL Trends to Watch in 2023
> As an exciting New Year promises both challenges and opportunities across the supply chain, here are five 3PL trends to be aware of in 2023.
- Published: 2023-01-17
- Modified: 2023-07-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-trends-2023/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Logistics, Video
As the world continues its drawn-out attempt to shake off post-pandemic supply chain constraints and the US economy grapples with inflationary headwinds, we face a challenging year ahead. Various 3PL trends represent an opportunity to rise to these challenges. Despite those hurdles, the prospects for growth in certain sectors are surprisingly good and the need to reimagine supply chains offers opportunities to tackle longstanding problems, from labor commoditization to an unhealthy obsession with short-term results. 3PL Trends for the Year Ahead Here are five trends in third-party logistics to watch out for in 2023: Adapted Automation Micro Fulfillment Assessing the Cost of 3PL Commoditization Layering in Appropriate Technology Long-term Logistics Partnerships In the video above, our CSO Thom Campbell covers three of these trends that he expects to be especially influential. For a deeper dive into each individual trend, read on! Adaptation of Automation Deploying new technology on a regular cadence requires a significant investment in engineering team talent. These are highly qualified, sought-after positions operating to extremely tight project management constraints. These talents need to be focused and directed to make the most of their efforts. In short, be extremely judicious when selecting the next piece of technology you want to implement. For this reason, applicable adaptation of automation is increasingly a focus of ambitious brands who want to achieve significant growth in short order. To do this, the automation you choose should be driven by its impact on the experience of your customers and colleagues, rather than...
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### Unpacking the eCommerce Fulfillment Process
> How does the eCommerce fulfillment process work? It's a question we hear often -- and which we unpack in this article.
- Published: 2022-10-17
- Modified: 2023-12-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-fulfillment-process/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
How does the eCommerce fulfillment process work? It's a question we hear from startups - and sometimes even established retailers - quite often. The world of fulfillment has some fairly straightforward steps that are underpinned by a whole lot of technology and expertise, which along with logistics terminology can make the process feel impenetrable. Where possible, we like to keep things simple and share what we do in an accessible way. That's why our "Unpacking" articles exist. In this one, we'll explain some fundamental steps in the eCommerce fulfillment process and walk you through the terms associated with each stage. Let's dive in! How Does the eCommerce Fulfillment Process Work? An overview of the constituent parts is usually best for folks who are new to the topic. The terms used here are familiar to most in our industry, though they can still be opaque in terms of their detail and how each is enacted. As a critical section of your eCommerce supply chain, the fulfillment process covers everything from the job of physically storing products to managing online orders, selecting the requested items from inventory, and ensuring safe and speedy delivery to the final destination (i. e. your valued customer! ) But it doesn't stop there. Post-order service can be just as important as the shipping piece, which is why delivery confirmation and returns management must also be considered. Having established the breadth and importance of this activity, the bare bones of the eCommerce fulfillment process can be summarized as...
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### Celebrating Our Partnership with Mitsui at the Japan Society Annual Gala
> Capacity celebrates Japanese cultural successes and ties to the USA with strategic partners Mitsui USA at the Japan Society annual gala.
- Published: 2022-06-24
- Modified: 2023-05-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/japan-society-mitsui-usa-capacity/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, News
- Tags: Capacity LLC, culture, inside capacity, Japan Society, Mitsui USA
Earlier this week, Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden and his wife Elizabeth attended the Japan Society's annual gala at Cipriani 42, at the invitation of Mr. Sayu Ueno. Ueno-san is President and CEO of Mitsui & Co. , Ltd. (USA), with whom we announced a strategic partnership last year. He is also a Japan Society board member and is pictured below standing in the center, alongside Mr. Yasuhiro Sakoh - giving the thumbs up - who runs the Mitsui business unit that works directly with Capacity. In addition to greetings from NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NY Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez, we were treated to a keynote address by Jane Fraser, the CEO of Citi. Another highlight was the presentation of the Japan Society Award to New York Yankees legend, Hideki Matsui. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the introduction of baseball to Japan, affording the award extra meaning. Did I mention that the award was presented to "Godzilla" by his former Yankees manager, Joe Torre? The strong friendships and cultural ties between New York and Japan were highlighted throughout the event. Among a variety of notable attendees, the annual gala dinner was attended by Japan's ambassador to the United Nations, as well as dignitaries from many nations. The sake was also flown in from Kanagawa, Japan for the event... delicious! Capacity LLC and Mitsui's close relationship is an example of teams from two nations working together to reach mutually beneficial business and personal objectives, both in the USA and overseas....
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### Your 3PL Fulfillment Partner: 5 Qualities to Consider
> Choosing your 3PL partner is a business-critical decision. Here are five ways that a good 3PL forges true partnerships with clients.
- Published: 2022-02-24
- Modified: 2022-04-21
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/your-3pl-fulfillment-partner-5-qualities-of-capacity/
- Categories: Video
Selecting a 3PL fulfillment partner is no small task. It takes a lot of preparation to define your requirements, extensive research to draw up your shortlist, and many months after that to confirm there's a good fit and agree terms. Even after all that hard work, there are things you can miss and some relationships simply don't work out, meaning it's time to start again. In terms of long-term growth, finding a true partner for your fulfillment business, rather than just another service provider, is key. The five qualities shared below are traits that we believe are core to a successful relationship with your selection for third-party logistics service. As a committed 3PL fulfillment partner to our clients, existing and new, we also include five companion videos to show how Capacity approaches and exemplifies these qualities. 5 Qualities of a True 3PL Fulfillment Partner While size and price are undeniably important aspects of any decision to engage a 3PL, there are many other areas that matter. Not every quality is as clearly visible as a rate sheet or number of facilities, but those intangible attributes often highlight the difference between a standard service provider and a true partner for your business. A deep and healthy partnership makes for a more responsive, flexible fulfillment operation. This is a partner that understands your needs and adapts as your brand grows. A shallow relationship of convenience might work for a short time, but can quickly turn into an expensive mistake when it fails...
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### 7 Steps to Optimize E-Commerce Fulfillment
- Published: 2022-02-22
- Modified: 2025-02-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/7-steps-for-ecommerce-fulfillment-optimization
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
In today’s fast-paced e-commerce landscape, efficient order fulfillment is the cornerstone of a successful operation. With more consumers expecting rapid delivery at low costs, businesses face increasing pressure to meet these demands while navigating supply chain disruptions and rising transportation expenses. Optimizing your fulfillment processes is a strategic way to overcome these challenges, streamline operations, and delight customers. Let’s explore the steps and benefits of a well-executed e-commerce fulfillment strategy. Why Fulfillment Optimization Matters Effective order fulfillment isn’t just a back-office function—it’s a critical driver of customer satisfaction and business growth. Key Benefits: Improved Customer Satisfaction: Fast and reliable delivery enhances customer loyalty. Meeting same-day or next-day delivery expectations can turn first-time buyers into repeat customers. Expanded Customer Reach: Efficient fulfillment opens doors to speed-sensitive customers and allows businesses to reach broader geographic markets. Lower Shipping Costs: Faster processes reduce the need for costly expedited shipping, ensuring cost-effective delivery methods. Inventory Reduction: Streamlined fulfillment reduces the need for excess inventory, freeing up working capital and reducing carrying costs. Reduced Operational Expenses: Optimized logistics minimize warehousing and labor costs, increasing overall efficiency. 7 Steps to Fulfillment Optimization 1. Leverage an Order Management System (OMS) An OMS, such as ChannelApe, ensures accuracy and efficiency in order processing. By automating inventory tracking, order updates, and fulfillment workflows, an OMS provides real-time visibility into stock levels and shipping timelines. This improves order accuracy and enhances communication with customers. 2. Enhance Order Visibility Real-time inventory tracking is essential as your e-commerce business scales. Invest in...
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### Real-Time Inventory Visibility: Your Foundation for Sustainable Growth
- Published: 2022-02-16
- Modified: 2025-02-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/challenges-and-benefits-of-inventory-visibility
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
In today's fast-moving beauty and wellness market, inventory visibility isn't just about tracking stock levels—it's about maintaining the customer experience that built your brand. Without real-time insight into what you have and where it is, you risk both additional costs and compromised customer service through inventory inaccuracies. McKinsey & Company reports that companies worldwide are experiencing warehousing costs of nearly $385 billion per year, a figure that's expected to grow as order fulfillment becomes increasingly complex. For growing brands, real-time inventory visibility will be crucial in the coming years as we move toward more efficient inventory control and sustainable supply chain operations. Key Challenges in Inventory Management Underselling Challenges It's a common scenario: Your latest product launch drives a surge in sales, prompting a major restock—only to see demand normalize unexpectedly. Without clear visibility into inventory levels and locations, you might find yourself replenishing SKUs that don't need it or heavily discounting products just to clear warehouse space for new launches. Overselling Risks The flip side can be equally damaging. Without proper inventory management and control, miscommunication can lead to customers purchasing items you don't have in nearby warehouses. This creates disruption in restocking and longer wait times that impact customer satisfaction. This risk is particularly acute during influencer campaigns and promotional periods. Data Synchronization Gaps Managing inventory involves multiple steps, from calculating optimal stock levels to ensuring efficient picking and packing for timely customer delivery. Keeping these procedures synchronized—especially crucial for beauty and wellness brands with strict temperature control...
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### Supply Chain CEO Interview: Our Team Talks to Martin Harshberger
> Entertainment and education are in order when we hear a supply chain CEO interview with Martin Harshberger, who hosts the Capacity team here.
- Published: 2022-02-11
- Modified: 2022-02-16
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-ceo-interview-our-team-talks-to-martin-harshberger/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: martin harshberger, podcast, Supply chain management
If you're anything like us, podcasts are an increasingly attractive source of entertainment and education. These are qualities that resonate any time we hear a supply chain CEO interview with Martin Harshberger, host of the Manufacturing Supply Chain CEOs (MSCC) show. Martin is a two-time founder and CEO with more than four decades of experience under his belt. That time spans everything from ambitious young businesses to Fortune 500 companies, during which his understanding of logistics and operations has been key. He has also written two books, entitled “Bottom Line Focus" and “Conscious Business Development". In other words, he's a great person to talk to if you have an interest in navigating operational challenges and driving robust, reliable growth in the years to come! That's exactly what this supply chain CEO interview does, as Capacity's venerable co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell and our multi-talented marketing analyst Gabriela Abarquez sit down for a wide-ranging chat with Martin on the MSCC podcast. Listen above. Supply Chain CEO Interview: The Challenges of 2021 After providing a little background around the life and times of Capacity, Thom and Gabriela reflect on the supply chain challenges of the past year, as well as the industry changes wrought by the fluctuations of living through a global pandemic. Needless to say, things look a lot different to the landscape that retailers and 3PL companies looked out on entering 2020. Some of the observations around these changes include: "Business changed dramatically. eCommerce flipped B2B retail orders on its head during...
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### Distributed Order Management (DOM): Where Growth Meets Reliable Fulfillment
- Published: 2022-02-02
- Modified: 2025-02-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blog/what-is-distributed-order-management-dom
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Your customers dream of instant gratification. You dream of seamless operations. Through Distributed Order Management (DOM), we help turn both dreams into reality. When traditional order management holds you back, DOM propels you forward with smart, strategic fulfillment that delights customers and drives growth. Through our strategic network spanning New Jersey, Indiana, California, and the UK, we help ambitious brands deliver exceptional customer experiences while maintaining operational efficiency. Each order is optimized, each delivery precisely planned, supported by technology that scales with your business. How DOM Works for Your Business DOM transforms order fulfillment by analyzing real-time data including inventory levels, customer location, and operational capacity to determine the optimal fulfillment path. When a customer orders from Los Angeles, they receive their package from our California facility. When you expand to Europe, we can ship directly from the UK, reducing transit times and costs. Key Benefits That Drive Growth We handle fulfillment so you can focus on scaling your business: Smart shipping optimization that reduces costs while improving delivery speeds Complete inventory visibility across our entire network, preventing stockouts and overselling Scalable operations that grow seamlessly from thousands to millions of orders Efficient multi-location order management for complex fulfillment needs Real-time tracking and updates that keep customers informed and satisfied Customizable fulfillment rules that align with your business goals, whether you're prioritizing speed, cost, or sustainability DOM Technology in Action Focus on your next big move. Our DOM-powered infrastructure handles the details: Seamless platform integration that keeps your operations running...
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### 7 Stats that Define the 2021 Peak Season for eCommerce and B2B Retailers
> The 2021 peak season for eCommerce & in-store shopping offered lessons for retailers. Stats show 2020 differences and what it means for 2022.
- Published: 2022-01-15
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/7-stats-2021-peak-season-for-ecommerce-b2b
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
Another holiday is in the rearview mirror, so for retailers it's time to assess how everything went -- and how those findings will inform plans for 2022. Our look at some key metrics from the last six weeks explores some defining characteristics of the 2021 peak season for eCommerce and B2B retailers, as well as what they mean for the year ahead. How Was the 2021 Peak Season for eCommerce Different to 2020? As the first holiday season impacted by the pandemic approached, we took a look at 3 Ways the 2020 Peak Season is Different to Any Other. How did those differences play out and did they hold true for 2021 as well? For starters, consumers continued to shop early. Retailers understood the value of spreading demand into October, as Amazon achieved with an October Prime Day event in 2020. Many brands planned promotions well in advance of Black Friday. This trend was accelerated by supply chain uncertainty hanging over the holiday, with ongoing delays at crucial hubs like the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach. Some shoppers got in early to avoid disappointment, as industry observers had recommended for months. A notable change was the return of confidence towards in-store shopping, at least during the initial part of the holidays before the Omicron variant surged in December. With vaccinations and booster shots tipping the balance back towards in-person activity for much of the second half of the year, consumers were emboldened to return to stores in a way that...
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### Capacity LLC Announces Strategic Partnership with Mitsui USA
> Capacity announces a strategic partnership with Mitsui USA, supporting operations, strengthening clients, and expanding international growth.
- Published: 2021-10-26
- Modified: 2021-10-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-announces-strategic-partnership-with-mitsui-usa/
- Categories: News, Press Releases
- Tags: mitsui
Today, Capacity is pleased to announce that we have entered into a strategic partnership with Mitsui & Co. (U. S. A. ), Inc. (“Mitsui USA”). Mitsui USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. , Ltd. , one of the most diversified and comprehensive trading, investment, and service enterprises in the world. The partnership combines Capacity’s proven 20-year track record with Mitsui USA’s global reach and capabilities in the logistics sector. “Capacity has chosen a highly respected strategic partner with a global network and a deeply compatible cultural mindset of prioritizing the needs of its customers. Mitsui USA will further support Capacity’s operations, our commitment to customers, and growth into international markets,” said Capacity CEO, Jeff Kaiden. “Mitsui USA enjoys a long history of partnering with innovative and high-performing market leaders, fostering their vision, and helping to create value together. We are excited to support Jeff and his team in the next phase of Capacity’s growth” said Matthew Maher, a General Manager at Mitsui USA’s Financial and New Business Division. Capacity’s current management team will remain in place and continue to execute their vision. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Republic Partners and Longsight Advisors acted as financial advisors to Capacity in the transaction. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel to Capacity. O’Melveny & Myers LLP served as legal counsel to Mitsui USA. To contact Capacity, e-mail info@capacityllc. com or click to learn more about our services here: https://www....
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### CBD and Supplements
> In recognition and respect of Black History Month 2023, Capacity honors the legacy of black pioneers across supply chain and logistics.
- Published: 2021-10-11
- Modified: 2023-10-11
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/cbd-and-supplements/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: culture, inside capacity
The challenge of shipping Cbd products The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill Act, means that some CBD products can be shipped. An important distinction must be drawn between hemp and marijuana, both of which derive from the Cannabis plant and contain CBD but are regulated differently. While we cover this in greater detail at the bottom of this page, the key distinction lies in the amount of THC present in the end-product: less than 0. 3% THC by dry weight is hemp, more than that level is marijuana. It is the former category, products made from hemp, that can now be shipped under certain conditions. This was previously not the case, with this the first federal legislation legalizing hemp and removing Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule I restrictions. The latter made hemp a controlled substance. This designation has now been lifted but challenges remain for any party involved in shipping CBD products. The 2018 Farm Bill points as related to CBD and hemp are as follows:Removed hemp’s low amounts of THC from the Controlled Substances Act;Allows the U. S. Department of Agriculture to regulate the crop like any other agricultural commodity;Permits hemp products to be introduced into interstate commerce. Allows hemp production in all 50 states for any use, including flower production and CBD or other cannabinoid extraction;Allows interstate commerce for hemp and hemp-derived CBDCapacity solves your cBd fulfilment needs CBD fulfillment is an emerging market with developing regulations and challenges. It's our...
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### Where's Waldo? Supply Chain Automation in the Warehouse
> For Capacity and Covariant, "where's Waldo?" is a question that cuts to the core of supply chain automation in the warehouse.
- Published: 2021-10-08
- Modified: 2023-02-27
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/wheres-waldo-supply-chain-automation-in-the-warehouse/
- Categories: Technology
Where's Waldo? A simple question that dates back to the 80s - Where's Wally? , for our UK-based friends - has been overhauled for the 21st century at our New Jersey fulfillment campus. For Capacity and our AI robotics partner Covariant, Waldo is setting up camp at the center of supply chain automation in the warehouse -- and he's making friends with our team of (carbon-based) fulfillment specialists! Watch the video below for a quick introduction to our favorite new automaton. Supply Chain Automation and Its Impact on Employees To understand where automation fits into the warehouse environment, it's important to take a people-first approach. Your human experts are the ones who will watch over such tireless hardware and set the parameters for software programs. Ensure they're happy with an automated solution and your business also takes a significant step towards happier customers. Earlier this year, Capacity's Chief Strategy Officer Thom Campbell held exactly this conversation with our friends at Tecsys, saved for posterity in the following presentation: "Using Warehouse Automation to Create Happy Employees, Happy Executives, and Happy Customers" https://tecsys. hubs. vidyard. com/watch/AnFejdZE6P5X5bRhkWC89J? "Automation is what makes our industry run... blending labor and automation is the key to frictionless fulfillment," says Thom, highlighting a crucial balancing act that lies at the heart of automation in the warehouse. The current retail landscape makes understanding that balance even more important... Increasing demand. Accelerated eCommerce. Stretched fulfillment. All add up to a scenario in which automation in the warehouse becomes essential to...
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### Planning for Peak Season 2021: What to Expect
> Planning for peak season is always challenging but post-pandemic considerations add an extra twist. How do we approach the 2021 holiday peak?
- Published: 2021-08-13
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/planning-for-peak-season-2021-what-to-expect
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Yes, the summer may be in full swing, but every fulfillment professional we know already has an eye on planning for peak season. Even with a return to some semblance of normality after 18 months of pandemic conditions, the 2021 holiday season is likely to present some unique logistics challenges. This article examines how last year changed the landscape of holiday shipping, what brands can expect to see when order volumes start to surge again at the tail end of 2021, and how to make plans for a peak season that will again test many sections of the supply chain. What to Expect as the Holidays Approach Planning for peak season 2020 proved to be an interesting task. Although supply chains were stretched in some verticals and accelerated eCommerce shifted the focus from physical retail at its most important time of year, many brands were prepared. With six hectic months under their belt spent adjusting to online shopping, even previously hesitant retailers were on a much better eComm footing heading into the holidays than they were 12 months earlier. Nonetheless, challenges remained and the dominance of established online retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target loomed large. Amazon successfully extended the holiday season by holding its delayed Prime Day sales event in October, while others maneuvered to add their own early specials. All of this congested a month that would normally contain few special offers, leaving retailers to ponder how much potential spending remained for the traditional promotional period and whether...
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### 3 Key Hair Care Trends Shaping the Sector
> After a turbulent year, a resurgent economy & emboldened buyers fuel new hair care trends. Frictionless fulfillment keeps your brand on top.
- Published: 2021-07-15
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3-key-hair-care-trends-shaping-the-sector/
- Categories: Customer Experience
The hair care sector is evolving. Once renowned for one-size-fits-all products and "here comes the science" moments in its advertising, recent hair care trends - and broader societal changes - have pushed new startups into the space and prompted established brands to diversify their product lines. How have these changes affected the critical process of engaging customers and getting the products they need and love into their hands? Let's look at some of the impacts. Hair Care at Home Naturally, hair care trends and routines have always included a significant at-home component. Daily cleansing and maintenance routines are present, but tight schedules and daily commitments limit how much can be done. Introduce remote working with minimal travel and those limitations are flipped upside down. Suddenly, freed from the burden of a commute yet with video calls popping up all over the calendar, the time we allot for health and hair care routines expands. The need to maintain a professional, positive look remains. In an article for L'Officiel earlier this year, Hannah Amini writes that hair care became the new skincare during the pandemic. With salons temporarily inaccessible, she says, "many are taking otherwise daunting treatments into their own hands. " Errors are less important when we can control what conference call participants see, while the freedom to experiment with new ideas is encouraged by online influencers and brand partners. In short, more adventurous hair care at home isn't a phenomenon that is going to recede as some workers head back...
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### Changes to European Union VAT Rules: What You Need to Know
> With upcoming changes to European Union VAT rules, here's what will be different and how we're handling the transition with our clients.
- Published: 2021-06-14
- Modified: 2021-06-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/european-union-vat-changes-2021/
- Categories: Logistics, News
As of July 1st, 2021, changes to European Union VAT rules will come into force. The long-term objective is to address disparities in the sale of low-value consignments and to reduce the difficulty of processing online sales across borders in the European Union's 27 member states. The short-term reality means that many parties who sell into the region need to adjust their systems and processes to stay on top of shipments into the EU. In this article, we take a look at the details of the incoming changes to VAT and explain how we're handling the transition with our clients. Changes to European Union VAT Rules A value-added tax (VAT) is one that is levied on goods and services incrementally, reflecting activities from production and distribution to delivery and point-of-sale. With such a wide aperture, changes to VAT rules typically impact a wide range of players up and down the supply chain. That's especially true when it comes to the European Union, due to the diverse range of nations and high value of the markets that make up the bloc. Here are some of the key changes to EU VAT rules, according to EUROPA: Online retailers can register in one European Union (EU) Member State for the declaration and payment of VAT on all distance sales of goods to customers within the EU. Current thresholds for distance sales of goods to the EU will be abolished and new parameters put in place. For a breakdown of current EU VAT rates, see EUROPA's official updates here:...
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### 5 Challenges Facing Your Cosmetics Supply Chain
> If you ship luxury beauty products, your brand relies on hyper-efficient order fulfillment. Here are five cosmetics supply chain challenges you could face.
- Published: 2021-06-09
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/5-challenges-facing-your-cosmetics-supply-chain/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: brands, cosmetics, cosmetics supply chain, fulfillment, Luxury goods, Packaging, scm, security, supply chain challenges, Supply chain management
A finely tuned fulfillment solution is a thing of beauty -- and that's even more true when we're talking about a cosmetics supply chain. Beauty and personal care products fall firmly into the category of "items that customers can't wait to receive". As we've seen first-hand for years, high-profile launches and celebrity endorsements have fans lining up online to order. The most successful sell-out not in hours or days, but often in minutes, making beauty order fulfillment a critical part of the customer experience. On the other hand, this means that any delay reflects badly not only on the individual order but the entire brand. A negative order experience is significantly amplified by online reviews and social networks, turning away potential buyers as well as the original customers. Even with an exceptional product involved, poor logistics planning has the potential to turn things ugly for your brand. Unexpected bottlenecks arise. Inadequate storage spoils your product. Packaging fails to protect your product. We could continue, but suffice it to say that any number of order fulfillment errors and delivery disasters exist that can show your brand in a bad light. If it's a one-off glitch in your cosmetics supply chain, you can usually cope. When it becomes the norm to field customer complaints, rework an order, or see returns piling up, the situation is likely to irreparably damage your brand. eCommerce Emphasizes Supply Chain Importance It's hard to recall a time when the personal care sector has been more vibrant. Even...
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### Culture & Technology in the Warehouse - Tecsys Interview with Thom Campbell
> Although culture and technology might seem like curious bedfellows at first, Thom Campbell explains the relationship in this Tecsys video.
- Published: 2021-06-02
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/culture-and-technology-warehouse-tecsys/
- Categories: Technology, Video
At a time when new tech relentlessly pushes boundaries throughout the supply chain and employees at some of the world's largest companies fight tooth and nail for improved working conditions, culture and technology might seem like strange bedfellows. When it comes to delivering frictionless fulfillment, though, the reality is that the two are often inseparable. Thom Campbell on Warehouse Culture and Technology In a recent interview with our supply chain software partners at Tecsys, Capacity CSO Thom Campbell took time to explain the mercurial link between blending the right technology with diverse people who are passionate about what they do. You can watch his full exchange with Bill Denbigh, Director of Product Marketing Logistics at Tecsys, here or via the embedded link to YouTube below. To begin, Bill asks Thom about the generational changes at Capacity over the company's two decades in the business. Thom describes the team as "a pretty heterogeneous group," with employees from as far afield as Senegal, Western Europe, and across the cultural spectrum of the North American melting pot. While supply chain positions were once considered somewhat staid and one-dimensional, at least in terms of the folks likely to be hired, Capacity quickly moved beyond the roots of its founders to hire many bi-lingual team members. That continued as the company grew and competition for labor became fierce throughout the noughts, eventually blossoming into the rapid expansion of eCommerce we've seen over the past decade. Nowadays, the population working in and around the company's fulfillment...
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### Deliver Delight: Our Order Fulfillment Mission
> Capacity's new site and visual style communicate the heart of our work in order fulfillment: to deliver delight with every order.
- Published: 2021-05-27
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/deliver-delight-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Press Releases
- Tags: branding, press release
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N. J. , May 27, 2021 -- Capacity LLC, trusted leader in modern order management and direct-to-consumer eCommerce fulfillment, is proud to share a new website and digital assets that define the company's identity at a pivotal moment. Watch the video above or read the full release on Capacity's mission to 'Deliver Delight' here: https://www. prnewswire. com/news-releases/capacity-redefines-its-brand-identity-around-a-mission-to-deliver-delight-301300416. html Deliver Delight with Every Order At a time when more than ever before consumers are finding what they need online - and forming deeper relationships with retail brands as they do so – Capacity's mission has shifted. While the same commitment to B2B retail excellence and best-in-class fulfillment technology remains, the increased focus on eCommerce has crystallized the company's primary goal as a true 3PL partner: deliver delight to the customers of the brands that Capacity serves. "Our team knows we need to deliver delight with every order we pick, pack, and ship. "Thom Campbell, Capacity Co-founder and Chief Strategy OfficerSummarizing the importance of the company's new creative direction and digital identity, Capacity CSO Thom Campbell says: "Capacity's deep roots in the fulfillment sector make us an experienced partner, but we understand that we also need to be as dynamic and agile as our brand partners. As an extension of their brands, Capacity has a mission to make the order experience feel frictionless and excite the end customer with every package we ship. Our team knows we need to deliver delight with every order we pick, pack, and ship. " As the...
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### FedEx Rate Increases Show Signs of Pressure on Parcel Carriers
> While FedEx rate increases demand attention, they are also a sign of the times & provide an opportunity to reassess your shipping solutions.
- Published: 2021-05-19
- Modified: 2021-05-20
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fedex-rate-increases-pressure-on-parcel-carriers/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
As vaccines take hold and the stage is set for a summer of increased economic activity, some sectors are preparing for a return to normal. While the potential for a post-pandemic recovery looks goods, certain signals point to the lingering impact of consumers staying home. FedEx rate increases - and rising shipping costs at several points of the supply chain - show that not everything can immediately return to the way things were. The Impact of Surging eCommerce and Rising Prices The overall small parcel market is still suffering from a lack of capacity. Catalyzed by a yearlong reliance on eCommerce channels and the corresponding surge in B2C shipments, parcel carriers have increased their workforces and added additional resources to better manage continued high volumes. The situation across the broader global shipping market is a similar story, with space constraints evident and container rates soaring. According to Bloomberg, rates for a 40-ft container are coming in up to 50% higher than at the start of 2020, with business owners facing the tough choice of whether to absorb the additional cost or pass it on to customers in the form of higher retail prices for their products. In another key area, you may have noted the price of lumber rising, which impacts everyone from the homebuyers to the simple wooden pallets that keep cargo moving. As price hikes like this combine with high utilization of US warehouse space, InsightQuotes highlights an average yearly increase of 5. 6% in warehousing costs for...
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### 8 Important Questions to Ask a Logistics Provider
> The decision to outsource some or all of your fulfillment operations is business-critical. Read 8 key questions to ask a logistics provider.
- Published: 2021-05-08
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/questions-to-ask-a-logistics-provider/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, best of capacity, Business operations, Logistics, picking a 3PL company, questions to ask a logistics provider, Supply chain, Supply chain management, Third-party logistics, Transportation and Logistics
Updated: May '21 When you make the decision to outsource your order fulfillment, next you need to plan what you'll be asking prospective logistics providers. Because of the depth of the partnership that you're likely to forge, with a company that executes a significant portion of your supply chain, it's a lot easier to get the decision right first time around! Spending extra time to obtain information from prospective 3PL (third party logistics) partners at the outset is far more efficient than having to change providers every year or two because the fit isn't quite right. Eight Important Questions to Ask When Picking a Logistics Provider During the decision-making process you'll undoubtedly read a great deal of marketing materials, watch impressive presentations, and learn a lot about the past successes of prospective logistics providers. Where the rubber really meets the road, however, is when the time comes to ask your own questions. These are eight recommended questions to ask a logistics provider before you make your final decision:1. How long have you been in operation? Age isn't the only sign of trustworthiness, but it's always good to know that a logistics provider has a proven infrastructure and established relationships in the industry. The answer to this question helps you to frame the rest of the discussion. 2. What custom services do you recommend for my business? Possibly the most important part of your logistics partnership is having confidence that your provider has a firm grasp on your business requirements. If...
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### How Can Physical Retail Drive a Post-Pandemic Recovery?
> As states look to reopen and brands try to attract customers back to stores, what role can physical retail play in a post-pandemic recovery?
- Published: 2021-04-24
- Modified: 2021-04-29
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/post-pandemic-recovery-retail-stores/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
Vaccines are working. Some states are opening. Even some movie theaters are beginning to peek out from behind the sofa, as the horror flick that is COVID-19 shows signs of rolling credits. What hope, then, for a post-pandemic recovery, especially for physical retail stores? This article looks at the timeline for a post-pandemic recovery, including how habits have changed and what we can learn from brands that have pivoted across various forms of retail as eCommerce continued its disruptive rise. If You Build It, They Will Come (Back) Prior to the events of the last year, movie theaters saw visitor numbers on par with attendance in their early 1980s heyday. Long nominated for extinction by industry analysts pointing to the likes of Blockbuster Video and Tower Records, both of which died by the sword of streaming entertainment services, movie theaters continued to hold their own until 2020. Even with the immense challenge of shutdowns presented by the pandemic, some movie theater chains are repositioning to bounce back as the economy reopens. A post-pandemic recovery is anticipated, even for this most ravaged of business sectors that survives on in-person attendance. This is not a head-scratcher. People are willing to endure the high ticket prices in order to enjoy a new motion picture on the big screen. Getting out is an adventure. The anticipation and physical experience of attending a movie screening are almost as important as what's projected onto the silver screen. Despite all the adversity of 2020, the National Association...
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### Why Brand Partners, Not Influencers, Will Define eCommerce In 2021
> As influencer marketing receives greater skepticism from savvy consumers, long-term brand partners could be the answer for eCommerce retail.
- Published: 2021-04-08
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-brand-partners/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Brand partners: influencers by another name? Not so fast... For several years now, attracting influencers has been an obsession for any marketing department watching the waves of eCommerce. Securing a big name - or, in some cases, any half-known name with a sizable social following - to pose for a selfie with your product could be considered a winning campaign in its own right. However, as we forge on into 2021 the rules, as is true of so much else in the world right now, have changed. Consumers can sniff out a half-baked influencer "endorsement" from the comfort of their own sofa and scroll right on by. The novelty of influencer marketing is beginning to wear off, dulled by a year of increased online activity and the corresponding contempt for any brand that fails to live up to the hype. In short, customers are increasingly savvy, shopping online more than ever, and have no time for brands, products and people that don't deliver. Those who shill for a product without ever seriously trying it do themselves no credit and the brand's reputation could also take a hit. Where do we go from here? The Rise of Brand Partners Before you throw up your arms and write off the idea of personality-driven marketing for good, take a second to distinguish between two terms: influencer and partner. An influencer, in today's crowded online media environment, is someone who has a large digital following to offer up, usually in exchange for some form...
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### 4 Ways a Fulfillment Partner Can Improve Customer Experience
> When you find the right fulfillment partner, not just another service provider, there are indirect benefits that improve customer experience.
- Published: 2021-03-22
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/improve-customer-experience-fulfillment-partner/
- Categories: Customer Experience
- Tags: customer experience, Order fulfillment
Beauty retailers have a very different view of the world than they did just a few months ago. Faced with a hesitant public and significantly restricted in-store operations, beauty brands that once relied on real-world demonstrations and physical interactions with customers have had to adapt quickly.
A fulfillment service is often the last party to touch your product before it heads out the door to your customer. You know that any delivery delay is a problem for your brand reputation, but have you considered how much potential exists to actually improve customer experience by working with your fulfillment provider? As close partners of the clients we serve, we understand that our services are effectively an extension of their brand. As such, there are numerous ways we can work together to enhance how the customer experiences the products we send. This article examines four ways to make that happen and we hope it sparks a creative conversation with your fulfillment team. Let's get started! eCommerce Is No Longer Enough Do you remember the last order you received? What about the one before that? If not, how far back do you have to go to recall a memorable unboxing experience? The trouble with the 4 Ways to Improve Customer Experience with Frictionless Fulfillment As you know by now, customer experience is defined by much more than an easy-to-use website or a timely delivery. Your customer's journey begins the second your brand pops up in a search for something they need - or a chance encounter on social media - and extends to every subsequent touch until they have your product in hand. And it's only then that the real fun begins... The truth is that consumers today have little time and lots of alternatives. If your brand messes...
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### F4SS Board Welcomes Capacity's Thom Campbell and Annette Saenger
> With new F4SS board members confirmed, including Capacity's Thom Campbell, the Foundation for Strategic Sourcing looks ahead to a bright 2021.
- Published: 2021-01-30
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/f4ss-board-thom-campbell-annette-saenger/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, News
- Tags: annette saenger, f4ss, sourcing, Thom Campbell
Following an election, the Foundation for Strategic Sourcing (F4SS) has announced new board members, one of whom is Capacity's CSO, Thom Campbell! Thom joins Annette Saenger, Business Development Manager for Pharma Cosmetics at SGS North America. The pair join Chris Taylor, CEO and Founder of Crescent Corporation, who was re-elected for another term. The term for each representative is three years, during which they are tasked with driving the direction and success of F4SS. F4SS Board Embraces New MembersF4SS is a non-profit organization representing the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector. Serving its members now for more than a decade, the organization works to further the interests of its constituents by promoting diversity between branded companies and their suppliers, food and non-food segmentation, and ensuring demographic representation. Click here for the complete Board of Directors line-up and their roles. Steve Weinstein, chair of the F4SS Board and Head of Supply Chain at Zarbee's Naturals, says the new appointments will help the organization better serve those who sign up for its upgraded membership options. “The balance of expertise within the F4SS Board of Directors is a direct reflection of the F4SS member base,” said Weinstein, “seated to ensure the needs and issues faced by our members are appropriately represented. We look forward to the contributions our newest Board members will make. ” With trial membership plans and new tiers catering to SMBs, F4SS aims to attract and integrate more startups and independent brands in 2021. Combined...
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### Learning from the Legacy of Dr. King
> Dr. King's words resonate especially strongly today, as we hope for a week of peaceful transition and a focus on shared ideals.
- Published: 2021-01-18
- Modified: 2021-08-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/mlk-day-2021/
- Categories: News
- Tags: martin luther king jr, mlk day
As we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. today, Dr. King's words resonate especially strongly. MLK Day 2021 We hope for a week of peaceful transition and a focus on shared ideals, as the nation seeks to move beyond a debilitating pandemic and work towards mutual success. We anticipate greatopportunities in 2021and look forward to achieving them together, with a view to getting the country back to work, daily interaction, and a commitment to better understanding each other.
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### 5 Supply Chain Trends for 2021: What to Watch
> No-one predicted the upheaval of 2020, but brands have learnt a lot to inform their approach to these five supply chain trends for 2021.
- Published: 2021-01-09
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-for-2021/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 2021, ecommerce, supply chain trends
Happy New Year! Somehow, this time last year we skipped an article on 2020 trends. We can't claim any kind of clairvoyance, but it's fair to say that no-one saw what was coming from March onwards. Fast-forward a year and things look very different, but with some relief and stability hopefully on the horizon, let's take a look at some supply chain trends for 2021. 5 Supply Chain Trends for 2021 Here are five important factors that we expect to impact our industry and eCommerce over the next 12 months. eCommerce Over Everything Getting the most obvious one out of the way, online selling has clearly become the primary focus for retailers of all shapes and sizes. According to industry analysts, 2020accelerated the progress of eCommerceby anything from five to ten years. Even if a brand was dragging its heels in the run-up to this new decade, the past twelve months forced every retailer reliant on in-store sales to adapt their online strategy as quickly as possible. Although we expect to see a return to physical stores later in 2021, it's unlikely to happen all at once. Some shoppers will simply never go back, at least not for a majority of their purchases. The convenience and increasingly enjoyable experience that customers receive from buying online, especially from DTC brands that take the time to engage them individually, will be too strong to stifle. What this means for brands playing catch up is ever more investment in content, UI/UX, and...
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### 5 Ways Beauty Retailers Have Adapted to Online-first Ordering
> The 2020 pandemic has forced many traditional retail outlets to pivot. Here are some of the ways beauty retailers have adapted.
- Published: 2021-01-08
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/5-ways-beauty-retailers-have-adapted-to-online-first-ordering/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
Beauty retailers have a very different view of the world than they did just a few months ago. Faced with a hesitant public and significantly restricted in-store operations, beauty brands that once relied on real-world demonstrations and physical interactions with customers have had to adapt quickly.
Beauty retailers have a very different view of the world than they did just a few months ago. Faced with a hesitant public and significantly restricted in-store operations, beauty brands that once relied on real-world demonstrations and physical interactions with customers have had to adapt quickly. As we covered earlier this month, retail in a pandemic looks a lot different to what most of us consider normal. The situation has exposed a key weakness of supply chains across many sectors: an inability to react to widespread disruption at short notice. The pandemic has challenged physical retail-oriented names like Ulta and Sephora to adjust and rethink the role of online service in the journey of their customers. It has also highlighted the narrow distinction between retailers selling products deemed essential and those that do not, making the beauty section of stores like Target an even more appealing place to be. The Beauty Sector in a Pandemic Despite the fact that customers were unable to enter their stores, many beauty brands were able to partially weather the early storm of the coronavirus, thanks to some combination of nimble eCommerce tactics and established economic norms. The latter comes down to the “lipstick index,” a trend identified in post-millennium moments of recession. It proposes that consumers see products like lipstick and other cosmetics as affordable luxuries during periods of economic turbulence, making sales the beauty sector more resilient than others, unless times remain tough. However, it’s the former that we’re most interested in for...
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### Happy Holidays from Capacity!
- Published: 2020-12-23
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays-from-capacity/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Christmas, greetings, Holidays, new year
At the end of an incredibly challenging year, we'd like to take this opportunity to extend our very best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season. On behalf of everyone at Capacity, we hope you can take some time to relax and reflect during the final week of the year. We look forward to brighter times and continuing our mission to delight customers and deliver fulfillment in 2021!
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### With Brexit Deadline Looming, Shipment Changes Challenge Brands
> A Dec. 31st deadline looms but UK-EU trade negotiations remain deadlocked. Amid this uncertainty, Brexit shipment changes are challenging brands.
- Published: 2020-12-14
- Modified: 2021-06-21
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/brexit-shipment-changes/
- Categories: News
- Tags: brexit, europe, shipping
While it hasn't occupied the headlines nearly as much this year, for obvious reasons, the subject of Brexit is attracting attention again this month. Not least for the shipment changes and supply chain headaches that a December 31st, 2020 deadline is posing for brands. With backlogs forming at British ports and administrative burdens threatening toincrease costsin the near-term, shipping to customers in the United Kingdom is already more complicated. Uncertainty over the details of a potential trade deal, or indeed whether a deal can be reached at all this late in the process, continues to make things worse. However, there are some important steps that brands can take to somewhat smooth the road ahead. Brexit Shipment Changes As 2020 draws to a close, brands with customers in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland need to make arrangements to comply with new regulatory requirements. With escalating penalties for non-compliance, it pays to be aware of these updates and adjust your shipment processes accordingly. These are some of the key changes for any business shipping to UK consumers: 1. All brands shipping to UK consumers have to register for a UK VAT number by January 1, 2021. 2. The UK Gov is removing the current de minimis of £15 and will require VAT on everything. 3. For orders under £135, the brand is responsible for collecting and remitting the VAT to the UK government, and they must include their UK VAT number in the shipment to the UK customer and collect VAT...
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### Fine-Tune Your eCommerce Fulfillment for 2021
> For many brands grappling with 2020's challenges, online shopping continues to be a lifeline. Here's how to fine-tune your eCommerce for 2021.
- Published: 2020-12-08
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-fulfillment-2021
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: dicentral, eCommerce Fulfillment, outsourcing fulfillment
Everyone is trying to predict where eCommerce fulfillment is headed in 2021. We all know the only way is up, though questions remain around how to carve out a greater share of the spoils and what kind of post-pandemic recovery physical retail will make. What's clear is that setting best practices and fine-tuning your eCommerce fulfillment for 2021 will set the stage for any broader changes your business wants to make to its online presence. eCommerce Fulfillment: Best Practices for 2021 In November, Capacity CSO Thom Campbell participated in a webinar hosted by the EDI software experts at DiCentral. This trusted vendor has a deep vault ofinformative supply chain webinars, including another discussion with our experts last year on the subject ofrapid fulfillment. Our latest session focused on the acceleration of online shopping and best practices that brands can adopt to better position themselves for what's coming in 2021. You can watch the full recording above, including deep dives into ways your company can expand revenue, shorten delivery times, and optimize inventory management for online ordering. For the purposes of this post, we'll provide a few key trends and stats, as well as insights to summarize the session and offer ideas to streamline your eCommerce activities heading into 2021. eCommerce Fulfillment Statistics Some key stats from 2020 that set the stage for this session: 53% of manufacturers have experienced increased profit as a result of eCommerce/dropship growth. 32,200 jobs were added to the warehouse/storage sector this year. Holiday spending...
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### Capacity Celebrates Growth and Diversity with Emerging Brands
> Capacity launches fulfillment operations with two fast-growing, diverse emerging brands: Rizos Curls and Bubble Skincare.
- Published: 2020-12-07
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-diversity-growth-brands/
- Categories: News, Press Releases
- Tags: bubble beauty, clients, news, press release, rizos curls
NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ, December 7, 2020 -- Capacity LLC, trusted leaders in modern order management and direct-to-consumer eCommerce fulfillment, has launched with two fast-growing, diverse emerging brands: Rizos Curls and Bubble Skincare. Capacity Works with Emerging Brands Following a year of unprecedented eCommerce acceleration and dynamic changes in consumer behavior, Capacity’s ability to adapt operations and weather the storm of a global pandemic has demonstrated the value of a true fulfillment partner. Established companies and emerging brands alike have approached Capacity to take on product launches that other providers were ill-equipped to manage. In the case of Rizos Curls, Capacity is privileged to work with an inspiring leader in CEO Julissa Prado and her team. Formed with its roots in the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Rizos Curls is a brand with adaptability in its DNA. Prado has become an icon for women embracing their natural hairstyles, creating products and content dedicated to nurturing the beauty of curls. More recently, mainstream retailers and national media outlets have taken note of the rise of Rizos and the importance of Latinx founders. "Heart and hustle" is how NBC chose to phrase it in a piece earlier this month, summing up two of the crucial traits that get brands like this to the top. Empowering Every Part of the Market For Bubble Skincare, the theme of empowerment also runs deep. The brand’s energy is directed at the underserved teen end of the market. Safe, inclusive, and affordable are the watchwords...
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### Thank You For Your Service
- Published: 2020-11-11
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/veterans-day-2020-thank-you/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: veterans day
On behalf of the entire team at Capacity, we offer our heartfelt thanks to all those who have served our country. If you have the opportunity today - or indeed any day - we encourage you to thank a veteran for their service.
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### Logistics Data and Decision-Making: The Importance of Metrics
> "Logistics data enables us to look at every step of the process, understand where the bottlenecks are, and engineer solutions."
- Published: 2020-10-22
- Modified: 2021-08-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-data-decision-making-metrics/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: data analysis, interview, logistics data, Order fulfillment, strategy, Technology, tecsys
When it comes to logistics data, it's hard to see how we could work without it. Literally, in the case of Capacity, as it cuts to the core of everything we do and the value proposition we offer to our clients. In a recentinterview with supply chain software experts Tecsys, our CSO Thom Campbell highlights the essential nature of data and metrics to our services. "It’s our job to know the challenges of each channel and understand how to bring together the processes, material handling equipment, and technology we need to execute to the highest standards," says Campbell, who has witnessed incredible changes in his industry over the past 20 years. The past five years, in particular, have yielded phenomenal growth, in which time Capacity processed its 20 millionth order in late 2018. Less than two years later, it passed the 30 million mark! Suffice it to say, it would have been almost impossible to manage such accelerated order processing without the help of new technology. With a passionate, experienced team already in place, Capacity has added tech from tier-one providers to empower that team to keep orders moving efficiently and on-time. Logistics Data and Decision-Making In an industry tasked with keeping cargo and orders moving, data is the grease that keeps the wheels of logistics turning. Without logistics data, the supply chain would be something of a long tunnel, in which visibility is minimal and clients wait for their customer orders to come out the other side. Most of...
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### FBA Disadvantages: Amazon Can Inform, But It Cannot Engage
> As Prime Day 2020 records another record-setting year, it still can't hide some of the core FBA disadvantages that plague sellers on Amazon.
- Published: 2020-10-15
- Modified: 2021-04-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fba-disadvantages-amazon/
- Categories: Customer Experience
- Tags: amazon disadvantages, fba, fulfillment by amazon
As Prime Day 2020 comes to a close and headlines report another record year for the popular Amazon sales event, it's easy to forget what gets lost in the annual sea of deals. Diluted brand identity and loss of customer engagement are two significant FBA disadvantages that more and more Amazon sellers are waking up to, as eCommerce continues its dynamic, disruptive influence on traditional retail. "Consumers are doing a lot more research, being more thoughtful. Brands that do well need a site that engages and informs. " These are the wise words of Danielle Savin, Senior Digital Marketing Director at CapGemini, who you might remember from our summary of Deck Commerce's Retail During a Pandemic webcast back in June. Why are we repeating this particular insight from Danielle here? Because it highlights a key challenge for Amazon retailers at this time and, indeed, one of the primary FBA disadvantages that these retailers experience. Namely, that Amazon delivers a wealth of information for its customers but offers next to no engagement. So with Prime Day orders placed and the hype receding, the industry's focus switches to how well parcel carriers will handle the volume of deliveries ahead of avery different 2020 peak season. For retailers, however, the comparison should be with how their brand looks as customers experience it through Amazon, rather than the more refined purchase journey that buyers enjoy when they come directly to the brand's website, app, or social media channels. Herein lies one of the main...
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### 2020 eCommerce and the Seasonal Hiring Surge
> Jeff Kaiden talks to the Wall Street Journal about a surge in seasonal logistics hiring. Is it enough to satisfy unprecedented eCommerce?
- Published: 2020-10-06
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/2020-ecommerce-seasonal-hiring-surge/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: ecommerce, hiring, Logistics
As employment remains a question mark for the wider economy, recruitment in the logistics sector is entering a familiar phase: the rush to secure adequate resources to handle the holiday peak. We've already written about how the 2020 peak season will be different to those we've seen in recent years. Sales will be extended and the delivery network will be stretched throughout the traditional shipping peak. The surge in logistics hiring is a phenomenon that always accompanies this period, but 2020 marks an acceleration, as well as new challenges around how these seasonal workers will operate. Seasonal Hiring Surge? Our CEO Jeff Kaiden spoke to the Wall Street Journal in September to discuss what we've seen in our industry. “We saw maybe a 500% uptick in e-commerce business since March,” says Kaiden in the article (subscription required), confirming that he expects to bring in around 30% more peak season team members than previous years. Of course, these new workers will be subject to the same safety precautions and sanitization regimens that Capacity has strictly adhered to since the early days of the pandemic. Across the industry, similar carefully-calculated hiring expansions are occurring. The WSJ points out that warehousing and storage payrolls have already added 32,200 jobs in September, with many more expected during the critical preparation month of October. This contrasts with the uncertainty across the US economy as a whole, which is struggling to shake off the ongoing unknowns of coronavirus, global trade disagreements, and the turbulence of an...
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### 3 Ways the 2020 Peak Season Will Be Different
> The 2020 peak season will be unlike any other we've seen before. Here are three ways your brand could be affected.
- Published: 2020-09-29
- Modified: 2021-08-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/2020-peak-season-differences/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: carrier surcharges, ecommerce, peak season, shipping
It's been a rollercoaster ride for logistics and supply chain professionals this year, even by the dynamic standards of our sector. With physical retail forced into an extended shutdown and online brands scrambling to fill the void, the stage has been set for a very different 2020 peak season. For starters, eCommerce is set to spike again. From a steady build to 10%-15% of holiday sales over the past five years, a dramatic surge in that market share is expected this year. Analysts predict up to 3x growth in eCommerce ordering for the 2020 peak, over and above the increases in eComm share of holiday retail sales that were anticipated before the pandemic. That's not out of line with what we saw back in spring, as most of the country stayed inside and orders moved online. Blend in the deadlines and characteristically hectic delivery schedules of the holidays, however, and we see the potential for substantial disruption in some quarters. Peak Season 2020 Is More Challenging Than Ever Retailers have not rested on their laurels as eCommerce has expanded its piece of the holiday pie with every passing year. Some have acquired eComm expertise, as Walmart did bypurchasing Jet back in 2016, while others have aligned with growing direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands in order to take their strongest categories in physical retail online. While still dominant, Amazon is by no means the only viable choice that holiday shoppers now have when they want to order at home. In 2020, everyone from...
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### 3 Characteristics to Help Manage Fulfillment Disruption
> Dynamic markets and global events make fulfillment disruption inevitable. These are three traits to help you handle the challenge.
- Published: 2020-09-14
- Modified: 2021-08-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/manage-fulfillment-disruption/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: ecommerce, sourcing journal
Fulfillment disruption is challenging at the best of times, but pandemic restrictions in 2020 have upended every section of the supply chain. As consumer purchasing moved online during periods of quarantine, social distancing, and a lingering hesitance to get out into the physical world, existing warehousing and fulfillment strategies went out the window. One long and much-changed summer later, COVID-19 is offering lessons in crisis readiness and business continuity planning to retailers and their fulfillment partners alike. Our CSO Thom Campbell recently spoke toSourcing Journalon this subject. He offered the following three traits that proved extremely valuable to companies attempting to navigate the uncertain waters of the pandemic: CreativityRedundancyAdaptabilityYou can read the full article by Sarah Jones at Sourcing Journal by registering here. It covers multiple perspectives from around the fulfillment sector and is well worth your time. To provide a short overview, the next section offers some key excerpts from Thom and other respondents. Handling Fulfillment Disruption: Key Characteristics "Times like this show how incredibly critical creativity is," says Campbell, who agrees that his sector isn't typically seen as a bastion of creative inspiration. Nonetheless, when your business leans heavily on engineers and technologists, out-of-the-box thinking is actually a quality you have in abundant supply. Looking back at March, when business-as-usual was flipped on its head and uncertainty became the only constant, fulfillment services suddenly had to channel all of that creativity just to keep their doors open and products moving. In Capacity's case, that meant looking at the...
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### A Team to Be Proud Of
> We take the opportunity on Labor Day to thank our team - and family - who go above and beyond every day to keep our clients' products moving.
- Published: 2020-09-07
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/a-team-to-be-proud-of/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: labor day, teamwork
Happy Labor Day weekend! Labor Day is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is a national tribute to the contributions these workers have made towards the overall strength, prosperity, and well-being of our society. We take this opportunity to give special thanks for our superstar team at Capacity, who make it happen each and every day for our clients!
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### Capacity Passes 30 Million Orders Filled
> After filling our 20 millionth order in late 2018, Capacity has accelerated to hit 30 million orders less than 18 months later!
- Published: 2020-08-16
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/30-million-orders-milestone/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, News
- Tags: company news, ecommerce
Despite all of the alternative plans and ever-evolving restrictions, it's been a busy summer here at Capacity. We're happy to report that during this period, our superstar team exceeded all expectations and processed the company's 30 millionth order! Following hot on the heels ofhandling our 20 millionth orderduring the 2018 peak season, processing another 10 million within 18 months demonstrates just how much online retail has accelerated. Fueled by increasingly connected customers and the greater trust in online ordering that has been an unanticipated side-effect of the ongoing pandemic, eCommerce is more important than ever. Capacity’s team and technology have proved more than capable of handling everything the rapid growth of online retail can throw at the company. It is fitting that one of Capacity’s long-standingclientspushed the company past its latest milestone. An iconic beauty brand lauded by fans and influencers alike ran its annual promotion, creating an order spike bigger than ever. Our experienced client team designed a specific fulfillment plan to maximize throughput on the items that were part of the sale. After a week of massive volume, things are back to normal and the brand’s delighted customers got everything they expected, quickly and conveniently. Noah Sange on 30 Million Orders Milestone Of the achievement, Capacity’s Chief Commercial Officer Noah Sange said: “It is a testament to our deep relationships with clients and the Capacity team’s exceptional performance that we mark this milestone at such a crucial time. As the economy attempts to ramp up after a difficult...
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### Celebrating Our Foundations
- Published: 2020-07-03
- Modified: 2021-06-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/celebrating-our-foundations/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful holiday weekend to reflect on the founding principles of the country we love.
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### Retail Experts Discuss Commerce During the Pandemic
> As businesses across North America assess how to reset and reopen, retail experts from Deck Commerce, Capgemini, and Capacity discuss what they're seeing.
- Published: 2020-06-09
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/retail-experts-discuss-pandemic-commerce
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: coronavirus, ecommerce, noah sange, retail
The major question on every business owner's mind over the past 10 weeks is relatively simple to ask but rather more difficult to answer: what does commerce look like after a pandemic that keeps everyone at home? Although we've looked at the acceleration of eCommerce in recent weeks, it's always interesting to gather opinions from retail experts across the spectrum of commerce. That's why it was exciting to have our Chief Commercial Officer Noah Sange participate in a discussion with retail experts from Capgemini and Deck Commerce, exploring the difficult reality ofretail during a pandemicand what we can expect to see as we move towards the next phase of retail. Covering Commerce Episode 1: Expert Insights on Commerce During the Pandemic Retail Experts Dissect the Challenges of Post-Pandemic Commerce "Buying patterns are going to be fundamentally changed," says Chris Deck, CEO and Founder of Deck Commerce, a sophisticated order management system (OMS) that powers the omnichannel strategies of high-volume brands. Neatly summarizing the challenges ahead, he continues by explaining that "new ways of engaging with the customer and re-imagining how bricks and mortar stores will be a key driver for the next phase of retail. " Our own Noah Sange agrees, calling the pandemic conditions a "quantum leap" for physical retail adapting to eCommerce. Noting that Capacity has seen B2B volumes dwindle while online orders spike to Black Friday-like levels, eCommerce has clearly been a lifeline for brands that operate in both channels. At the same time, physical retail shipments are...
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### How to Turn Accelerated eCommerce Into an Opportunity
> For those willing to adjust their business model and embrace new service partnerships, accelerated eCommerce presents a unique growth opportunity.
- Published: 2020-05-30
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/accelerated-ecommerce-opportunity/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, ecommerce, online retail
The events of recent months have turned the world upside down. With very few exceptions, life has been irrevocably altered and the phrase "business as usual" has been replaced by terms like "survival mode" and "the new abnormal". While none of us can turn back the clock and take things back to pre-pandemic norms, we have seen glimpses of light. Light that presents the potential to emerge from this dark moment with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to strengthen our businesses, where we're able. And then there are the opportunities. Areas of life and business that proved especially resilient during the roughest moments of the pandemic, which could be a catalyst for success as we all attempt to bounce back. Accelerated eCommerce is one of those opportunities, but not every business is well-positioned to make the most of it. It's that opportunity tolean into eCommercethat we'll explore in this article. Six Weeks of Accelerated eCommerce As it became clear back in March that states had few options but to shut down and encourages citizens to shelter-in-place, people quickly realized that their regular retail habits would have to change. Aside from essentials like groceries and medicine, consumers were forced to find alternative channels if they wanted to buy clothes, cosmetics, electronics, or any of the other product categories we take for granted. In most cases, the channels they turned to were online. In the second half of March, an early spike in sales of electronics (learning or working...
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### Lip Servicing Brings Brands Together for Frontline Workers
> We partnered with beauty influencers at Lip Servicing to deliver personal care packages to front line workers. Brands across the country are doing the same.
- Published: 2020-05-18
- Modified: 2021-04-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/lip-servicing-brings-brands-together-for-frontline-workers/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: beauty, coronavirus, cosmetics, covid 19, covid-19 relief, georgina burke, lip servicing, make up
In the midst of so much chaos, one of the silver linings for our team is seeing so many amazing individuals and brands stepping up to add their unique skills to COVID-19 relief efforts. Given our deep roots in the cosmetics and makeup sector, it's especially exciting to see the vibrant community of beauty influencers step up to support COVID-19 relief, as the Lip Servicing movement has done over the past few weeks on Instagram. Lip Servicing + Capacity Deliver for Frontline Workers Our team is proud to partner with Lip Servicing and beauty experts around the country to pick and pack gift sets for the tireless front line workers at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Inspired by Georgina Burke and supported by other popular personalities in the world of beauty, this combination of generosity, organization, and plain old hard work, delivered 500 care packages that included 6,000 items and $100,000 worth of products. It has been a delight to watch the care packages arrive for these workers and see the positive responses from healthcare professionals. You can see some of those below, or check out thehashtag on Instagramfor a full dose of fulfillment at this troubling time. We hope this initiative brings a much-needed moment of pampering and personal care to NYC healthcare professionals who have given so much to others throughout this pandemic. If you'd like to help this particular cause, please consider a Mt. Sinai donation via Lip Servicing on the hospital's giving page here:https://giving. mountsinai. org/ Brands...
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### Marking 50 Years of Earth Day
> As Earth Day turns 50, we acknowledge the efforts of sectors we serve creating cleaner, green business practices. How does your brand embrace sustainbility?
- Published: 2020-04-22
- Modified: 2021-03-25
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/marking-50-years-of-earth-day/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, News
- Tags: clean beauty, earth day, sustainability
Earth Day was started in 1970, at a time when the impact of the humans on the environment was, at best, an afterthought. Slowly but surely, advocates of green initiatives gained a voice and the modern environmentalist movement gathered momentum. Today, it re-ignites - not the best choice of words, though undeniably relevant! - the shift to cleaner living and more sustainable business practices on an annual basis. Honoring 50 Years of Earth Day Now more than ever, it's crucial to lift up and accelerate initiatives that improve our relationship with the world around us. As many commuters remain at home and global movement slows to a trickle, one potential chink of light shine through in the clear skies and cleaner air that would, in a more thoughtful world, be the norm. That will take an enormous effort on the part of people, corporations, and public entities around the world, but we have been given a glimpse of how quickly we can make a difference. If the original attitude of Earth Day takes hold once more, this temporary respite could become a permanent benefit. As we explored in5 Supply Chain Trends to Watch in 2020, sustainability has to move beyond individual projects and aim towards company-wide practices over the next decade. That means taking meaningful steps towards carbon-neutral buildings, end-to-end sustainability, eliminating single-use plastics, and phasing out materials that harm the flora and fauna we take for granted. It's something that Capacity is actively engaging with our clients and service...
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### Capacity Partners with Kai's Organics to Deliver Essential Hand Sanitizer to New York
> Kai’s Organics, a leading manufacturer of USDA organic products, works with Capacity to bring essential sanitization products to NY/NJ.
- Published: 2020-04-15
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-partners-with-kais-organics-to-deliver-essential-hand-sanitizer-to-new-york/
- Categories: Press Releases
NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ, April 15, 2020 -- In times of great uncertainty and stretched resources, it takes inspired minds and teamwork to make things happen. Kai’s Organics, a leading manufacturer of USDA organic products, and Capacity LLC, trusted experts in order fulfillment, today announced they have come together to help bring essentials across the country, to the places hit hardest by coronavirus. As the rising tide of the coronavirus pandemic turns into a flood of requests for essential medical and healthcare products, no area of the United States has been hit harder than New York City. Hand sanitizer is in especially high demand, which is why American entrepreneurs like the owners of Kai’s Organics, based in Santa Rosa, California, decided to pivot their business to this essential item. The challenge: how to get thousands of packs of this critical product from the other side of the country when supply chains are already stretched to breaking point? “As soon as Kai’s approached us, we knew Capacity could help. " This is where the collaboration with Capacity began, as Tod Stebbins, Director of Operations at Kai’s Organics, reached out for assistance. Of the initial request, Capacity’s Chief Commercial Officer Noah Sange says: “As soon as Kai’s approached us, we knew Capacity could help make a difference here. Our proximity to NYC and our ability to rapidly set up a new partner with high-volume, sustained bursts of direct-to-consumer orders, made us the perfect distribution platform for what Kai’s wanted to offer. Their pivot...
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### 10 Ways to Support Businesses During Coronavirus Disruption
> Despite unprecedented disruption to everyday life, brands are working hard to keep going. Here are 10 ways to support businesses during coronavirus.
- Published: 2020-03-25
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ways-to-support-businesses-during-coronavirus-disruption/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: branding, Business, clients, coronavirus, covid 19, economy
It's been a rough couple of weeks, both here in the US and around the world, as coronavirus-related disruption seems to expand with every passing day. Naturally, after taking care of family, friends, and at-risk communities, our thoughts turn to the financial impact of the pandemic on our favorite businesses and brands. In this article, we'll look at ten ways to support businesses during coronavirus and how you can put your dollars to work for entrepreneurs and the wider economy, even if you're stuck at home. Clearly, with social distancing and shelter-in-place guidance in full effect, supporting the brands and local businesses we love is much harder. However, we know a thing or two aboutbuilding eCommercesuccess and online retail could well prove to be the lifeline that gets even traditional retailers through this difficult time. Below you'll find ten ways to support businesses online and off, many of which won't even require you to leave your home. 10 Ideas to Support Businesses During Coronavirus Disruption Consider the following suggestions to help the companies you care most about through the current disruption of coronavirus. 1. Buy Gift Cards for Use at a Later Date Gift cards provide the ideal source of income for retailers, especially local restaurants and service providers. The up-front payment for a product or service that can be provided at a later date, when restrictions are lifted and life returns to something like normality, is an excellent way to show your support for a favorite...
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### Staying Connected During Coronavirus
> After crafting early plans for working in the pandemic, we talk to members of the Capacity team on staying connected during coronavirus.
- Published: 2020-03-24
- Modified: 2021-04-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/staying-connected-during-coronavirus/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: Capacity, coronavirus, team
As we continue to assess the disruption of coronavirus - and adjust our operation to maintain the high standards of service our clients expect - we're also conscious that staying connected has never been more important. Thankfully, we have the tools and tech to stay connected during coronavirus, check in with our team, and keep the cogs of business turning. Checking in With the Team For all of the concerns around how technology has impacted social norms over the last decade, it's undeniably a blessing as the world transitions to remote working and learning from home. After communicating our early plans for a new way of working, we've been trying to talk to different members of the Capacity team and capture some of their insights in short videos. First, our VP of Client Services Darren Lavelle weighed in on how his team is maintaining as much "business as usual" as possible, as well as covering a few of the steps the company has taken to facilitate this continuity of service. Remaining Connected During Coronavirus On a more personal level, Darren has a child with a love for opera and reading. When asked how his family is handling the current situation, he shared that the Met is streaming HD Opera nightly and the NY Public Library has some 300,000 ebooks available. The NY Times also offers a selection of 'comfort books' in the article linked here. We thank Darren for sharing this selection of resources and hope our clients, colleagues, and partners found...
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### Capacity at MODEX 2020: Themes & Highlights
> Covering everything on display at MODEX 2020 is impossible, but our brief digest gives you a flavor of the show and what's ahead for fulfillment technology.
- Published: 2020-03-14
- Modified: 2021-03-25
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-at-modex-2020-themes-highlights/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: engineering, modex, Packaging, Technology, trade show
While everything has changed in recent days regarding how and where large groups can congregate, things were much less tense when our engineering team headed out to Atlanta for MODEX 2020 earlier this month. They're home safe and sound now, of course, and we'd love to share some of the sights and themes that they brought us from the show. Even though we won't be out in exhibition halls for the foreseeable future, we hope these images and smiles act as a reminder that things will eventually return to a more stable footing. Until then, we wish everyone a safe and healthy transition period. Capacity at MODEX 2020 We attend MODEX, the annual gathering of manufacturing and supply chain solutions experts, on a regular basis. Powered by the Materials Handling Institute (MHI), the event gives us a glimpse at the next wave of supply chain technology and a chance to reconnect with other leaders in our industry. MODEX 2020 was no exception. From warehouse inventory drones to the latest in packaging technology, our team soaked up a lot of information (and took a lot of photos! ) down in Atlanta. No photo captures the event better than the one above, with Capacity's Industrial Engineer Amogh Mutalikdesai and Milind Jadhav, our Director of Analytics and Supply Chain Systems, all smiles as they take in the latest fulfillment technology. Our Director of Engineering, Ed Shapiro, and CEO Jeff Kaiden were also in attendance, but they clearly managed to escape this shot...
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### The Rise of DTC Brands Brings New Marketing and Fulfillment Challenges
> At a marketing event hosted by Rutger's Business School, we gathered with major names to discuss the disruptive rise of DTC brands and the challenges ahead.
- Published: 2020-03-03
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/the-rise-of-dtc-brands-brings-new-marketing-and-fulfillment-challenges/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: events, Order fulfillment
What does a disruptive business model mean for stakeholders associated with the existing way of doing things? The continuing rise of DTC brands (Direct-to-Consumer) poses that very question to those of us working with established retailers with increasing urgency, as a sector already uprooted by the demands of eCommerce works out how to handle another important shift. We've previously covered DTC's expanding influence on many sectors, but the insights gleaned from some time at Rutgers University here in New Jersey last week are too good to keep to ourselves! Exploring the Emergence of Direct-to-Consumer Brands DTC brands do exactly what the term describes: take their products directly to buyers, mostly via online platforms, bypassing longstanding retail channels in the process. Physical stores, wholesalers, and various other third-party services are impacted by this direct connection to buyers, including those of us working in and around the supply chain. This is one of the reasons that Rutgers Business School recently invited us to take part in their second annual Digital Marketing Summit, which gave over its entire schedule to understanding the rise of DTC brands. The summit explored the kind of marketing strategies used by businesses that embrace this model, while also taking time to cover the reaction of traditional brands and the steps they are taking to avoid losing market share to new competitors. In addition to hearing from key figures at wildly successful DTC brands like Harry's and Mented Cosmetics, we also got to share the stories...
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### How Stadium Goods Scaled with a Flexible Fulfillment Solution
> When orders spiked and growth hit, Stadium Goods needed more storage & fulfillment systems than Lower Manhattan could offer. That's where Capacity came in.
- Published: 2020-02-22
- Modified: 2021-06-16
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/stadium-goods-fulfillment-case-study/
- Categories: Case Study
- Tags: case study, clients, footwear, sneakers, stadium goods
When new retail brands like Stadium Goods begin to flirt with growth, they're seldom ready for the demands of rapid expansion. Order volume doesn't tend to follow agreeable curves that align with a strategic plan to scale the business. In many cases, order spikes are sudden, sharp, and present a major challenge for the retailer to handle. Fortunately, there are partners with the solutions and experience to help companies in this situation out of a jam. Stadium Goods Expands Out of Lower Manhattan If you've ever walked the streets of Manhattan, you know that space is at a premium. That goes double for lower Manhattan, where the island tapers to its southern tip and retailers have to compete with investors, international HQs, and wealthy residents for premium real estate. Suffice it to say, this isn't the ideal place from which to store and ship sneakers, even the premium kind that Stadium Goods delivers to delighted customers! Stadium Goods began life five years ago as a reseller of sneakers and streetwear not far from Canal Street. The company operated from a modest space but was part of a rapidly growing market from the outset and clearly needed to expand at some point in the near future. When co-founders John McPheters and Jed Stiller watched the brand's eCommerce sales spike in early 2017, driving 90% of the company's growth for that period, they saw it was time and started to search for an outside order fulfillment partner. Custom Fulfillment for Continued...
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### USA CBD Expo 2020: An Inspiring Industry in Transition
> The best of the Capacity team's summary and takeaways from a packed out USA CBD Expo 2020 out in Las Vegas.
- Published: 2020-02-17
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/usa-cbd-expo-2020-takeaways/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: cbd, trade show
It's no secret that the CBD industry is receiving nationwide attention as shipping certain CBD products becomes legal and more companies look to stake a claim in the sector. As the market expands, forecasts from Market Research Future anticipate anannual growth rate of 125. 6%for the CBD sector over the next six years. While we have plenty of experience in the marketplace, it's always interesting to see which brands are making a splash and how a prominent trade show reflects its industry. This explains our attendance at the 2020 USA CBD Expo in Las Vegas, then, where our team members Kevin Hall and Nick Curattalo lit up the show floor in their own unique ways! The mix of Kevin's smooth style with Nick's high-energy approach (and fluorescent kicks, courtesy of Atoms! ) combine for something of a dream team for any brands in need of fulfillment solutions to serve this rapidly growing sector. Having walked the show floor for two days and talked to a bevy of industry experts, here are their takeaways from the 2020 USA CBD Expo. Takeaways from USA CBD Expo 2020 Even with our established capabilities shipping related products, we approach the CBD sector with the kind of fresh perspective that comes from operating outside the bubble. With that in mind, these are our takeaways on what we saw at USA CBD Expo this year: More Wellness Than Weed It's no longer just a regulatory consideration that CBD products are aligning with the wellness...
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### 3 Reasons to Find a New Partner as Your eCommerce Fulfillment Provider
> The sledgehammer approach of large 3PLs is unsuited to customized fulfillment. What's required is the refinement of a custom eCommerce fulfillment provider.
- Published: 2020-02-06
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/find-a-new-ecommerce-fulfillment-provider/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: 3PL, eCommerce Fulfillment, outsourcing, Technology
When the only tool at your disposal is a hammer, the temptation exists to strike every stray nail that you see. But what if that nail is embedded in a valuable piece of furniture? Hopefully, that would prompt you to think twice before taking a swing! Just as different DIY tasks require distinct tools to get the job done, so do different order fulfillment scenarios. If you're a CPG company shipping huge volumes to a major retailer, your existing logistics provider is probably getting the job done just fine. When it comes to shipping premium skincare products to individual customers, however, it's time for amore refined serviceas your eCommerce fulfillment provider. The right tool for the right job, as the old saying goes. In terms of shipping high-value products for premium brands, it's rare that an existing 3PL is the right option. Why Not Use Our Existing 3PL for eCommerce Orders? For anyone with an existing third-party logistics provider (3PL), the temptation will always be to go with what you know. If they're doing the job for your core business, why would things be any different as you try to expand into eCommerce fulfillment? Let's make no bones about it, traditional 3PLs are great at what they do. That means shipping full pallets, layers, and cases in high volume to retailer distribution centers. However, eCommerce fulfillment requires a different skill set. Even the "boutique" B2B fulfillment, which is all about expertly managing the eaches: individual SKU picks that make up...
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### Fekkai Brings Clean Beauty to the Beach with the Ocean Cleanup Project
> Capacity is proud to work with brands like Fekkai and, by extension, get involved with important initiatives like the Ocean Cleanup Project.
- Published: 2020-01-29
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fekkai-clean-beauty-ocean-cleanup-project/
- Categories: News
- Tags: clean beauty, clients, fekkai
Plenty of beauty brands talk the sustainability talk, but it's those who walk the walk that retain customers who were attracted to the company because of its environmental values in the first place. Our client Fekkai is one such brand, as their activity this past weekend exemplifies. Clean beauty means more to Fekkai than what they sell, although of course their range of carefully-crafted hair care products embodies the sustainability. Partnering with the Ocean Cleanup Project Taking to the shores of Santa Monica, Fekkai not only set up a beach salon to deliver clean beauty to this idyllic location. The team also partnered with theOcean Cleanup projectto beautify the beach, picking up litter and other unwanted objects that detract from the area's natural state. By combining advanced technology with grassroots, hands-on efforts like this, the project aims to clean up 90% of the plastic pollution in oceans around the world. This is clearly a huge undertaking, but one that is close to Fekkai's core values as a brand. They 're also committed to beauty, of course, hence the accompanying salon. As we noted on their images from the effort, doing good never looked so good! As we move into a new decade, sustainable business practices also need to move beyond general intent and towards constant action. Capacity is proud to work with brands like Fekkai and, by extension, great causes like the Ocean Cleanup Project who not only talk about the clean beauty movement but also take that sentiment...
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### Fulfillment and Supply Chain Trends to Watch For in 2020
> Various supply chain trends and market forces mean the next decade is full of challenges and opportunities to grow. Here's what to watch for in 2020.
- Published: 2020-01-16
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-2020-and-beyond/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy, Technology
- Tags: 2020, predictions, supply chain trends, sustainability, Technology
At this time of year, it's not uncommon to see various predictions pop up around what's happening in our industry and expectations for the next twelve months. However, this change of calendar is more consequential than most, as it marks not just another year but a new decade dawning. There's no denying that things have changed significantly over the last ten years (this blog didn't exist, for one thing! ) The retail world has been disrupted in almost every sector, primarily by Amazon but with new brands and digital startups also shaking things up. Meanwhile, technology has evolved to such a degree that consumers can shop almost anywhere, any time, and expect to see their purchases within a couple of days, if not hours in some metropolitan areas. Against that backdrop of consistent disruption and game-changing technology, what can we expect to see around the supply chain, retail, and eCommerce spaces as we move into 2020? 2020 Supply Chain Trends and Predictions for the Decade Ahead As a forward-thinking brand, it pays to think ahead and ponder the factors that will impact your business in the near future. These are some of the areas we expect to see influence our industry and associated sectors over the next year and beyond: Flexibility and responsiveness underpin frictionless fulfillment. Intense focus on sustainable supply chains. Real estate returns as a fulfillment advantage Talent becomes more important than technology. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence gain prominence. Let's take a look at each...
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### NRF 2020 Sets a Vision for the Year Ahead
> Our first tradeshow of the decade, NRF 2020, delivered exactly what it promised in the tagline: Vision. Here's a quick look at what we experienced.
- Published: 2020-01-15
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/nrf-2020-sets-a-vision-for-the-year-ahead/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: 2020, customer experience, retail, tradeshows
Our first tradeshow of the new decade had the perfect name: NRF 2020 Vision. The National Retail Federation is clearly a leading light for brands involved in both eCommerce and bricks-and-mortar stores. NRF is the world's largest retail trade association and has seen every trend in the industry come and go during its long history serving this sector. But this show was geared to look forward, which is exactly what attendees wanted to see as we enter a new decade with incredibly dynamic - and disruptive - market forces at work. Looking Ahead at NRF 2020 Vision The next decade will see many of the disruptive influences of the last ten years align and mature. eCommerce is no longer on the sidelines, for example, and has been joined by mCommerce and social media retail as an integral part of the customer purchase process. Beyond that, companies are finding creative ways to go direct to consumers, as the expectation of rapid delivery and a deeper brand experience become the new normal. It would take many many posts to cover all of the factors and trends that could influence retail over the next year and beyond - we know, we're writing them as you read this! - so NRF 2020 provided a thought-provoking way to kickstart that process. Connecting with Key Service Partners & the Biggest Brands Inevitably, given the fact that we've been doing this for decades, we run into many partners and peers at shows like...
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### 3PL Fulfillment Partners: Steps to Success
> A lot goes into finding 3PL fulfillment partners who can take your business to the next level. These best practices provide a great place to start.
- Published: 2020-01-03
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-fulfillment-partners-success/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: 3pl fulfillment, fulfillment partners
If, like many, your brand has expanded during the recent eCommerce boom, you might be considering a 3PL fulfillment partner. The same could be true if you outgrown the capabilities of more basic service providers, or simply need to reassess your relationship with a current fulfillment partner. Whatever the reason for making the move, developing a successful partnership can help take your business to the next level. With the right expertise and experience added to an already popular product line, brands can improve customer experience and build a reputation for exceptional service based on frictionless fulfillment. Nonetheless, as with any good relationship, a successful 3PL fulfillment partnership takes work and requires the right people. Understanding what makes such collaborations a success will help you avoid partners who can't handle your business and service providers unable to rise to the next level of fulfillment. Best Practices for a Successful 3PL Fulfillment Partnership In a recent interview with the MHI Solutions, Capacity CSO Thom Campbell offered advice on the best ways to build a positive working relationship with 3PL fulfillment partners. Of the initial selection process, he offers this advice: "A small, mom-and-pop 3PL focused on regional shipments is going to be different than a 3PL that has multiple global locations. One isn’t worse or better than the other; each may be perfect for a certain kind of client, but not so good for others. " You canread the full article here, but here are some of the key takeaways:...
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### Happy New Year!
- Published: 2020-01-01
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-new-year/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: 2020, greetings, happy new year
A New Year can be whatever you want to make it. On behalf of the team at Capacity, we wish you an inspiring and prosperous 2020.
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### Happy Holidays!
> Wishing a warm and enjoyable festive season to all of our clients, colleagues, friends and followers.
- Published: 2019-12-23
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays-2019/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
On behalf of the entire team at Capacity, we wish our client, colleagues, friends and followers, a very happy holiday season!
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### What Data-Driven Decision Making Looks Like for Retailers in 2020
> Retailers able to gather the right data, identify key trends, and effectively analyze what it all means can stand out in 2020 with data-driven strategies.
- Published: 2019-12-13
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/data-driven-retail-2020/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: data analysis, data gathering, ecommerce, retail
As is often highlighted by the media, albeit usually in a Established Retail Brands Embrace Data >response of retail brands that didn't start life online ranged from cautious to catastrophic. Against the backdrop of major names such as Sears and Toys R Us fighting bankruptcy and store closures, other giants like Target and Walmart have picked up the gauntlet laid down by Amazon, using abundant data to better organize their fulfillment solutions and enhance their eCommerce platforms. Here, Amazon also led the way, measuring every aspect of sales and delivery to map customer journeys, align operations with business objectives, and deliver greater value to their buyers. Established retail brands have followed, reorganizing their fulfillment processes to get products closer to customers, implementing faster delivery and free shipping at key moments, and expanding their eCommerce offering to attract more customers, learn about them, and bring online shoppers back for more. Traditional retailers that are able to bring together diverse sources of data across the company are clawing back the online ground they lost to Amazon earlier in the decade. At the same time, these forward-thinking brands position themselves to have a competitive advantage over the so-called "legacy laggards" identified by Bain and Co. in a recent report on the future of retail. More importantly, they enhance their ability to better understand their customers, enabled by new technologies such as smart devices, predictive and cognitive analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and increasingly advanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms that underpin them all. Examples...
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### Thankful for Clients & Colleagues
- Published: 2019-11-27
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/thankful-for-clients-colleagues/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
On behalf of the entire team at Capacity, thank you to all the clients, colleagues, and service partners who make our work so rewarding. Be safe and have a very happy Thanksgiving!
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### Hess Toy Truck Delivers a Masterclass in eCommerce Marketing
> Holiday promotions are a dime a dozen, which makes this exceptional eCommerce marketing campaign from Hess Toy Truck all the more valuable.
- Published: 2019-11-18
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/hess-toy-truck-masterclass-ecommerce-marketing/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
With so many competing messages, it can be tough to rise above the online noise nowadays. This is true even when you have a product as popular as the
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### With Gratitude
- Published: 2019-11-11
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/with-gratitude/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
On behalf of the team at Capacity, we extend our gratitude and thanks to all who served.
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### Why Investment in Technology is Crucial to eCommerce Competition
> Investment in technology is emerging as a critical factor in eCommerce success, but it's not just major names like Amazon who can reap the benefits.
- Published: 2019-10-30
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-investment-in-technology/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Technology
- Tags: ecommerce, retail, Technology
Analysis by Bain & Company recently highlighted that, when it comes to investment in new technology, Amazon will outspend its average retail competitor by a factor of ten over the next five years. At their current rate of investment, that equates to every one of its ten closest retail competitors allocating an estimated $100 billion less than Amazon for information technology by 2023. Why does this matter? Isn't Amazon simply spending far more because its core business is delivered online? While underpinning its dominant eCommerce platforms is clearly a factor for Amazon, such reasoning overlooks some crucial aspects of the retail landscape that are helping Amazon become even more dominant. As the numbers above illustrate, data analysis and digital platforms have evolved to be the keys that open up new doors and strategies to customers. Yes, technology is the core of Amazon's business offering, but it is also fundamental to the company's strategy of getting closer to customers with every interaction. In this scenario, how does an established brand begin to compete with Amazon's massive investment in technology and the benefits it delivers? Amazon Spurs Accelerated Investment in Technology For other retailers, the ongoing impact of failing to keep pace with Amazon's investment in IT is significant. It will compound the effect that we have already seen, with long-established retailers unable to meet customer expectations because their systems aren't sophisticated enough to keep up. Sensibly, some of North America's most established retail brands aren't waiting to find out...
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### NAEOS 2019: Our Highlights and Takeaways
> NAEOS, the North American E-tail Operations Summit is on our calendar every year. We're excited to report takeaways from this year's event are just as compelling.
- Published: 2019-10-08
- Modified: 2021-04-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/naeos-2019-our-highlights-and-takeaways/
- Categories: News
- Tags: ecommerce, naeos, naeos19
Year after year, the North American E-tail Operations Summit - NAEOS - is a firm fixture on our calendar. 2019 is no different and we're excited to report that this year's event was every bit as engaging as those we've enjoyed in the past. NAEOS19 succeeded in gathering a broad collection of eCommerce executives, leading service providers, and media partners from all over the U. S. and Canada. The summit provides an opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practices, and learn about practical solutions to the common challenges we all need to address in the dynamic world of eCommerce retail and logistics. New Perspectives at NAEOS 19 As a corporate partner of the event, Capacity obviously values NAEOS as an opportunity to reach new brands and connect with other service partners in our industry. Just as important, though, is the chance to hear what's happening in the marketplace and learn from thought leaders in sectors that are new to our team. Another benefit of attending NAEOS, of course, is that you know you'll hear from some of the biggest names in the eCommerce sector. Shopify, for example, which powers the stores ofmore than 820,000 online merchantsand processes hundreds of millions of orders every year. It's not just stats that are served up, however. It's hearing the pivotal moments in a company's history. Stories, for example, such as how Shopify moved from a disruptive startup to a wildly successful eCommerce platform that really add perspective to our industry. Scaling with Shopify...
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### Why CPG Brands Should Focus on a Frictionless Customer Experience
> With two-way communication and reliable partners, a fulfillment solution can be created that delivers a frictionless customer experience.
- Published: 2019-09-24
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/cpg-brands-customer-experience/
- Categories: Customer Experience, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: cpg, customer experience
Customer experience (CX) is a core competency for online businesses. Born out of the need to continuously improve and refine websites for users - hence the similar acronym of UX being common shorthand in the world of web development - this phrase has expanded as the influence of eCommerce has grown. Indeed, the idea of how potential buyers experience a brand has broadened to include the entire customer journey. As a result, every aspect of brand interaction must be analyzed if a business is to deliver a frictionless customer experience. Where Experience and Operations Align Delivering a frictionless customer experience for your buyers is no small undertaking. It requires operational alignment with your eCommerce solution, such that the former supports every step of the path to purchase with real-time information and real-world delivery. Here are a few examples to show where this can happen: Accurate inventory data, updated in real-time, feeds the customer-facing eCommerce platform so potential buyers know what products are available. Fulfillment technology guides order picking, so what the customer receives exactly matches what they ordered. Strategically located fulfillment and transportation partners with the flexibility to deliver on multiple shipping options. A clearly documented and stress-tested returns process replaces the item - or refunds the customer - in the timescale promised by your policy. A clear and efficient process is essential. From the first click through to your website or app to the final delivery and unboxing of an order, providing a...
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### 3 Hallmarks of Frictionless Fulfillment
> Customers expect a seamless purchase experience, whether they're online, in-store or both. Here's why frictionless fulfillment is essential to this journey.
- Published: 2019-09-09
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/frictionless-fulfillment/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: direct to consumer, dtc, frictionless fulfillment
Now that we have so many ways to order and engage with brands, the importance of providing a frictionless experience for customers cannot be overstated. In addition to websites, storefronts, mobile apps, and the many other ways that buyers can engage with retailers, that consideration must also extend to frictionless fulfillment. Research from Brightpearl and Endless Gain last year found that over 60% of respondents said they wouldn't want to buy from the same retailer again if they experienced a significant problem after purchase. This includes aspects related to fulfillment, such as inadequate packaging safety, delivery issues, or difficulties returning a problem. What is Frictionless Order Fulfillment? In order to achieve the wider goal of an efficient and smooth customer journey, frictionless fulfillment must enter the conversation. Everything from the initial availability of a product (on a shelf or in the warehouse) to estimated shipping time, order tracking, and delivery to the end customer, involves the retailer's order fulfillment solution in some way. A frictionless order fulfillment process is one that presents all the required information when and where it's needed, allows customers to move across sales channels at their convenience, and delivers their order in a timely manner. (We'd go so far as to say that the delivery and unboxing experience should also delight your customer, but that's less to do with friction and more to do with a dedicated fulfillment partner! ) Where customers experience a bump in the road of their customer journey, be it something as...
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### Inbound Logistics and Inc. 5000 Recognize Capacity's Achievements
> While positive client reports remain our most important feedback, recent accolades from Inbound Logistics & Inc. 5000 are a welcome addition.
- Published: 2019-08-30
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/inbound-logistics-and-inc-5000-recognition/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, News
- Tags: Capacity, inbound logistics, inc 5000, industry awards, news
As a team of fulfillment, engineering and IT experts, our primary drive comes from delivering the brand promises of our clients to their customers. It never hurts to receive external acclaim, of course, and we're happy to report two examples of this from recent weeks. Firstly, Capacity has been named as one of Inbound Logistics (IL) magazine’s Top 100 Third Party Logistics Companies of 2019. This is a valued recommendation for us, coming as it does from a highly respected resource in our industry. IL's basis for this accolade boils down to third-party logistics (3PL) partners who offer transformative solutions in the sector. These services must drive integration across business processes internally and externally. Inbound Logistics also requires those it recognizes to demonstrate excellence in optimizing transportation and logistics operations. In receiving this recognition, it was noted that Capacity's fulfillment solutions save our clients money, increase operational efficiency, and help clients solve complex logistical challenges. We are very proud to receive such a valuable acknowledgement of our services and thank all of the Capacity family for their role in this achievement. On a broader level, Capacity has also been included in the upper half of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing privately-held companies in the United States. This isn't the first time we've appeared on the list, but it puts us in good company with some of the country's most dynamic businesses. We also appreciate this achievement as another reminder of the hard work our team delivers each and every day. We...
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### Women's Equality Day, Every Day
> While we still have progress to make and every day should advocate for equality, Woman's Equality Day is an important reminder of that fact.
- Published: 2019-08-26
- Modified: 2021-05-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/womens-equality-day-2019/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: diversity, equality, inclusion, womens equality day
Today marks Women's Equality Day in the United States, which was introduced almost 100 years ago to commemorate the 19th Amendment affording women the right to vote. Almost a century later, it stands as a reminder of not only what women have achieved, but how far society still has to go to reach true equality. Equality, Today and Every DayNaturally, as we still have progress to make, every day should be a day to celebrate and advocate for equality. Whether it's developing the potential of colleagues in entry-level roles or rewarding individuals on their way to the top, Capacity is committed to raising up the hard-working and uniquely talented women within our ranks. We also seek to support organizations that focus on these same goals, such as sponsoring the Advancing Women Executives (AWE) Accelerator program here in neighboring New York City. With this sentiment in mind, here are a few interesting articles related to our industry - and those we serve - that celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion. You can also read more about diversity at Capacity here. Gender Equality in Global Supply Chains - The Ethical Trading Initiative looks at factors limiting equality in supply chains that span the globe and what corporations can do to help. 5 Reasons to Increase Your Company's Diversity - AWE is one of our favorite organizations to partner with for events and female leadership programs here in New York City, so this interview with EVP Kim Davis naturally caught our attention....
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### Why CPG Brands Must Differentiate Themselves for the Future of Retail
> CPG brands face major disruption to the status quo of selling consumer packaged goods. Here's how they can stand out in an eCommerce world.
- Published: 2019-08-22
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/differentiate-cpg-brands/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: branding, cpg, direct to consumer
If the disruptive influence of eCommerce has taught retailers anything, it's that simply maintaining the status quo and hoping that online competitors prove to be a flash in the pan is not a strategy that will work. In fact, it's often the road to bankruptcy. Now that online retail has come calling on the consumer packaged goods sector, it's time for CPG brands to offer a distinct and compelling identity that turns consumers into fans. Rather than burying their heads in the sand, as caused the likes of Sears and Brookstone to go under in 2018, CPG companies must highlight and amplify the unique traits that bring customers to their brand and keep them coming back for more. Any brand capable of translating these qualities to the online space stands a much better chance of winning new customers, retaining existing buyers, and making a successful transition to eCommerce retail. Why CPG Brands Need to Change Unsurprisingly, the consumer packaged goods sector has got packaging and point-of-sale (POS) promotions down to a fine art. Alongside competitive pricing, CPG brands rely heavily on the effectiveness of their package designs and POS displays to attract attention and drive sales from the shelf. Unfortunately, many of these techniques will not work when it comes to eCommerce. Attention is at an even higher premium online. Banner ads, clickable links, social networks and more all add near-constant distractions to the equation. Furthermore, price competition is even more aggressive online. Your product isn't just...
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### How to Succeed with Subscription Box Fulfillment
> With more than 2,000 services and millions of subscribers, mastering subscription box fulfillment is a crucial piece of this exciting yet complex sector.
- Published: 2019-08-07
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/subscription-box-fulfillment/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: beauty products, brand building, Customer service, ecommerce, luxury brands, subscription box business
The number of curated subscription services is growing every month. Alongside that rapid growth, interest in subscription services has inevitably increased as well. Here's a selection of stats that show just how quickly the business model has moved in recent years: >> There are more than 3,500 subscription box services in operation according to the Subscription Trade Association. >> One of the most prominent names in the industry, Birchbox, started in 2010 and now has more than one million subscribers. At the peak of its recent growth, the subscriber count surged by 1,777% in a little over two years. (Data via
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### 5 Key Factors Influencing the Future of CPG Retail
> The future of CPG retail will be determined by several key factors, driven by eCommerce and new technology. Here's why your CPG brand needs to be ready.
- Published: 2019-07-30
- Modified: 2021-03-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/5-key-factors-influencing-the-future-of-cpg-retail/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
The future of CPG retail is currently in a state of flux. While the consumer packaged goods sector has been somewhat shielded from the disruptive impact of eCommerce up to now, the situation is rapidly changing. As a result, CPG brands face a race against time to position their retail strategy for the future, while trying not to lose focus on the established channels that made them successful in the first place. This article provides a rundown of several key factors beginning to impact the future of consumer packaged goods retail, with a view to adding a deeper dive into each topic over the next two months. 5 Factors Influencing the Future of CPG Retail Here are some of the central trends driving the need for change in the CPG retail sector. 1) The Need to Differentiate Doing things the same way as they've always been done is a recipe for disaster when eCommerce disruption comes calling. The last few years is littered with retailers who believed they could double-down on an established brand and bricks-and-mortar presence to ride out the shift to online shopping. Bankruptcy - or at least a greatly redued physical retail presence - is typically what followed. The intrusion of eCommerce on a business sector forces brands to reassess how they are different from the competition. They must then play up to those qualities that make them stand out, rather than try to imitate others and ending up with a less compelling version of what makes...
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### 3 Quick Tips to Reduce eCommerce Fulfillment Expenses
> Attempting to reduce eCommerce fulfillment expenses seems like a mountain to climb. These quick tips make a great place to start your ascent.
- Published: 2019-07-12
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/reduce-ecommerce-fulfillment-expenses/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
As eCommerce fulfillment becomes a key component of delivering your brand promise, it seems inevitable that expenses will rise. Getting orders to customers more quickly while maintaining a high level of quality in packaging and product safety inevitably takes some thought, so it follows that eCommerce fulfillment expenses should be carefully monitored as new initiatives are rolled out. However, focusing more attention on a few simple parts of this process can be surprisingly effective. 3 Tips to Bring Down Your eCommerce Fulfillment Expenses There are many ways to manage eCommerce fulfillment expenses, but these suggestions offered by Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden at our partner event earlier this year are the ones we feel offer the most bang for your buck. Jeff was clear that these suggestions account for roughly 80% of the opportunity to reduce eCommerce fulfillment expenses and position your brand for greater scalability. 1) Eliminate Paper Packing Slips Our number one tip is easy: get rid of your paper packing slip. Ask yourself, is that basic piece of paper really crucial to your brand's unboxing experience? Many brands only include one because it's what they've always done, but in our experience no-one's reading it. In an increasingly paperless world, the packing slip isn't conveying any important message or information beyond what you've already emailed to your customer or included in their app. Getting rid of this item also takes a step out of the packing process for our team members, as well as saving a little on printing...
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### Rapid Fulfillment: Can Your Brand Exceed Customer Expectations?
> Consumers today want quick confirmation, real-time tracking & rapid fulfillment of their eCommerce orders. Our webinar with DiCentral will help you deliver.
- Published: 2019-06-14
- Modified: 2021-03-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/rapid-fulfillment-ecommerce/
- Categories: Customer Experience, Order Fulfillment
As we head into a new decade with digital brands and eCommerce driving the most growth in retail, rapid fulfillment is on everyone's lips once again. What began as a drive to improve delivery times for online orders to around two days has quickly developed into the expectation of instant order confirmation, real-time status or shipment tracking, and delivery as soon as the next day -- or sometimes even the next few hours. Accelerated order processing and rapid fulfillment are the new normal. While not all customers expect such immediacy, without these qualities your brand reputation will suffer. It's a topic we're passionate about and were happy to hear that our technology partner DiCentral wanted to address it. Join us on Thursday June 27th, 2019 to discuss the requirements of rapid fulfillment with DiCentral. Capacity CSO Thom Campbell will be on hand to talk about changing expectations around order fulfillment, where faster fulfillment fits into the picture, and how to improve delivery times to meet and exceed these new standards that consumers have set. Reserve your place today - register here: http://bit. ly/2XHLGib - and we look forward to accelerating your order fulfillment! As a quick primer, here's a brief overview of what's on the agenda: "As customer demands mount, those producing, storing, transporting, and selling goods must be ready to optimize their supply chains to meet these expectations. But how exactly? In this webinar, guest speaker Thom Campbell will outline several strategies for rapid...
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### Where Do FBM and SFP Fit Into the Amazon Order Fulfillment Ecosystem?
> The difference between the FBA and SFP/FBM models is substantial. Here's what many are giving up in the deep end of Amazon order fulfillment.
- Published: 2019-05-30
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fbm-sfp-amazon-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, Amazon, cpg, cpg fulfillment, fba, third party sellers, Third-party logistics
Amazon today is a very different business to the online bookstore founded by CEO Jeff Bezos back in 1994. From that relatively small digital niche, the Washington-based company has grown to dominate online retail. The company achieved revenue of almost $233 billion in 2018, a significant proportion of which is attributed to more than one million third-party resellers. These entities take advantage of Amazon's platform to sell and distribute their products more widely than they could on an independent site. (They can also be taken advantage of, as we'll cover below. ) Despite the best efforts of big box retailers and various eCommerce competitors, it's now a fact of life that Amazon has grown large enough to dominate the online shopping experience. Although the likes of Walmart and Target are making a fight of it, sellers still face an inconvenient truth: to access a significant portion of online shoppers, they probably have to be present on Amazon, preferably on its accompanying Prime program. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is now a well-known option for sellers pushing their products through an eCommerce giant. However, as we've highlighted in recent articles, FBA comes with numerous downsides, from unjustifiably high costs to the fact that it relinquishes far too much control to Bezos and co. It comes as no surprise, then, that sellers are eager to find a way onto Amazon that maintains some level of autonomy over key aspects of fulfillment like data management and inventory control. For many, that balance is...
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### Remembrance & Sacrifice
- Published: 2019-05-27
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/rememberance-sacrifice/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
We wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day and would like to thank all those who sacrifice so much for our freedom.
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### A Week of Business, Beauty, and Fashion in Los Angeles
> A trip to California for Beauty Money LA, Business of Fashion and a little bit of Los Angeles nightlife shows what business here is all about.
- Published: 2019-05-01
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/business-fashion-beauty-money-la/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Order Fulfillment
We're often on the road here at Capacity, but some trips are inevitably more remarkable than others. Last week was one such trip, as our CSO Thom Campbell and Senior Director of Sales Nikil Prabhakar flew into Los Angeles to attend back-to-back events in the worlds of beauty and fashion. First up was Beauty Money LA... Beauty Money LA 2019 After attending one of the earlier iterations last year in New York City, we knew that Los Angeles would make another excellent home for this stylish event As it turned out, our instincts were right! Keeping Up with Clean Beauty One of the anticipated themes running through the Beauty Money LA event this year was that of "clean beauty. " In simple terms, this means finding the most harmless and ethical ingredients available to create beauty products that buyers can feel good about. "Beauty is now seen as a component of wellness," said Frédéric Benqué, a board member for clean cosmetics brand Credo Beauty. As a relatively new company driving the move to more ethical ingredients, Credo is operating at the grassroots level, looking up at how the big brands are behaving as the company attempts to usher in a new set of standards. As the slides below show, he sees significant changes occurring in the beauty sector, which is increasingly aligned with health and wellness. As a result, beauty brands find themselves in competition with major names in retail and eCommerce, with whom they might not have concerned themselves...
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### What CPG Brands Can Learn About Amazon from Past Experiences with Walmart
> Amazon's latest moves exemplify why FBA has long-term negative implications for consumer packaged goods. So how can CPG brands learn "the Walmart lesson"?
- Published: 2019-04-07
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/cpg-brands-warning-amazon-walmart/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
For many brands in the CPG sector, Walmart's omnipresence in the U. S. marketplace is a cautionary tale. Although the big-box retailer has become a key channel for many of these companies, the pressure it exerts on their product lines and profit margins can be extreme. With the rise of online shopping and Amazon, it's fair to say that CPG brands would prefer to avoid the same fate in the digital space. Given its decades-long dominance over the physical retail sector, it should come as no surprise that Walmart has a record of squeezing CPG companies for all it can get. From favorable and elongated payment terms to exclusive product lines at a lower cost than competing retailers, Walmart is not shy about getting what it wants from any brand allowed to grace its shelves. This could all pale in comparison to the (not so) new kid on the block, however, as Amazon's shadow looms large over the online retail space. How Much of the CPG Lunch Will Amazon Eat? For all its flaws in the eyes of CPG companies, Walmart is undeniably more attentive to its chosen brands than Amazon. The former is unlikely to neglect key sales factors or put in play home-grown strategies to cannibalize a brand's business, for example, whereas Bezos and co. have shown this to be something they do exceedingly well. Furthermore, CPG brands tend to be a greater part of Walmart's retail proposition than they are to Amazon's vast selection of products and...
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### Emily Weiss Shakes Up the Beauty Sector Again with Glossier Play
> Glossier Play is born out of listening to millions of everyday beauty fans. The line is a runaway success, even before its launch.
- Published: 2019-03-19
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/glossier-play-emily-weiss/
- Categories: Case Study
- Tags: clients, glossier, news
Even by Glossier's high standards, the beauty world was abuzz with headlines earlier this month as the company built up excitement about its new range, Glossier Play. Ambiguous visuals and videos across social media... New account on Instagram... Beauty influencers and media outlets frantically speculating about the nature of this new line... One tweet perfectly summed up the sentiment towards this inimitable brand and its impending release: "JUST TELL ME WHAT THIS IS & TAKE MY MONEY! " Introducing: Glossier Play As much fun as the rampant industry analysis and fan speculation turned out to be, we most enjoyed hearing the vision for this product line direct from those behind it. In a recent interview with Allure, founder Emily Weiss revealed the inspiration driving Glossier Play. In this intriguing exchange, Weiss describes the new line as "going-out makeup... dialed-up extras, fun, joy, color. " Echoing the name suffix and how Glossier expects fans to embrace the range, she adds "really, it's tools for play. " Glossier founder Emily Weiss tours our fulfillment campus with Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden While it's too early to quantify exactly how well Glossier Play will be received in terms of sales, the brand as a whole can put a very specific number on its success to date. The company announced this week that it passed a significant milestone and is now valued at $1. 2 billion. The new product line and increased investment this year show that Glossier continues to go from strength to strength....
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### Capacity Signs Lease for Expansive New Fulfillment HQ in NJ
> Capacity is proud to sign a long-term lease on a new 300,000 sq-ft, state-of-the-art New Jersey fulfillment HQ in North Brunswick.
- Published: 2019-03-14
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-new-jersey-fulfillment-hq/
- Categories: Press Releases
- Tags: New Jersey, news, real estate
The Capacity team is proud to announce the signing of a long-term lease which will take the company into a brand new 300,000 square foot New Jersey fulfillment HQ here in North Brunswick. This state-of-the-art and built-to-suit facility will be ready for occupancy later this year, with Capacity planning to begin operations at the site from February 1, 2020. Located at 1601 Livingston Avenue. modern fulfillment technology and will serve as Capacity’s new headquarters. The company will retain its existing campus at 1112 Corporate Road in North Brunswick, with its other locations combining to provide existing and future clients with around one million square feet of contemporary warehouse space. “Capacity’s growth continues to outpace our warehouse footprint. Our preference has always been to keep our roots in North Brunswick, offering a centralized location for our employees with a surplus of local labor. We are strategically positioned to service the Northeast corridor and expand our California operations,” said Capacity’s Chief Financial Officer Arlen Fish. “Partnering with Achim Importing Co. provides Capacity with its new headquarters recognizing our accomplishments, celebrating client growth and promoting expansion into new opportunities. ” With the lease on this exciting new facility signed, Capacity has moved to ensure the company will continue to offer premium order fulfillment services to internationally renowned brands for years to come. Stay tuned for more updates on our exciting New Jersey fulfillment HQ.
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### International Women's Day: Inspire AWE
> On International Women's Day, we'd like to take this opportunity to promote the excellent work of our friends at AWE - Advacing Women Executives.
- Published: 2019-03-08
- Modified: 2019-03-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/international-womens-day-inspire-awe/
- Categories: News
Happy International Women's Day! While we hope you've already been inundated by a flurry of articles and posts celebrating inspiring women across diverse industries and disciplines, Capacity would like to another organization that is close to our heart: AWE. AWE - Advancing Women Executives AWE's mission is to create equity and economic growth in the workplace by fostering greater diversity, particularly at the executive level. Using a thoughtfully curated mix of interactive training initiatives, targeted coaching, and high-profile networking events, the Los Angeles-based organization has helped to reinvigorate the careers of thousands of women in Fortune 500 companies and trained tens of thousands more in crucial skills that enhance their prospects of promotion. For our part, Capacity is a proud sponsor of the NYC edition of AWE's Accelerator Program, which is a course designed to improve the executive profile of talented women in middle management roles. The program helps attendees better define their career path within the company, state their aspirations more clearly, and generally accelerate their progress towards senior executive roles. But don't take our word for it! Here's just some of the feedback received by AWE after the event we sponsored last year: "This program is extremely empowering. My highlight was having the opportunity to learn how to use my voice and be specific about what I want. " "I feel more prepared to speak to my current work, recognize my accomplishments and sell myself for future work/advancements. " "The only thing I ask for is more of...
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### 4 Facts that Show Why CPG Brands Are Embracing DTC
> With size and status on their side, the ability to go direct-to-consumer (DTC) holds great potential for established CPG brands, as these stats show.
- Published: 2019-02-27
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/cpg-brands-dtc-stats
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: cpg, direct to consumer, dtc, ecommerce
There’s no doubt that this is a challenging time to be an established consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand. Whether it’s the constantly shifting landscape of consumer expectations or the agile startups making the most of their digital native status to connect with customers in a more personal way, the need to adapt to the demands of eCommerce looms large over the CPG sector. However, what is often seen as a threat could equally be framed as an opportunity for CPG brands. With size and status on their side, the ability to go direct-to-consumer (DTC) holds the potential for improved communication with buyers and enhanced brand reputation. CPG Brands and DTC Fulfillment, By the Numbers Whenever an opportunity presents itself, the natural inclination of any responsible business leader is to look for data to support - or discount - the potential and calculate the likely return on investment. Fortunately, there are plenty of stats to show that the DTC model is a profitable road for CPG brands to start down. We’ve gathered some of the more compelling data below to make the case. “Sales from eCommerce channels contributed 90% of the CPG sector’s overall growth in a 2017 “The CPG sector is already expected to spend more than $11 billion on digital advertising channels in 2019, which marks a 17. 3% increase on 2018 levels. ” eMarketer In a DTC world, simply raising awareness of a product isn’t enough. Consumers see so many ads every day that raising awareness is only...
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### Takeaways from WWD Digital Beauty Forum 2019
> As ever, we could write pages on the many insights gleaned from the WWD Digital Beauty Forum, but we'll keep it to these three for 2019!
- Published: 2019-02-17
- Modified: 2021-04-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/takeaways-from-wwd-digital-beauty-forum-2019/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
The Capacity team was proud to attend the Women's Wear Daily (WWD) Digital Beauty Forum as a sponsor again this year, giving us the opportunity to show off our services at the same time as taking in some of the most compelling speakers in the beauty sector. As usual, the forum attracted some of the best and brightest minds from across the industry. From fiery startups to household name brands, iconic influencers to key consumer representatives, the speakers and panel discussions covered some key topics impacting their business. This post takes a quick look at some of the main themes emerging from the forum this year. Top Takeaways from WWD Digital Beauty 2019 After gathering the collective thoughts of Capacity team members in attendance, the following common themes that came up at WWD Digital Beauty 2019: >Michael Ashton, makeup artist to Adele and an influential voice in his area of the beauty industry. Even with some vested interests in accelerating the trend and the large sums required to bring thought leaders into their corner, beauty brands are starting to put more accurate ROI metrics on influencer marketing. Tracking online visibility, monitoring consumer discussions, and using advanced sales analysis platforms have all helped bring influencer ROI firmly into the realm of science and data. What Do Consumers Really Want? That modern consumers demand more than ever is no secret to anyone involved with eCommerce, but the nuance of what they want seems to have been overshadowed by the rush to implement...
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### Be Your Own Retailer: 3 Reasons to Control Your eCommerce
> A desire to be your own retailer doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Here's how to control your eCommerce and how strategic partners help.
- Published: 2019-01-30
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/be-your-own-retailer-control-your-ecommerce/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
How to approach and manage online sales is becoming a central question for retailers in almost every business sector. Some, such as cosmetics and lifestyle apparel, are leading the charge for direct selling to consumers, while others rely on eCommerce intermediaries to handle their storefront. Others, such as grocery brands and other consumer packaged goods companies, have yet to fully define their e-commerce strategy. While every strategy has its pros and cons, there’s a lot to be said for keeping a hands-on approach to online retail and delivering the brand experience that your customers expect. This article explores three compelling reasons to retain control of eCommerce. Better Control Through Collaboration What does it take to handle your own online retail solution? First and foremost, it doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Essentially, it’s saying that you choose to maintain control over the decision-making around how and where you sell online. While that aspect stays in-house, the choices around who designs the system and who handles day-to-day operations still leave a lot of room for outside help. The choice boils down to being your own retailer: having the ability to set your own standards and make adjustments as you see fit while engaging knowledgeable service providers to fill the gaps that fall outside your core business model. In an increasingly competitive marketplace and with consistent downward pressure on margins from large retailers, many companies are looking at ways to sell Let’s take a look at each of these items...
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### Capacity Passes the 20 Million Orders Mark
> Amid 2018's peak volume, our team filled not only tens of thousands of holiday shipments but also passed 20 million orders processed!
- Published: 2019-01-19
- Modified: 2021-04-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-passes-20-million-orders/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Capacity LLC, news, Order fulfillment
We're proud to announce that the 2018 peak season saw a crucial order pass through our hands - okay, they're all crucial, but this one was also symbolically important! - as the team processed our 20 millionth order during December. The order that pushed us over the mark of 20 million orders was, appropriately enough, shipped to a customer of one of our long-term cosmetics clients, Tarte. Founded around the same time as Capacity by the iconic Maureen Kelly, Tarte Cosmetics has played a pivotal role in the fulfillment company’s continued growth. Celebrating 20 Million Orders For the team at Capacity, this milestone literally means millions of satisfied customers. "We owe this achievement of 20 million orders processed – and indeed our longevity over all those orders - to the remarkable success of our clients and the dedication of our employees. " Thom Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder, Capacity LLC As we operate across diverse industries worth tens of billions of dollars in the U. S. alone, it can be tough to pick any individual sector as pivotal to Capacity's success. That said, our facilities are home to some of the most vibrant brands in beauty, health, and lifestyle. Every order shipped fulfills a promise to delight the fans of these clients, which makes 20 million of them more than a milestone. For the team at Capacity, it literally means millions of satisfied customers. You can read the full news release here and we look forward to celebrating...
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### 2018 Peak Performance Improves as Parcel Carriers Learn from the Past
> Peak performance of parcel carriers was up for the 2018 holiday season, with the tough lessons of previous peaks seeming to have an influence.
- Published: 2019-01-07
- Modified: 2021-04-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/2018-peak-performance-improves/
- Categories: News
As the holidays disappear into the rearview mirror once again and we return to routine for another year, it's interesting to pause and take stock of performance records during peak season. It was notable this year, for example, how few headlines there were regarding shipping delays or frustrated customers decrying late deliveries. The question is, did 2018 peak performance finally shake off the disruption and delays that have plagued previous seasons? Major parcel carriers have handled the blur of peak season more effectively this year. A report in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) confirms as much, in which Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden informs us that even the infamous post-Thanksgiving order rush was managed well by Capacity and parcel carriers alike. As our reports on past holiday periods have shown, carriers haven't always been able to handle the holiday rush. While e-commerce has exploded in the past few years, parcel carriers have struggled to walk the tightrope of adequate staffing. As with rising costs in US trucking, the upward trend on wages as a result of shipping so many more packages makes balancing recruitment spend a key challenge. While the 2017 peak was better than most, 2018 saw even better performance rates, with ShipMatrix data showing that UPS achieved a 98. 5% of packages delivered on time and FedEx reaching 97. 6% (based on deliveries made from November 18th to December 29th, 2018). The latter increase marks only a fractional improvement for FedEx, but UPS managed an impressive 3. 2%...
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### Happy New Year!
- Published: 2019-01-01
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-new-year-2019/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: 2019, greetings
On behalf of the team at Capacity, let us take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year! Here's to even greater fulfillment and prosperity in 2019!
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### Season's Greetings from Everyone at Capacity!
- Published: 2018-12-24
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/seasons-greetings-2018/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: greetings, Holidays
We look forward to delivering even greater success for our clients and colleagues in 2019!
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### Amazon's "Fight for 15" Effort Fails on Many Levels
> With simultaneous efforts to strip employees of stock options and deny representation, questions remain despite Amazon's fight for 15 move.
- Published: 2018-12-04
- Modified: 2021-04-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/amazon-minimum-wage/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Amazon, news, Order fulfillment, warehousing
Amazon has been in the headlines a lot this fall. From lower-than-expected earnings to advanced speculation - and subsequent uproar - over the location(s) of HQ2, the e-commerce giant has experienced its fair share of controversy. Now, it's the "fight for 15"... Even against this flurry of reporting, few announcements have been more divisive than the company's move to give its workers in the U. S. a minimum wage of $15 per hour. If it seems strange that a wage rise would lead to negative press, it's time to look a little closer at what the company is proposing. As in other questionable cases with Amazon, not everything is as compelling as it might seem on the surface. The Influences Behind Amazon Fight for 15 In its announcement last month, Amazon clearly indicated its desire to bring others in line with a $15/hour minimum wage. Jay Carney, Senior Vice President of Amazon Global Corporate Affairs, highlighted that the existing federal rate of $7. 25 has been in place for almost a decade and confirmed his company's advocacy for an increase. While Carney stopped short of specifically calling for a $15 federal rate, the implications were clear: Amazon is now ahead of the curve on labor relations and the rest of the country must catch up. Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos was equally quick to claim the high ground, saying: “We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead. We’re excited about this...
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### Happy Thanksgiving from Capacity
> The team at Capacity wishes your family and friends a very happy Thanksgiving 2018.
- Published: 2018-11-20
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-thanksgiving-2018/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity, Holidays, thanksgiving
If you are traveling to be with family and friends, we wish you a safe journey. Whatever your plans, have a relaxing break! Warm Wishes, The Team at Capacity
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### Diversity & Inclusion: The Capacity Way
> Our site shows a team drawn from many different countries and cultures. However, the topic of diversity and inclusion at Capacity runs deeper
- Published: 2018-11-09
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/diversity-inclusion-capacity-way/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: california, diversity, hiring, HR, New Jersey, Order fulfillment
A quick browse around our site is enough to show that the Capacity team is drawn from many different countries and cultures. However, the topic of diversity and inclusion at Capacity runs deeper than a few pictures, which is one of the reasons we held a panel discussion on the subject earlier this year. Beyond the broad themes of hiring a diverse workforce and bringing everyone into the fold, we wanted to take the time to explain these ideas in the context of Capacity. How Does Capacity Approach Diversity & Inclusion? Few people in our organization are better placed to take on this topic than Thom Campbell, our Chief Strategy Officer, who answers some key questions below. 1) Warehouse and fulfillment functions operate primarily behind-the-scenes, out of view from the actual brands in the public eye. Why is it important for service providers like Capacity to works towards diversity and inclusion? Capacity sees diversity as a core value, not window dressing or political correctness. It’s rooted in some very practical aspects of our life in a warehousing environment, like having a largely bilingual and now multi-lingual team. At first, our business was driven forward by a largely Central and South American labor force. More recently,our workforceexpanded to be truly global. We now have extensive representation from Africa, Europe, and Asia, as well as the Americas. One of the holiday traditions we embrace is two companywide events, at which everyone enjoys a communal meal and time together. During the winter version,...
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### Highlights & Takeaways from NAEOS 2018
> In case you coudn't attend, here are our favorite moments and some key takeaways from NAEOS 2018 - the North American Etail Operations Summit.
- Published: 2018-10-17
- Modified: 2018-11-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/naeos-2018-highlights/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, News
- Tags: ecommerce, naeos18, online selling, retail
Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to hear from some of the finest minds in online selling at the North American E-tail Operations Summit 2018. Held in San Francisco, the summit gathered executives from across the realms of digital and retail, including Google, Nordstrom, Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, andour client Glossier. As well as posting highlights to the hashtag #NAEOS18, we gathered our favorite moments and some key takeaways for any of you who couldn't attend this unique event. Highlights and Takeaways from NAEOS 2018 As global ecommerce expands and evolves from its early role as a space for disruptive startups and a support function for established retailers, leaders in almost every marketplace need to keep up with the trends that define online shopping. In North America, that means exploring new and diverse routes to reach customers and exceed their expectations by understanding what they want, when and where they want it. Neil Ackerman from Johnson & Johnson (above) opened up the event. With a background that includes roles at Amazon. com, Mondelez International, and now a senior supply chain role at J&J, it's fair to say he has observed the evolution of ecommerce from various perspectives. Embracing the dynamic nature of online retail is the first step to becoming a competitive brand in modern retail. Anticipating and adapting to new trends, customer demands, and seemingly constant disruption to previously established models is the new normal. While Ackerman's former employer Amazon kickstarted this movement more than two decades ago, new players enter the market every year and...
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### FBA vs. 3PL: Notes from the CPG Industry on Which to Choose for Order Fulfillment
> FBA vs. 3PL is often skewed to the former by brand recognition. In reality, there are many downsides to moving your orders with Amazon.
- Published: 2018-09-29
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fba-vs-3pl-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, Amazon, fba, Order fulfillment, third party fulfillment
The question of FBA vs. 3PL – or Fulfillment by Amazon vs. a third-party fulfillment partner, to be complete – is often skewed by brand recognition. Everyone knows about Amazon's reach and influence by now, so it’s easy to assume that means they’ll provide the best experience for your company and clients. In reality, there are many downsides to moving your orders with Amazon, some of which we’ll cover in this article. Amazon or Third-Party Fulfillment: Notes from the CPG Sector As in years past, representatives from the consumer packaged goods sector (CPG) recently convened a day-long industry summit that brought together brand owners, suppliers, and contract packagers to discuss challenges and opportunities in an increasingly divergent marketplace. Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden provided the opening keynote speech at the recent CPG industry summit, organized in Chicago, IL by Frain Integration and the Contract Packaging Association. Some of the key takeaways from his presentation were: CPG brands would be well advised to redouble their efforts to sell directly to their customers via e-commerce channels other than Amazon. Margins are typically higher for direct-to-consumer (D2C) online sellers, while they also retain greater control of product testing and promotions. Creative brands can do much more – and open up more opportunities – when they look beyond FBA and find other ways to reach e-commerce customers. Inevitably, choosing this path can be daunting. Nowadays Amazon has its tendrils in almost every business sector you can think of, offering its clients unprecedented access and features. Often, however, those solutions come in...
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### US Trucking Costs Hit Record Highs in 2018
> With record spot rates and 17 consecutive months of year-over-year growth, US trucking is experiencing record growth. But can it replace an aging workforce?
- Published: 2018-08-22
- Modified: 2021-04-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/us-trucking-costs-2018/
- Categories: News
- Tags: road freight, Supply chain, transportation
For all the talk of self-driving vehicles and freight automation, US trucking has a more pressing concern: the record rates being charged for road freight in North America. According to theWall Street Journal(subscription required), the country's spot rates for third-party haulage have jumped 26% this year compared to 2017. This follows 17 straight months of year-over-year growth, something that hasn't happened for more than three decades. Naturally, this seemingly unstoppable growth is having an impact on transportation costs, which puts pressure on companies in many sectors to raise prices. The Trucking Drag Factor An increasing number of business leaders have highlighted record road freight costs as a significant drag on earnings. In turn, growth is also being stymied, as spot rates are raised and transportation costs inflate at a record pace. Put simply, finding trucks to move your goods is getting harder. Demand is outstripping supply and companies must pay over the odds just to get their products where they need to go. Compounding the problem is a shortage of drivers. What began as a minor shortage in available talent towards the end of 2015 has, three years later, escalated into an ongoing labor crisis. From a manageable shortfall of around 25,000 positions, the trucking sector now finds itself needing almost 300,000 drivers as we head into the most important part of the year. Peak season will undoubtedly stretch the limits of available transportation and place greater pressure on trucking companies to inflate prices. Higher Prices, Stagnant Wages Further...
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### Capacity Accelerates Order Fulfillment with Tier One Technology Partners
> Capacity has partnered with several premier technology partners over the last twelve months, with a view to accelerating order fulfillment and expanding into new markets.
- Published: 2018-07-26
- Modified: 2021-04-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-technology-partners/
- Categories: Press Releases, Technology
- Tags: fulfillment technology, lightning pick, Order fulfillment, righthand robotics
At Capacity, we've been known to say that even though we love order fulfillment, we accept it is not sexy to most outside our sector. Well, if we can ever hope to change your minds, it will probably be thanks to our exciting technology partners! Between Lightning Pick and RightHand Robotics, we're putting together fulfillment solutions that are custom-engineered and astonishingly efficient. Joining the Robotics Revolution Most of us have seen some variation of the Boston Dynamics videos showing bipedal robots running or quadrupeds that can learn how to open a door (usually followed by the requisite dystopian news report that we're all doomed). The reality of robotics for companies like Capacity is rooted more in precisely engineered picking devices that improve our ability to fill orders with even greater proficiency. This is why we partnered with the experts at RightHand Robotics in Massachusetts; a collaboration that integrates the company's RightPick™ automation system into Capacity's fulfillment solution offering, improving accuracy and efficiency. Our initial use of robotic piece-picking automation builds upon Capacity's strategy of deploying engineered systems that improve speed, accuracy, and flexibility to meet demanding omnichannel fulfillment challenges. When we started looking for a robotic piece-picking solution, our objectives demanded a system that could pick and place a wide range of items at high rates with reliability. It quickly became clear that many of the systems available would not meet our needs. The solution had to be created with our particular challenges in mind, which was more than just the latest piece of automated...
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### Welcome to Our Updated Website
> We are proud to share our updated online presence, a website inspired by our dynamic clients & our mission to deliver on their brand promise.
- Published: 2018-06-21
- Modified: 2021-04-14
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-website-refresh/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity, capacity clients, digital media, online presence, website, website design
This month, we are proud to present our newly refreshed website to clients, colleagues, and indeed the world! This latest update to Capacity's online presence is inspired by our dynamic client base and the increasingly important role of technology in the fulfillment sector. The site has been updated to make it easier for visitors to find what they need and learn quickly about order fulfillment, while the visual refresh that accompanies it provides a cleaner, more contemporary view of what we do. Serving the World's Beauty Brands (and Beyond) From globally renowned
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### Korres Celebrates with a Distinctive Beauty "O-ward"
> Another Korres beauty award to celebrate - or should that be O-ward? - as Oprah's brand recognizes a winning product: the Pomegranate Mask.
- Published: 2018-05-23
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/oprah-korres-beauty-award
- Categories: News
When it comes to cosmetics (and a great deal else in life), Oprah is a name trusted around the world. So, when the big "O" recognizes a beauty product, you know it's going to be good! Such is the case withour clientsand another Korres beauty award, who we are happy to report were among the winners of O Magazine's spring beauty awards... Correction:"O-wards. " Another Korres Beauty Award in the Bag The company is no stranger to industry and media recognition, of course. From theNewBeauty Awardslast month to being perfectly described as "pure romance" at Allure Magazine'sBest of Beauty 2016, Korres has no shortage of achievements to enjoy. However, in this age of influencers and near-instant social media success,celebrity-backedbeauty products hold a special place in the hearts of consumers. Appropriately announced during the season most associated with rejuvenation, the official Oprah magazine describes it's O-wards in a similar manner: "It's a beautiful time of year—when we unveil our favorite finds for glowing skin, bouncy hair and a makeup look that's fast and flawless. From a magically transforming cleanser to lipsticks so bold your friends will reach for their sunglasses, these are the products that earned a standing O. " The product, in this case, is a fast-actingPomegranate Mask, which Oprah and her team deemed the best facial treatment currently available for combination skin. With thousands of glowing reviews on Sephora. com alone, the mask is already a popular choice. Nonetheless, the influencer value that Ms. Winfrey brings shouldn't be underestimated. Entire articles...
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### 4 Ways to Enhance Your eCommerce Customer Experience
> Focus on these methods to enhance your eCommerce customer experience and offer a better first impression of your brand for online visitors.
- Published: 2018-05-10
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/enhance-ecommerce-customer-experience/
- Categories: Customer Experience
Have you ever spent hours online looking for a brand you can trust, only to give up and go with the cheapest option? How about the time when you found a brand that looked promising on its website, yet failed to continue that great eCommerce customer experience (CX) in the real world when your package arrived? We feel your pain. The importance of consistency to the online shopping experience is at an all-time high. Gartner research suggests that89% of businessessee CX as their primary basis for competition. Viewed in this light, improving the way customers view and engage with your brand becomes a competitive advantage that contributes directly to your bottom line. But what makes one brand's experience better than another? And how can you improve the eCommerce customer experience to stand out in an increasingly competitive online environment? This article looks at four ways to make the kind of improvements that will delight customers, as they finally find a brand that they can rely on! Make the eCommerce Customer Experience Seamless Across Devices Few things frustrate online shoppers more than a site that works on one device but fails when they move to another. The customer journey is now such that a purchase takes several brand interactions, often spanning various marketing channels and different devices. Try to imagine how your customer feels as they undertake this journey. Open up a browser window and experience what it’s like to be your customer. Your eCommerce customer experience needs to flow from...
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### How to Increase eCommerce Revenue Without Adding Inventory
> The real hurdle in scaling a retail site is to increase eCommerce revenue without incurring spiraling inventory costs. Here's how,
- Published: 2018-04-29
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/how-to-increase-e-commerce-revenue-without-adding-inventory/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
Building a successful retail site that customers are aware of and enjoy using might seem like a substantial objective, but it's really just the first piece of the online selling puzzle. The real hurdle comes in scaling that site to increase eCommerce revenue without incurring spiraling inventory costs. Although a primary advantage of doing business online is selling directly to your end-consumer, meeting the increased expectations of online shoppers isn't easy. Many retailers are looking for a way to meet this demand and grow order volume without spending vast amounts of money on inventory holding and fulfillment. Increase eCommerce Revenue, Not Inventory If you missed our recent webinar collaboration with DiCentral, the replay below provides a valuable primer on the ability of integrated fulfillment to boost eCommerce revenue. The combined experience of Peter Edlund, Chief Solutions Evangelist at DiCentral, and our own Chief Strategy Officer, Thom Campbell, makes for a comprehensive perspective on the challenges facing online businesses and how to hurdle them. Among the points raised by Thom and Peter, the following key insights emerged: Consumer spending drives the U. S. economy. In 2017, 29 million American jobs depended on the $2. 59 trillion spent by consumers, which itself represented a 3. 3% growth rate on 2016 retail revenue. Retail channels are changing, moving from multiple separate channels in the early days of online shopping to the omnichannel model we see today. While 90% of revenue still comes from retail stores, fulfilling direct-to-consumer (D2C) is an increasingly...
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### Should I Accept Amazon's More Frequent Shipping Option?
> As Amazon becomes more dominant, it is increasingly rigid on prices and processes. The move to more frequent shipping could be just the tip of the iceberg.
- Published: 2018-04-16
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/amazon-more-frequent-shipping/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
As we'vewritten before, Amazon is an increasingly pervasive force in our industry. While there are clear advantages to the reach and prevalence of its platform, not everything Amazon does is in the best interests of its clients or their supply chain partners. One of our clients forwarded a recent request from Amazon and asked us for our position on the “more frequent shipping” option. Inside Amazon's "More Frequent Shipping" Request One-quarter of U. S. adults pay for a Prime account and last year Amazon was responsible for 43 percent of all e-commerce sales. Clearly, any change to ordering that the company requests of its retailers will reverberate up and down the supply chain. Let's take a look at the e-mail in question and our subsequent response. Dear Vendor –The Instock team would like to enable more frequent ordering to your account. Currently, your account is set up to receive Purchase Orders once a week (on Monday). This limits our buying system to quickly react to any demand spike that occurs during the week or compensate for the PO rejections due to catalog issues. Enabling frequent ordering will help us with – Quicker recovery across the catalog – If there a demand spike on your product after the Monday POs, we don’t have to wait until next Monday to release POs. This will reduce the lead time and reduces Out of Stock issuesReacting to catalog Issues – If a PO is rejected due to catalog issues, you can work with our teams...
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### Ask Capacity: Where Should I Start a Supply Chain Management Career?
> How can someone get started on the winding road of a supply chain management career? Industry veteran and Capacity CSO Thom Campbell offers this advice.
- Published: 2018-03-29
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-career-tips/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
It's a big old industry out there, so how do you get started out on the path to a supply chain management career? When our CSO Thom Campbell first helped to found Capacity around the turn of the century, he had no experience in order fulfillment or the wider supply chain. His background was in technology and finance. Clearly, this did not deter him when his co-founders came calling. His close friend from college was a civil engineer who had been designing storage spaces and wanted to get into warehouse management. It was the late nineties and the infamous "dotcom bubble" was about to burst. The founders knew very little about starting a company, but thousands of other entrepreneurs were seizing the moment and so Capacity's co-founders, Jeff Kaiden, Arlen Fish, and Campbell, jumped in the deep end to join them. Read his account of those early days - and advice for those just getting into the industry - below. Early Impressions of the Industry One of the first impressions I remember having is thinking that this was more like my teenage job as a stock boy in a liquor store than years of IT or corporate finance. The way items came in, were stored, went out, some records were kept: the basic movement of product from vendors to the warehouse to customers. It was useful to have a proxy, but I quickly realized that third-partyorder fulfillment, or any supply chain, is more about information technology, procedures, people, space and the...
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### Capacity Launches With New Client Glossier
> Launching with Glossier marks another milestone in the continuing growth of Capacity and the major beauty brands doing more for customers.
- Published: 2018-01-08
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-launches-glossier/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: clients, emily weiss, glossier
As the fulfillment partner of choice for some of the world's finest beauty brands, we're always proud to add a prestigious new name to our client base. Our latest launch with fast-growing cosmetics company Glossier is no exception. Capacity is thrilled to bring fans of this rising brand the best in modern beauty products. Glossier's rapid growth requires very specific fulfillment solutions. The client team here isexcited to get to work, having the brand benefit from our bespoke order presentation and the latest pick-to-light/put-to-light fulfillment solutions. A Beauty Brand on the Rise The story of Glossier begins with a blog. Founder Emily Weiss was an avid writer and editor of Into the Gloss, a website that explores what women want from make-up and the products that met her high standards. She carried this passion into the creation of Glossier late in 2014, dedicated to putting "skin first, make-up second. " It's that commitment that has quickly positioned the company among the most acclaimed and sought-after modern beauty brands. Rather than wax lyrical with words, why don't we let the numbers do the talking? Glossier's achievements to date include: More than $34 million in funding secured as of Q3 2017. 26 distinct products launched in just three years. More than 800,000 fans on Instagram and a similarly impressive following on Snapchat, with attractive social posts that made them one of MTV's 15 Beauty Brands to Follow and secured a spot on Cosmopolitan's shortlist of inspiring Instagram feeds. Visually stimulating social networks are the heart and soul of any modern beauty brand's customer outreach and Glossier is a sparkling example of this....
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### Wander Beauty Secures Investment for the Essentials
> In 2015, Wander Beauty launched a single product on QVC. Just two years later the brand's commitment to beauty essentials is winning fans and investment for global expansion.
- Published: 2017-12-21
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/wander-beauty-investment/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: beauty fulfillment, cosmetics, cosmetics marketing, divya gugnani, Instagram, lindsay ellingson, makeup, Social Media, wander beauty
Two years ago Wander Beauty launched its first product on QVC, a two-sided stick combining Blush and Illuminator that fans still rave about. Today, the company boasts 17 SKUs and a global beauty brand renowned for multipurpose products. Recent numbers from Women's Wear Daily put retail sales on track to pass $15 million in 2017, more than double the figure Wander achieved the previous year. The company is also reported to have raised more than $4 million in its latest round of VC funding, which is expected to drive further international expansion. It's a rapid ascent for a brand that began as an everyday salon conversation between two women bonding over their mutual passion for travel and beauty products. Wander Beauty: Only the Essentials A brand that "simplifies and streamlines beauty routines. " This is the driving philosophy behind Wander Beauty's multitasking product line. In addition to their mutual interests, company co-founders Divya Gugnani and Lindsay Ellingson shared a common frustration of product excess in their beauty bags. If that sentiment seems at odds with a retail sector that offers every shade and style of product, factor in the travel aspect and you begin to get a feel for the daily decisions faced by globe-trotting cosmetics consumers. With their challenge defined, Gugnani and Ellingson set about creating a brand whose products deliver only the essential items that women need in their cosmetics kit. That concept quickly flowed into their products. Take the Rise and Prime Balm and Primer...
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### Glossier Beauty Product Fulfillment Launches
> As Capacity marks another successful beauty product fulfillment launch, we are proud to help this dynamic DTC brand build and scale.
- Published: 2017-12-20
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/glossier-beauty-product-fulfillment-launches/
- Categories: Press Releases
Marking another high-velocity brand in the beauty product fulfillment category, Capacity is excited to announce the launch of its newest client, the fast-growing beauty brand Glossier. Capacity is thrilled to bring fans of Glossier beauty products the kind of order experience they expect and deserve, while providing the brand with benefits from its bespoke order presentation and the latest pick-to-light/put-to-light fulfillment solutions. Watch the video below to see how the Capacity team gets premium beauty products to the customers who love them. Beauty Product Fulfillment Partners One of the things that first attracted Glossier to the Capacity brand was its in-house engineering and IT teams. The fulfillment solution Capacity customized for Glossier utilizes dedicated satellite packing stations, shipping terminals, and multiple quality control terminals, all of which operate seamlessly under the watchful eyes of its engineering team. "We're excited to partner with someone we believe can grow with us as we scale our business and is committed to continuous process improvement, just as we are at Glossier," said Sarah Hague, Executive Director of Logistics and Planning at Glossier. “Outstanding presentation and customer experience can empower a brand. ” Sarah Hague, Glossier Throughout launch week, the Capacity team had the brand's beauty products ready to move at 7 a. m. and successfully shipped all orders scheduled to go out that week. This successful first week clearly demonstrated how well Capacity is positioned to handle the heavy order volume in the months ahead with its latest high-profile client, allowing the Glossier team...
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### UPS Delivery Delays Start the Holidays Off Unconvincingly
> Although the latest UPS delivery delays mark an ominous start to 2017 holiday shipping, the company is sticking to its seasonal forecasts for December.
- Published: 2017-12-07
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-delivery-delays-2017/
- Categories: News
- Tags: delivery delays, ecommerce, fedex, parcel carriers, peak season, shipmatrix, shipping, ups
Be careful what you wish for... Black Friday can leave you black and blue. After a Black Friday/Cyber Monday combination that saw record sales and a surge in online ordering, package carriers are once again struggling to keep up. This week UPS confirmed that some deliveries are delayed, with Shipmatrix research estimating an 89% on-time rate for UPS Express package delivery. In contrast, Shipmatrix pegged Brown’s nemesis FedEx at 94%. UPS Delivery Delays Hit Holiday Cheer UPS is already feeling the heat from some customers, many of whom have taken to social media to air their grievances. Here’s the problem for retailers: Consumers don’t always separate the carrier - or indeed the fulfillment provider - from the company selling them the product. This is a major concern for any retailer that wants to see its customers come back (that would be all of them). Even early in the season, a couple of days added to an expected delivery date can spark a storm of negative coverage for the brands involved. Delivery Issues: What Happened? Both of the big carriers expected volumes to spike for the holidays, as evidenced by their adding 50,000 (FedEx) and 95,000 (UPS) seasonal workers to meet the demand. Unfortunately, UPS appears to have misjudged the shift to early shopping that consumers embraced last month. Described by a company spokesperson as a “bubble” in deliveries, UPS has been forced to reassign hundreds of office workers and rented equipment to get things back on track this week. This...
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### Ask Capacity: What Is the Biggest Fulfillment Challenge Facing Outdoor Brands?
> As an avid climber and outdoorsman, our co-founder Thom Campbell knows a thing or two about the kind of fulfillment challenge faced by outdoor brands.
- Published: 2017-12-05
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/outdoor-brand-fulfillment-challenge/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerrce, Order fulfillment, outdoor brands, retail fulfillment
When questions combine the idea of an order fulfillment challenge mixed with outdoor and adventure brands, there's one man we always turn to... As an avid climber and outdoor sports enthusiast, Capacity CSO and co-founder Thom Campbell knows how much equipment is needed for a successful trip into - and, preferably, safely back from - the wilderness. Of course, after almost two decades in order fulfillment, he also knows what it takes to get products of all shapes and sizes into stores and out to our homes. The Outdoor Brand Fulfillment Challenge When asking him about the biggest fulfillment challenge facing outdoor brands, it becomes clear that an unrelated adage rings true: size matters. In his travels as an advocate for Capacity's fulfillment solutions, Thom often attends the Outdoor Retailer winter exhibition. One such trip two years ago found him fortunate enough to visit the operational hub of Backcountry. com in Salt Lake City, UT. His visit provided vivid confirmation of just how much space is needed by a retailer supplying rugged gear for activities like camping, skiing, snowboarding, and other outdoor pursuits. The facility in Salt Lake City is one of two fulfillment centers that the company operates. It comprises a substantial warehouse as the main facility, with a compact retail store out front to showcase the many product lines carried by the company. Campbell recalls the space requirements for a brand that employs thousands of people and handles equipment of varying shapes and sizes: "I would guess the total...
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### IR Research Points to a Surge in Luxury Brand E-commerce
> Top tier brands must focus their online efforts, according to Internet Retailer, as luxury brand e-commerce goes from strength to strength in 2017.
- Published: 2017-11-14
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/luxury-brand-e-commerce
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: E-commerce, high quality products, internet retailer, luxury brand e-commerce, luxury brands, online brands
High-class brands should stay focused on their online presence, according to new research, as luxury brand e-commerce gets bumped up to business class in 2017. For a sector that has been relatively slow to adjust to the rapid onset of digital selling, the challenge of keeping pace with a new set of consumer expectations is not something that can be overstated. Luxury Brand E-commerce on the Rise While it’s no secret that e-commerce is in the middle of a major growth spurt, some sectors have been slower to focus on the advantages than others. The luxury industry is broadly considered to lag when it comes to e-commerce, although a new report could be just the kick – or, more accurately, the white-gloved nudge – it needs to move in the right direction. Theresearchcovering 2,000 consumers in the U. S. was conducted earlier this year by Bain and Co. on behalf of Farfetch. Among the many important findings for luxury brands, it highlights just how quickly the sector’s next generation of buyers has moved online. Consider the following notable data points: As the overall market for premium goods declined for the industry-leading brands in 2016, their online luxury sales posted a 17. 5% increase over the previous year. Health and beauty brands outpace most of their premium peers in other product categories when it comes to almost any digital channel, be it mobile shoppers (more than 50% of all site traffic, compared to luxury’s 43% average) or overall e-commerce growth of...
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### Becca Finds Cosmetics Success Across Skin Tones
> The Becca cosmetics success story is more than just a growing brand, as CEO Bob Debaker eloquently explains.
- Published: 2017-11-03
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/becca-cosmetics-success-skin-tones/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: becca, becca cosmetics, bob debaker, cosmetics fulfillment, makeup, skin tones cosmetic products
"We are experts in the beauty of light, and we are passionate about creating products in balanced shade ranges for all skin tones. " So says CEO Bob DeBaker on the Becca cosmetics success story, which is rooted in that respect for every personal hue. If you don’t know Bob and Becca like we do, you might think the above is just another executive touting the merits of their brand. But Bob is not just another executive, and Becca is not just any cosmetics brand. The Foundation of Becca's Cosmetics Success We first met Bob when he was tapped by Korres to run its US business. He was so successful George Korres was able to use Bob’s tenure as a springboard to a collaboration with Johnson & Johnson. Bob then moved along to new opportunities, and found a perfect one in Becca. Perfect not because Becca was doing so well, but because they were experiencing some tough times. They had been kicked out of Sephora for stock outs, were in the low seven figures in revenues, and clearly in need of new leadership and direction. Bob brought that, and fast. He reached out to his good friends and former colleagues at Capacity and indicated he wanted to make a change in warehousing and distribution partner and collaborate again. We were thrilled, although Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden did have to personally extract them from a pretty sketchy warehouse. Bob quickly built the same culture and excitement around the revitalization of Becca’s brand and...
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### The Costs of Selling on Amazon via FBA
> Amazon FBA is a popular choice for many retailers, but the costs of selling on Amazon can quickly become a challenge for rising brands.
- Published: 2017-10-26
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/costs-of-selling-on-amazon-via-fba/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Amazon, costs of selling on amazon, ecommerce, fba, fulfillment by amazon, fulfillment costs, storage costs
Many in retail are rightly preoccupied with the most disruptive force in their business: Amazon. More specifically, they want to better understand the costs of selling on Amazon. From our perspective, Amazon is another retailer we need to know how to ship to, and potentially learn from as they are in the business of fulfillment. But that is not how many clients view this increasingly powerful force in the retail world, or indeed the world in general. Last year Amazon recognized that their profits, such as they are, suffered from excess inventory in 2015. In response, they instituted an increased storage fee schedule for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) from October through December. These rates are more than 250% of the January through September rates. Thisthird-party review of these increases is also eye-opening -- or eye-watering, if you're one of the retailers on the end of a 50%+ hike. The Costs of Selling on Amazon Right off the bat, Amazon is already charging comparatively high storage rates. In our industry, per pallet storage fees run from around $8 to $15 per month in coastal states near the major ports, like those in which we operate. That represents about 65 cubic feet, or around $0. 20 per cubic foot per month. Amazon charges $0. 64 per cubic foot in slow months and $2. 35 in peak, or approximately 3 to 10x the industry norm. This goes up after six months, so you better plan your inventory well. If you have items with...
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### As Financiers Argue Over Bitcoin, Others See Potential for Blockchain in the Supply Chain
> As Bitcoin pulls focus, supply chain professionals are more interested in its underlying blockchain technology and potential applications in our industry.
- Published: 2017-10-18
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/blockchain-in-the-supply-chain/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: bitcoin, blockchain, edi, ibm, maersk, process improvement, shipping documentation, Supply chain management, t-mining
By now, most of us have heard about Bitcoin, a digital currency that divides opinion in the finance sector. But while Bitcoin is alternately being hailed as the future or decried as a fraud, its underlying blockchain technology is the real treasure for other industries. So what are the potential applications for blockchain in the supply chain environment? That's one of the questions we'll explore in this article, as well as the potential restrictions and downsides of the technology. What's the Difference Between Blockchain and Bitcoin? First and foremost, let's make some distinctions. Bitcoin and blockchain are overlapping but separate concepts. While Bitcoin takes all the headlines, it isn't the part of the technology that most interests supply chain managers. Not unless they're moonlighting as cryptocurrency traders -- and remember, Jamie Dimon recommends firing such characters on sight. Bitcoin is a digital currency that is built on blockchain technology. The latter is what holds true potential for supply chain applications. The complexity of global supply chain relationships, alongside divergent stakeholder interests, provides exactly the kind of challenges that blockchain technology is designed to address. Bitcoin? Let's leave that for the finance guys to fight about. Transparency and Trust: Blockchain in the Supply Chain "When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else. " While accurate, David Brin probably hadn't considered blockchain technology when he came up with those words. Blockchain is a system that allows us to have our...
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### Retailers use 3PLs to chase Amazon
> As Amazon's influence continues to dominate online shopping, we look at how retailers use 3PLs in an attempt to level the playing field.
- Published: 2017-10-10
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/retailers-use-3pls-to-chase-amazon
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: 3PL, Amazon, retailers
Pushed by Amazon to compete with free delivery, often in two days or less, and to provide subscription-based offerings (such as curated box-of-the-month products or routine replenishment of consumables) atop incredibly slim margins, more omnichannel and eCommerce retailers are turning to third-party logistics and fulfillment service providers (3PLs) for fulfillment solutions. “Just about everybody in retail is being dragged along by what Amazon does,” says Robert Lieb, professor of supply chain management at Northeastern University who has surveyed 3PL CEOs for nearly 25 years. “They are trying to respond with an omnichannel solution to maintain brick-and-mortar stores, but also be competitive in e-commerce. ” How Can Retailers Use 3PLs to Compete with Amazon? The sheer size and scope of the "behemoth that Bezos built" can be overwhelming for both established brands and startup sellers alike. “Because a lot of sellers — particularly small ones — can’t afford to put together their own standalone eCommerce business with the geographic and inventory positioning capability to meet same-day/next-day delivery expectations, they’re asking 3PLs to help,” Lieb adds, noting that it has become the fastest-growing part of the 3PL business in the last five years. 3PLs offer some redress to the reach of Amazon, if not its deep pockets and ability to take losses for the greater good of keeping buyers within its ecosystem. Nonetheless, retailers use 3PLs to leverage their location and established relationships with parcel carriers. Leaning again on data to push home the point that retailers could use some help in this space that Amazon...
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### 5 Ways to Win 5-Star Reviews for Your E-commerce Brand
> Building a positive online reputation for your e-commerce brand is the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. Here are five ways to make it happen.
- Published: 2017-09-25
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-brand-reputation-reviews/
- Categories: Customer Experience
- Tags: branding, business development, e-commerce brand, online reputation, online review tools, online reviews, referrals, reputation management, retail, trustpilot, word of mouth marketing
Building a positive online reputation for your e-commerce brand is the digital equivalent of traditional word-of-mouth marketing. Ask any sales person and they'll confirm it in seconds: a personal referral is the best kind of lead you're going to get! According to data analyzed by Big Commerce, 69% of online shoppers say that reviews help them find a product they like, while almost a quarter of the same group say the same about social media recommendations. As consumers rely more and more on feedback from others to decide what they buy, online reviews become increasingly important. To build an e-commerce brandthat means understanding where potential customers are searching for what you sell and doing everything you can to add 5-star feedback that attracts new business. Building 5-Star Reviews for an E-commerce Brand First of all, let's accept that 4-star reviews are also a sign that your e-commerce brand is doing something right. Some customers simply can't bring themselves to rate a company or product as perfect, so a four might be the best that you'll get. That's okay! With that said, the crucial part of building online reviews is to ensure your service and sales teams capture customer sentiment whenever they can. This is particularly important when your business has a customer so excited that they will talk about it with anyone who'll listen. Here are five ways we see our clients building eye-catching review profiles that help their e-commerce brand to stand out in a crowded marketplace: 1. Organize Your Online...
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### CEW Awards Honor Tarte Cosmetics CEO Maureen Kelly
> CEW Awards recognizes key figures in the cosmetics sector. Congratulations to our client Tarte Cosmetics' CEO Maureen Kelly for this honor.
- Published: 2017-09-21
- Modified: 2021-06-10
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/cew-awards-honor-maureen-kelly/
- Categories: News
- Tags: cew awards, cosmetic executive women, cosmetics industry, health and beauty, makeup, maureen kelly, personal care products, tarte cosmetics
From day one Maureen Kelly, founder and CEO of our extraordinary client Tarte Cosmetics, knew what she wanted her company to stand for in the world of makeup. Then all she had to do was wait for the world to catch up. 17 years and many millions of dollars in cosmetics sales later, it's fair to say that most of us are finally on the same page as Kelly. That fact was underlined last week when the Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) organization honored her achievements in this hyper-competitive industry. CEW Awards 2017 Honors Maureen Kelly of Tarte The CEW Awards is an annual gathering of major players in the cosmetics sector. More than 9,000 beauty professionals are consulted to highlight the most innovative products and people in the business. Suffice it to say that the experience and expertise of Tarte Cosmetics' passionate CEO mean that she embodies the qualities they look for every year. Innovation? Check. Before others considered natural formulas as a competitive advantage, Kelly had committed her brand to only those ingredients that she would want on her own skin. Industry leadership? Check. She understands what women want from makeup and personal care products, often before they know it themselves. The founder of Beauty Blitz once declared that “ has an almost prescient sense of what is going to be hot in the beauty industry. " Brand loyalty? Check. Even at the bottom of the financial crash that began back in 2008, Tarte Cosmetics turned...
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### Capacity Appoints Darren Lavelle New VP Of Client Services
> Confirming its commitment to customers, Capacity is proud to announce the appointment of Darren Lavelle in the role of VP Client Services.
- Published: 2017-09-13
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-appoints-darren-lavelle-new-vp-of-client-services/
- Categories: Press Releases
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N. J. , Sept. 28, 2017 — Capacity LLC, trusted leaders in order fulfillment, e-commerce, and electronic data interchange (EDI), is proud to announce the appointment of Darren Lavelle to the position of Vice President of Client Services. As the fulfillment partner of choice for household names and global brands, Capacity is expected to deliver seamless experiences for customers who order products from those high-profile clients. Even with the company’s new order management systems in place and more than 10 million orders shipped as of last year, Capacity is facing a more competitive fulfillment sector than ever before. Client communication and customer experience are more business-critical than ever before. “His experience gives us a significant advantage as we move into another record year” Co-founder and CSO of Capacity LLC, Thom Campbell, summarized the importance of his company’s newest hire: “We are very excited to announce this addition, as Darren Lavelle brings decades of leadership experience helping his teams deliver outstanding service. His record at companies like Pitney Bowes and Mimeo. com is notable for delighted clients and team members alike, and his experience gives us a significant advantage as we move into another record year. ” Darren Lavelle brings with him decades of experience, leading global customer service teams in the U. S. , Europe and India. He brings a practical knowledge of CRM platforms, critical timelines, and supply chain complexity. Lavelle holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and an MBA from...
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### Mother of Makeup Pat McGrath Expands Into Europe
> Pat McGrath's European launch with Net-a-Porter represents a significant step back into a region that defined her passion for cosmetics.
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/pat-mcgrath-expands-europe/
- Categories: News
- Tags: clients, cosmestics marketing, cosmetics fulfillment, makeup artist, pat mcgrath, pat mcgrath labs
We take great pride when our clients reach the next level of success. There are certain events that serve as milestones in this journey, as in the case of Pat McGrath Labs and the expansion of this cosmetics icon into the European market. To casual observers, this could look like just another makeup launch. For McGrath, it represents a significant step back into a region that defined her passion. Pat McGrath's rise to the top is actually the realization of a lifelong obsession. From an early age, she was fascinated by makeup and how to create the kind of look that would work for her. Appropriately enough for someone now crowned the "mother of makeup" by so many in the cosmetics field, it was her mom who stoked that early interest and helped to create the star idolized by fans today. Mother of Makeup (And Marketing) After finding very little support for her skin tone in the British cosmetics sector growing up, Pat McGrath and her mother took it upon themselves to learn what worked and what didn't. This pursuit gave them not just a common goal but an intimate understanding of why makeup matters so much to people. McGrath's obsession is communicated around the world thanks to social media. Her enthusiastic embrace of platforms like Instagram and Twitter has proved to be the bedrock of McGrath's success. Well, that and her encyclopedic knowledge of cosmetics, but several million followers on these networks has certainly helped things along! Launching Gold 001 -...
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### Switch or Stay Put? Assessing Peak Season Deliveries with UPS and FedEx
> As preparations gather pace for peak season deliveries, opposing approaches to pricing from UPS and FedEx are adding complexity to holiday shipping plans.
- Published: 2017-08-28
- Modified: 2021-04-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-fedex-peak-season-deliveries/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: dimensional weight pricing, fedex, hoidays 2017, new peak charge, oversize surcharge, peak planning, peak season deliveries, Peak Season Surcharge, shipping costs, ups
Earlier this month, FedEx set up an intriguing scenario for the 2017 holiday season. Rather than follow the lead of its main rival UPS by adding a peak season surcharge to some post-Thanksgiving deliveries, FedEx opted to keep things simple. Beyond theexpected additionsfor oversized packages and other shipments that require special handling, the company will not add any new charges. Cue a lot of industry chatter and UPS clients reaching for the calculators. A New Pricing Factor for Peak Season Deliveries When we covered theintroduction of the UPS New Peak Chargeback in June, we noted that the response from FedEx would be a critical factor for brands deciding how to handle this year's holiday shipments. For more than a decade the two main U. S. carriers havemirrored each otherin terms of shipping costs and charges. As recently as the adoption ofdimensional weight pricing, the pair have been in virtual lockstep when major changes affect the industry. These seemingly opposing stances on pricing peak season deliveries at a premium rate could see all of that end. FedEx has given retailers a clear reason to use their services for at least six weeks as the year comes to a close. The distinction will be especially important for companies who do most of their business online. Without the ability to offer in-store pickup or in-house delivery services, it falls to a choice between FedEx or UPS. The United States Postal Service provides an inexpensive alternative but the limited tracking and potential for customer...
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### Huda Beauty Emphasizes Customization for Cosmetics
> Cosmetics customization and customer choice are two key aspects that allow Huda Beauty to compete on the same level as established beauty brands.
- Published: 2017-08-22
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/huda-beauty-cosmetics-customization/
- Categories: News
- Tags: beauty fulfillment, beauty products, cosmetics customization, cosmetics fulfillment, huda beauty, huda kattan, kim kardashian west, kkw beauty, make up
Huda Kattan is an iconic name in the beauty sector. The cosmetics blogger has successfully grown her reviews into a real-world business, Huda Beauty, and is showing the same ambition as she redefines how customers select makeup products. Kattan offers a hint of this in her recent review of Kim Kardashian's KKW Beauty powder kit. Among the many expert insights about the product itself, she hits on an important aspect of cosmetics fulfillment: customization. "I would love if she made refillable pods so we could customize with colors we want. I'd make two kits and take my favorites from each palette," says Kattan around the six-minute mark of the video above. It's an approach that Kattan can also apply to her own product line at Huda Beauty. From the eyeshadow and highlighter palettes to a wide variety of lash collections, the company's selection is expanding rapidly. The Huda brand is rooted in digital connections. As outlined in aNew York Times interviewearlier this year, Kattan has used key platforms like YouTube and Instagram to demonstrate her expertise and develop a loyal fan base. Between her blog, vlogging, and social media visuals, she has accumulated many millions of followers who respect and value her opinions on beauty products. Unsurprisingly, that respect extended to buying her personal line of products when Huda Beauty came online. For example, how many brands can say that their product has received anobituarywhen they're discontinued? ! However, even with e-commerce success, a beauty brand can only come so far...
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### How to Handle the Many Challenges of Drop Shipping
> The challenges of drop shipping, combined with the complexities of shipping and fulfillment pricing, lead many business owners to seek outside help.
- Published: 2017-08-06
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/challenges-of-drop-shipping-fulfillment-costs/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: drop shipping, ecommerce, fulfillment costs, online business, retail, shipping costs, shipping rates
If you spend any time on Quora, you'll know that Capacity CSO Thom Campbell is a frequent contributor on a variety of subjects, including order fulfillment. Thom recently weighed in on the many challenges of drop shipping and the costs of fulfillment, so we thought it valuable to gather his thoughts on the subject into one place... here! There are various pieces to the puzzle, which we've broken down into the sections below. If you prefer to read Thom's answers in the original context, you can also view all of hisresponses on Quora here. Physical & Technological Challenges of Drop Shipping If you're not a professional order fulfillment service provider, you have to consider the technology and space required to store, pick, pack and ship products. This all-inclusive approach means you're less likely to be caught out by unanticipated costs that eat into your profit margin. When orders start heading out of the warehouse doors, it's much harder to get a handle on costs and make the necessary adjustments to your operation. Suffice it to say, there's a lot to be said for getting this one right the first time around! Here are some of the aspects you'll need to factor in: Space Before we get into the technological requirements, let's take a second to think about simple, physical space. Namely, do you have enough of it to run your fulfillment today, tomorrow, and even a year or two down the line? E-commerce fulfillment demands a larger storage footprint than...
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### The Changing Face of Retail in America
> Traditional stores and malls are struggling to keep up with online competitors, but there's more to the changing landscape of retail in America.
- Published: 2017-07-17
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/the-changing-face-of-retail-in-america/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, ecommerce, jc penney, kohls, macys, malls, retail, sears
Today's retail environment is a very different one compared to even ten years ago. We all know about the rise of e-commerce and malls struggling to fill physical retail space. However, there's a lot more to this changing landscape than just consumers choosing websites instead of stores. The headline statistic of last year's holiday season was that consumers were expected to spend more than $2 billion online. The actual number fell a little short - $1. 93 billion - but the message was clear: consumers are looking for their deals on the web, not in stores. Despite this online surge, less than 10% of purchases in America are made online. That figure is growing at a steady clip - around 1% every year since 2013 - but it's a relatively small slice of the pie. Traditional Retail Must Adapt (Or Die) Even the most ardent fan of cornerstone mall retailers will admit that they need to change tack, quickly. At a glance, here are some of the announcements made by this type of business last year: Sears - $2 billion losses in 2016 are driving hundreds of store closures this year, as the company struggles to fight off bankruptcy. Kohl's - Posted a 2. 4% decrease in sales for 2016 and closed 19 stores, but has fared better than others as it works to streamline stores, rather than put up the shutters. Macy's - After revenue fell by more than $1 billion in 2016, the iconic brand announced that almost...
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### What the UPS New Peak Charge Means For Your Business
> Retailers and consumers will have a new cost to contend with for the 2017 holiday season. Here's what the UPS New Peak Charge might mean for your business.
- Published: 2017-06-29
- Modified: 2021-04-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-new-peak-charge/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Amazon, fedex, holiday preparation, parcel carriers, peak season, shipping costs, ups, ups new peak charge
Retailers and consumers will have a new cost to contend with for the 2017 peak season. For the first time in its history, UPS has announced that it will add an additional fee, the UPS New Peak Charge, to deliveries made during much of the holiday season. It remains to be seen how competitors will respond, but shippers must be prepared for the likelihood that the other half of the parcel duopoly FedEx will follow suit. If all peak season shipments are subject to a new surcharge, it will undoubtedly influence how retailers prepare for the all-important holiday period. The fact that Big Brown is only assessing the surcharge on its residential deliveries tells us all we need to know about the decision. It is clearly an attempt to address the rising cost of making deliveries during the busiest part of the year. For example, the chart above shows a typical Thanksgiving spike in orders handled by our team last year. Remember, this is just one client! Spread this scenario across all North American e-commerce and it's easy to see why UPS is testing new ways to address the issue. But how will it impact the most important part of the year for many retailers? Unpacking the UPS New Peak Charge These are some of the key details of what UPS is calling its “New Peak Charge”: Surcharge periods: 11/19/17 to 12/2/17 and 12/17/17 to 12/23/17. No surcharge applied to deliveries between 12/3/17 to 12/16/17. Ground delivery surcharges of 27 cents....
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### Ask Capacity: Why Are Address Verification Systems Important for e-Commerce?
> Address verification systems can fix up to 60% of order-related issues. Here's why we recommend them as an essential e-commerce fulfillment tool.
- Published: 2017-06-04
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/address-verification-systems-ecommerce/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: address errors, address validation, address verification systems, ask capacity, avs, delivery rates, fulfillment errors, performance metrics
If we told you that as much as 60% of all order-related issues could be fixed if your e-commerce orders passed through address verification systems (AVS) you would be interested, no? You’d think it’s a good idea, yes? We’re not assuming you know what AVS is: we didn’t, but we’re ready to share what we’ve learned about this incredibly powerful tool for e-commerce retailers. Capacity captures systems- and staff-generated notes for each order we ship. The above shows a breakdown for the 10,000 or so non-system generated notes year-to-date for the first four months of 2017. There is a significant multiple of this in the last four months of the year. This year alone, more than 6,000 orders were held up by address issues. What Are Address Verification Systems? Address verification systems check to confirm that an address conforms to the requirements of the major shippers. For some like USPS this may mean putting the apartment or suite on the Address 2 line, due to the very short character limits in their system (35, if you’re counting. ) Yes, if your website allows your consumers to exceed the character limits of your chosen carrier, you’re out of luck, and so is your hapless provider. Capacity’s system captures notes for numerous reasons and to exchange data between Operations and Client Service. By far the number one driver of this important tool for internal communication consists of issues which could be prevented by AVS. Can you imagine how much additional bandwidth...
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### Glow Recipe Beauty Brand Exemplifies Innovation
> The Glow Recipe beauty brand's latest venture is a self-titled product line that embodies everything great about the company.
- Published: 2017-05-31
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/glow-recipe-beauty-brand/
- Categories: News
- Tags: beauty fulfillment, beauty products, clients, glow recipe, news
When you spend all of your time working with the top beauty brands, there's a good chance that you'll want to try your hand at the creative side of the business. That's the thinking behind our client Glow Recipe beauty brand's latest venture, a self-titled product line that embodies everything great about the company. It marks another interesting step in the South Korean company's evolution. In its short history, having been founded in 2014,Glow Recipehas dedicated itself to promoting the products of other South Korean beauty lines. Beauty Brand Innovation Founders Sarah Lee and Christine Chang are solely focused on cutting-edge trends, rather than undercutting the competition. They expect their new line's success to drive innovation in the K-Beauty space, opening up more opportunities for everyone. "Having a private brand gives us the flexibility and quickness to be at the forefront of these trends," confirms Chang in a recent interview withWomen's Wear Daily(subscription required). She goes on to explain that her company already carries approximately 30 beauty brands based in South Korea and has no desire to undercut them. Instead, Glow Recipe is driven to promote and develop the K-Beauty sector for the benefit of all the brands it serves. Unsurprisingly for an e-commerce company with one foot in the real world of retail, the new line also reflects the current hybrid state of order fulfillment. It launched online in May and will make its way onto the shelves of Sephora retail stores in early June. Similarly, Glow Recipe opened...
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### Capacity Partners with Lightning Pick for Improved Fulfillment Productivity
> Fulfillment productivity is maximized when we focus on the core task. Capacity's adoption of Lightning Pick's Put-to-Light system does just that.
- Published: 2017-05-22
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-productivity-lightning-pick/
- Categories: Press Releases, Technology
- Tags: accuracy rates, error rates, fulfillment productivity, fulfillment solutions, lightning pick, news, Order fulfillment, service levels
When our clients face a challenge, the culture at Capacity demands that we help them find a lasting solution. So what happens when the challenge occurs internally, within our own walls? Thankfully, there is no shortage of innovation in the e-commerce fulfillment sector, so we have plenty of places to turn when a new solution is needed. That's why, when faced with the challenge of increasing accuracy rates for a growing e-commerce client base, we turned to the Lightning Pick'Pick-to-Light Cart / Put-to-Light' system. Productivity Improvements The video below provides a step-by-step look at how the system works. By replacing a more manual pick system with one that tells the user exactly what they need and where to put it, fulfillment productivity is immediately increased. The Put-to-Light solution is tailored for our team to focus only on the core task of getting the right product in the right place "We really don't want someone who is putting 1,200 units in an hour to be focusing on anything else," says Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden. Likening the system to a video game, he explains that productivity and accuracy are vastly improved as team members get into the rhythm of the system. With its scanner-based verification, automated put light indicators, and clear quantity displays, the system cuts down on training time and reduces the number of checks required to ensure order accuracy. "Accuracy is so good, we have all but eliminated error rates on e-commerce orders filled through the system," says Thom Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer at Capacity. With thousands of orders moving...
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### Capacity Partners With Lightning Pick
> With a view to managing future demand, Capacity’s leadership team invested in the Lightning Pick ‘Pick-to-Light Cart/Put-to-Light’ system.
- Published: 2017-05-13
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-partners-with-lightning-pick/
- Categories: Press Releases
NORTH BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (May, 2017) - Capacity LLC, trusted leaders in order fulfillment, e-commerce, and electronic data interchange (EDI), has partnered with Wisconsin-based automation experts Lightning Pick to bring a new fulfillment solution to clients. As the fulfillment partner of choice for household names and global brands, Capacity handles thousands of eCommerce orders every hour. Having passed the 10 million order mark in 2016 - and with a view to managing future demand - Capacity’s leadership team chose to invest in Lightning Pick’s ‘Pick-to-Light Cart/Put-to-Light’ system. By combining scan-and-pick carts with put walls, this tailored e-commerce solution maximizes Capacity’s speed and accuracy for its eCommerce clients. “We are just beginning to mine the data surrounding our productivity” “With the newly installed system we are scanning each unit twice, all but eliminating our error rates,” says Thom Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of Capacity LLC. “We are just beginning to mine the data surrounding our productivity but on a maximum throughput day, when we are working shifts around the clock, we are getting as many as 1,000 e-commerce orders through the put wall in any given hour”. The decision to implement light-directed order picking technologies is already paying off for Capacity, and its clients. Fulfillment teams using the new system report a marked increase in throughput from 2,500 orders per day (for a top client) to 12,000 orders per normal workday and more during extended shifts. The availability of real-time productivity data and the minimal training required to use...
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### 4 Core Challenges of Small Electronics Fulfillment
> Small electronics fulfillment is a diverse, dynamic sector of supply chain management that holds specific challenges.
- Published: 2017-04-27
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/small-electronics-fulfillment-challenges/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: electronics fulfillment, mobile devices, small electronics, smartphone
From smartphones and portable speakers to activity trackers and equipment accessories, there's no question that we love our devices. Small electronics fulfillment is a category that has expanded rapidly since the advent of the iPhone, as more and more devices on the market spark new accessories and innovative add-ons. The sector is a challenging one for brands and fulfillment providers alike. The dynamic nature of the small electronics market makes for numerous product segments and sub-categories, not all of which are guaranteed to last for long. While this diversity and dynamism make for a lucrative and exciting market to be a part of, there are some specific challenges that supply chain managers must consider. 4 Challenges of Small Electronics Fulfillment As with any product category, small electronics has its own distinct fulfillment challenges. The size and weight of the products make for more affordable transportation and storage, but also raise concerns about managing inventory, returns, and theft. New technology also plays a part in this challenging landscape. For example, MP3 players were all the rage for a few years before smartphones took over, with all kinds of accessories springing up to accompany this success. Streaming music and phone storage quickly combined to supplant these devices, leaving a segment of small electronics product managers to adapt their offerings and shift any remaining inventory related to the stagnating category. With this ever-changing landscape in mind, here are four challenges that are especially important to consider for fulfillment in this sector. SKU Management Variety is...
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### How Sustainable Packaging Impacts Your Brand
> Sustainable packaging can save the planet and enhance your brand in one fell swoop!
- Published: 2017-04-20
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/sustainable-packaging-brand-impact/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: brand reputation, earth day, green operations, Packaging, recycling, sustainability, sustainable supply chain
As with all visible elements of a brand, the packaging you choose reflects the business you want to be in the eyes of the end consumer. For many, that means sustainable packaging is a consideration that cannot be ignored. A 2014 study by Forum for the Futureshowed that consumers care about the environmental implications of the brands they choose, to the extent that 70% of respondents would consider switching to a new product if it was the greener option. However, the repercussions don't end there. More than half of those surveyed also said that they would feel negatively towards a company that failed to use the most environmentally-friendly packaging option available to them. More than one-quarter of respondents strongly agreed with this sentiment. Clearly, sustainable packaging is not a trend that any brand wanting to keep its customers can ignore! Packaging for the Future The results of the survey should not come as a surprise to brand managers who monitorsupply chain trends. Recycling and reducing our carbon print have been important considerations for several years now. What should prompt action is the degree to which consumers are willing to react when a brand fails to live up to their environmental expectations. Nonetheless, enhancing a company's environmental credentials can seem like a major commitment. Altering business practices or developing packaging improvements might feel like an additional cost with no tangible return. That being said, there are initiatives that can be taken at every level to minimize a brand's environmental impact and...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: March 2017
> As we bid farewell to Q1, there are supply chain news and views you might have missed last month. Our monthly digest for March brings you back up to speed.
- Published: 2017-04-12
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-march-2017
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: march 2017, Order fulfillment, supply chain news
As we accelerate into April and bid a fond farewell to Q1, there are still plenty of supply chain news and views that you might have missed last month. That's why we provide this quick monthly digest to bring you back up to speed. Fulfillment Review: March 2017 If you have that nagging feeling that something slipped through the cracks, take the time to explore these fulfillment-related headlines from March. eBay has taken something of a backseat in the e-commerce arms race, as Amazon reigns and big box retailers like Walmart and Target do their best to keep pace. Nonetheless, the online auction site remains a factor in this discussion and has rolled out a newGuaranteed Delivery Programto show us it still means business. The program promises three-day delivery on millions of items. It's a sign of how quickly the e-commerce world moves that this guarantee already sounds behind the curve, with other online retailers more focused on expanding their same-day delivery initiatives. Fourshipping lines were subpoenaed by the U. S. Justice Department over allegations of price fixing. Industry leaders Maersk Line and Hapag-Lloyd are among the parties caught up in the claim, which is investigating artificially inflated ocean freight rates at a time when demand is waning and overcapacity is burdening many carriers. The great reset of physical retail stores continued in March, as two perennial mallbrands announced major closures. Payless Shoe Source and Gamestop will each close hundreds of stores around the U. S. , citing declining sales and...
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### What It Means to "Trust the Team"
> "Trust the Team" should be more than just words. Find out why we believe it to be the cornerstone of outstanding order fulfillment.
- Published: 2017-04-05
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/trust-the-team/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Capacity, employees, Supply chain management, supply chain planning, team buiding, team work, trust the team, warehouse planning
As any employer will tell you without hesitation, getting the right team in place is important. Yet actions speak louder than words and, in some business sectors, the actions of employers seem to contradict the company's stated position. This is inevitably true of the supply chain sector, one of many industries moving very deliberately towards technological developments that could displace human workers with automated systems. From the automation of order fulfillment and self-driving delivery vehicles to planning software and artificial intelligence handling service questions, empowering employees seems to be on the backburner when set alongside the latest technology. As Lauren Weber puts it in arecent Wall Street Journal article: "Never before have big companies tried so hard to hand over chunks of their business. " The Value of Putting People First Despite some excitable headlines, automation isn't moving quite as fast as the media would have us believe. For proof of that in our industry, simply look at peak season preparation. It isn't thousands of robots being hired to successfully navigate the holiday rush! Nonetheless, new fulfillment technology and systems are undeniably influential at every stage of the supply chain. However, it isn't the automation or algorithms that are going to come up with unique business ideas andways to improve your operation. For that, you'll need people; experienced, passionate people who are engaged with the company's mission and direction. The value of investing in people becomes clear when we consider the cost of overlooking them. According toRework/Vital Smarts,...
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### Peak Season Preparation: What You Need to Know
> Unlike the holiday rush for shoppers, peak season preparation can't come soon enough for supply chain professionals. Here's why we start planning so early.
- Published: 2017-03-23
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/peak-season-preparation/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: holidays 2017, peak season, peak season plan, peak season preparation, seasonal planning, seasonal staffing, Supply chain management
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. " ~Benjamin Franklin Peak season preparation is always on the mind of fulfillment professionals. For some brands, the holiday season represents as much as one-third of total annual sales and defines whether or not the year is a successful one. Forecasts predict salesgrowth of around 4% in the retail sector during 2017, mostly driven by sales at the tail end of the year. As we approach Thanksgiving, site traffic surges, stores are crammed with consumers, and sales rise quickly. This is why peak season planning is already underway for businesses of all sizes, especially brands that are household names. Ramping Up Peak Season Preparation Handling an anticipated spike in orders requires two things: accurate forecasting and exact planning. You need to know how much inventory will be needed to meet demand and a detailed schedule for how it will make its way into warehouses and onto store shelves. Even at this early stage, peak season fulfillment becomes a priority concern. Failure to perform during this key retail period can reverse all the good work a brand has achieved in the preceding 10 months. This advance planning, which begins almost as soon as the preceding holiday season comes to a close, affords big brands more control over the experience that customers will have as we head into the final quarter of the year. Where to Begin Effectively preparing for peak season fulfillment means simultaneously looking back and forecasting the future. It's important to take the...
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### The Supply Chain Behind St. Patrick's Day
> Did you ever stop to think how much planning goes into St. Patrick's Day? $5.3 billion in consumer spending says it's worth our attention!
- Published: 2017-03-17
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-st-patricks-day/
- Categories: News
- Tags: guinness, retail, st patricks day, Supply chain
The annual celebration of all things Irish is with us once again, but did you ever stop to think just how much planning goes into St. Pat's? As well as providing a great reason to wear green, the supply chain behind St. Patrick's Day is big business for retailers, tourism, and many other sectors. Before you head out into the evening to drink a pint of the black stuff and dye your local waterway green, consider the various economic influences of St. Patrick's Day in the U. S. and what it means for American businesses. Retailer Approved The National Retail Federation releases annual metrics on many holiday events and St. Pat's is no exception. Last year's St. Patrick’s Day Retail Survey revealed $4. 4 billion in planned consumer spending, which the organization expects will surge past $5 billion and set a record in 2017. The holiday is adored by retailers almost as much as consumers. It provides a fun and reliable shopping event in March, which attracts a broad range of buyers and keeps them engaged heading into spring sales events. The survey aims to define consumer behavior and predict shopping trends related to St. Patrick’s Day. For retailers, these are the headline figures: Almost half of the country - some 139 million Americans - plan to celebrate the holiday in some way. Whether that's buying gifts and decorations, stocking up on Irish snacks and drinks, or even just writing a quick card, that's a huge section of customers who wouldn't otherwise be...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: February 2017
> A round-up of all the order fulfillment news and supply chain analysis that made the headlines in February 2017.
- Published: 2017-03-08
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-feb-2017/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: economy, fulfillment news, Order fulfillment, rail freight, road freight, supply chain analysis, transportation
Every month seems to come and go quickly in an industry as fast-paced as ours, but February flies by faster than the rest. That's the calendar at work, with only 28 days to squeeze in all the supply chain action. Now that we've entered March and are rushing headlong into spring, we can all be forgiven for wanting to put the winter behind us. Nonetheless, take a little while longer to focus on February, because we have some important stories to share in our monthly round-up! Fulfillment Review: February 2017 Of all the fulfillment news and supply chain analysis you might have missed last month, here are the headlines we recommend taking a look at: UPS took one last look back at arecord-setting holiday period. Package delivery surged to 712 million for the final weeks of 2016, which represented a 16% increase over the previous year. Almost two-thirds of that volume went to residential customers, demonstrating the importance of seasonal e-commerce to retailers and parcel carriers alike. After a tough year for container shipping throughout 2016, this year got off to a brighter start withdouble-digit import growth at the nation's busiest port in January. Growth across all U. S. ports increased by 5% overall, with analysts pointing to increased consumer confidence and post-holiday restocking by retailers as the driving forces behind this heartening uptick. Even with that more optimistic outlook for shipping, the retail recipients of these imports are facing up to the extreme challenges of e-commerce competition. Big box retailer...
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### 5 Ways to Find Ideas That Improve Order Fulfillment
> Even the most impressive operations can become more efficient. Here are five places that managers can look for ideas to improve order fulfillment.
- Published: 2017-03-02
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ways-to-improve-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: BPI, data driven strategy, operations managament, Order fulfillment, process improvement, supply chain strategy, Warehouse
Even the most effective processes can be tightened up. Our section of the supply chain is no exception; there are always ways to improve order fulfillment, even in a finely-tuned operation. At big brands, the best managers are always striving to get more from their fulfillment and squeeze greater efficiency from their supply chain. However, with so many moving parts it can be confusing and tough to know where to begin. 5 Ways To Improve order Fulfillment Identifying the most common areas of concern andpoints for improvementhelps to prioritize improvements. From this broader point of view, you can then zero in on the high-priority items. First, you'll need ideas! Consider these five places to start your search for places to improve your fulfillment solution: 1. Information Flow With so many cogs in motion at every point of the supply chain, communicating critical information is the oil that keeps your operation moving smoothly. If any single link in this chain fails to communicate effectively with the next, things can easily slow down or seize up completely. A scheduled audit of information flow from beginning to end should occur as a matter of routine, but spot checks on individual areas are also worthwhile. Ask workers about frustrating elements in their daily routine. What tools or resources could they use to improve their job, for example? This is one way to highlight gaps in communication. Often someone needs something but hasn't asked for it, someone else doesn't know they should be...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: January 2017
> A collection of some of the supply chain news and logistics views you may have missed during the first month of 2017.
- Published: 2017-02-15
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-jan-2017/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: analysis, fulfillment review, news
It's already February; business is back in full flow and the snow is hitting hard if you live on the East coast. All good reasons for accidentally overlooking some of the more important headlines that our industry had to offer in January. As usual, there's no need to worry. Capacity has you covered with early analysis of the fulfillment sector as 2017 got underway. Fulfillment Review: January 2017 Here are some of the supply chain news and views you may have missed during the first month back: The shipping sector finally got some positive signals from January, with the news that U. S. imports jumped by more than 10%last month. Rising consumer confidence, restocking, and a robust dollar on the currency markets are all contributing factors to what the industry hopes will be the start of a significant recovery. The first weeks of a new U. S. administration brought all kinds of activity relevant to the global supply chain. From the immediate dismissal of the TPP trade deal andproposal of new border taxesto taking the early steps on easing regulatory burdens, the Trump administration is clearly ready to move on its campaign promises. With infrastructure spending and manufacturing high on that agenda, we expect much more to cover in the months ahead. Rail freight volume is rarely a ray of sunshine in our monthly updates, but 2017 has started off well for the country's railroads. Carload traffic was up 2. 9% last month, compared to January 2016. That uptick appears to...
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### Understanding the Rewards & Risks of Drop Shipping
> Despite growing popularity, the risks of drop shipping must be carefully considered before the rewards of the strategy can be realized.
- Published: 2017-02-07
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/rewards-risks-of-drop-shipping/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: brand reputation, drop ship, drop shipping, ecommerce, online retail
Depending on your position, drop shipping means different things to different people. Even with the growing popularity of the method and its unique alignment with e-commerce, the risks of drop shipping are significant. For that reason, it can be tough to tell whether the risks are worth taking on for your business. Will drop shipping be the key to growing a brand and building a base of customers? Or will it lead to unreliable order fulfillment and a reputation for failure? Without careful consideration for your transportation and shipping needs, things can quickly go wrong. This applies to brands as well as service providers, both of which perspectives we'll explore in this article. Dealing with Drop Shipments The most common kind of drop shipping in the e-commerce world is where a large retailer like Amazon or Walmart accepts an order, then hands it off to a third-party vendor for fulfillment. In this scenario, the risk lies in the fact that the retailer will typically only pay the vendor at the wholesale rate. Even with this favorable arrangement, there are also potential downsides for retailers, especially if they are established brands The cost of fulfillment plays a key role in the pros and cons of drop shipping. If a vendor fails to accurately measure the true cost of a drop shipment, it can leave them struggling to turn a profit on all orders of this type. Let's take a look at some of the primary risks to vendors and retailers who are considering drop shipping....
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### How the Move to Mobile Commerce Impacts Order Fulfillment
> Mobile commerce is expanding at a greater rate than ever before. This will have a major impact on order fulfillment as retailers rush to catch up.
- Published: 2017-01-30
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/mobile-commerce-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerce, mcommerce, mobile commerce, Order fulfillment, Packaging
It's no secret that mobile technology moves faster than most. Thefirst iPhonewas released a little over ten years ago and the device is already on its seventh iteration. Android devices accelerated at a similar pace, leaving most consumers with a device in their hands that's just as powerful as many desktop alternatives. This rapid advancement has proved to be fuel on the already blazing fire of e-commerce. Online retail has surged in recent years and mobile commerce has played a big part in that rise. Purchases on smartphones and tablets accounted for32% of all salesduring the 2016 holiday period, valued at more than $24 billion. That being said, pulling those orders in is just the first phase. Getting products picked, packed, shipped, and delivered in a timely manner is where the rubber meets the road -- and where some retailers fail to make the grade. How Mobile Commerce Impacts Order Fulfillment The first thing to understand is that customers aren't just using their smartphone to find a site and immediately place an order. In most cases - and for most product categories - the purchase warrants some degree of research and validation before buying. This is important because every stage of the order process - including the interactions leading up to it and the physical delivery that follows - reflects on the brand. Even if all of the other pieces come together, a picking error or delayed delivery means some customers are unlikely to return. Mobile orders often mean customers...
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### 5 Ways to Find a New Fulfillment Provider
> If you have issues with anything from order handling to customer returns, it might be time to find a new fulfillment provider. Here's how to make it happen.
- Published: 2017-01-19
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/find-a-new-fulfillment-provider/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: change fulfillment provider, change management, Order fulfillment, service partners, suppliers, Supply chain management
Every year around this time, many businesses who rely on smooth order handling and seamless delivery have the same nagging thought: Is it time to find a new fulfillment provider? It's a valid question. If your brand is built on getting products to customers with reliable speed and in pristine condition, anything that diminishes those qualities also damages the brand. It's a competitive marketplace out there and even one negative experience can drive a fan of your brand into the waiting arms of a competitor. Timing It Right The reason so many companies try to find a new fulfillment provider early in the year is often just a matter of good timing. The festive season provides a peak for most retailers, meaning that January can be the first opportunity to take a breath and review how the holiday rush was handled. Although some disruption is to be expected when demand surges, peak season can't be used as an excuse to cover common fulfillment issues. Poor communication, gaps in tracking, or consistently failing to meet service targets are all indicators that you're not offering customers the order experience that they deserve. In fact, any lingering doubt about your fulfillment is reason enough to consider a change in provider. If you need to get specific, take a look at thesequestions to considerbefore you make any changes. If you decide that the time is right to move on, you'll need to know where to start your search. Five Ways to Find a New Fulfillment Provider...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: December 2016
> Key logistics news and supply chain analysis you might have missed from the hectic holiday month of December 2016.
- Published: 2017-01-11
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-december-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: analysis, december 2016, fulfillment review, news, Supply chain
Attention was naturally drawn to holiday plans and New Year celebrations during December, but that doesn't mean the world of fulfillment took a breather. In fact, it's by far the busiest month for some parts of the supply chain! If you missed any of the major headlines while enjoying the various festivities, Capacity has you covered. Below you'll find our usual round-up of news, views, and supply chain analysis. Order Fulfillment Review: December 2016 The final month of the year brought several notable moments. Here's a selection of headlines that you might have missed: The holiday surge proved to be the usual mix of encouraging order levels andstretched parcel carriersdesperately trying to keep up with deliveries. Some of those festive deliveries will be going right back, asUPS confirmed record returnsof 5. 8 million packages in the first week of 2017. Walmart confirmed a massiveinvestment of $1. 3 billion in logisticsfor its Mexico operation, at a time when cross-border commerce is a hot topic. Activity on the country's railroads dropped by 8. 2% in 2016, according tonew AAR figures. Despite the second consecutive year of falling volumes, spokesman John T. Gray sounded an optimistic note to start 2017, noting "signs that the economy may be gradually returning to a period of growth. " Reports suggested that Amazon could be ready to shake up road freight. The e-commerce giant is believed to be developing an app that wouldmatch truckers with clientswho have cargo to move, bypassing the traditional middlemen and adding another notch to...
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### Our Most Popular Supply Chain Articles of 2016
> Put your feet up and review some of our most-read supply chain articles of the last twelve months.
- Published: 2016-12-30
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/our-most-popular-supply-chain-articles-of-2016/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: best of 2016, news, supply chain articles
We cover a wide range of topics on this site and blog, from effective supply chain management and order fulfillment to e-commerce and employee satisfaction. Inevitably, certain subjects bubble up to the top of our archives every year. 2016 is no exception and we like to take the final days of December to review what supply chain articles were most popular with our readers. If you have a little time on your hands - unusual, we know! - or just want to catch up on some industry reading, this is the place to start. Capacity's Most Popular Supply Chain Articles of 2016 These are the top five blog entries that readers enjoyed on these pages during 2016: 8 Important Questions to Ask a Logistics Provider -Read here When it's time to consider outsourcing your order fulfillment, the list of things you need to know will probably be longer than the one listing potential service providers. That's why these eight questions to ask are so important -- and why this evergreen article continues to attract so many eyeballs. 5 Challenges Facing Your Cosmetics Supply Chain -Read here Not all supply chain challenges are created equal. We work with a number ofleading beauty brands, so it comes as no surprise that this look at the complexity of cosmetics fulfillment struck a chord. From the rapid demand spikes caused by celebrity endorsements to the importance of exquisite packaging, this is a valuable read if you work in the health and beauty business. Common E-commerce...
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### 6 Supply Chain Trends to Watch For in 2017
> The manufacture, movement, and delivery of goods continues to evolve every year. Here's what we see ahead in terms of supply chain trends for 2017.
- Published: 2016-12-23
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-2017/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 2017, air freight, Amazon, analysis, economy, hanjin, infrastructure, Logistics, new jersery, real estate, sea freight, shipping, Supply chain management, supply chain trends, target, Walmart, warehousing
This was a challenging year in our industry. From January'sdisruptive winter stormsto Hanjin's summer bankruptcy and the annual struggle to meet holiday delivery deadlines, not many months went by without significant upheaval. It's enough to have fulfillment managers breathing a sign of relief as we head into a New Year. Supply chain trends rarely adhere to the calendar, of course. Some of the advancements that we expected in 2016 took longer to develop, while others arrived more quickly than anticipated. Anticipating what comes next is never easy, but that's our job and we're happy to give you the best insights we can as another year comes to a close. Supply Chain Trends: What to Expect in 2017 Effective supply chain strategy demands that managers consider the road ahead for obstacles and opportunities. As the calendar flips to another year, it's natural to look at the trends that will influence our industry in the next twelve months. Below are six factors that we expect to play an important role in and around the supply chain during 2017. 1: Post-election Investment It's tough to look beyond politics when we consider the events of 2016 and how they will influence the year ahead. With the uncertainty of an election year behind us, companies are looking to the next administration to provide commitments that will benefit their business sectors. For the supply chain that means a focus on one word: infrastructure. Much has been made about the country's crumbling roads and substandard transport...
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### Capacity Brings Holiday Happiness to the Warehouse
- Published: 2016-12-22
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-holiday-party-2016/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: 2016, capacity holiday party, Christmas, new year
How do you hold a holiday party for hundreds in a warehouse? With a little loving care and a whole lot of logistics! Today the team at Capacity took a couple of hours away from the boxes... or, at least, away from packing them. The lunch gathering and gift-giving took place right here at our New Jersey fulfillment campus, and we're happy to give you a glimpse inside the event below. The holiday party begins, through the viewfinder of our co-founder, Arlen Fish. A taste of the holidays to get us started. (Bonus points for eating your greens! ) Making space for seating everyone isn't always easy at a holiday party. Obviously there are some advantages to having thousands of square feet at our disposal... After lunch, the thanks, well-wishes, and gift-giving commence! And not to forget the wonderful team at Capacity West, who keep our California operations running so smoothly. They had their holiday celebration last week at an evening dinner with Jeff (see above). On that note, we thank all of our fulfillment team members, clients, and colleagues for another outstanding year. Have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy New Year. We look forward to delivering even more for all of you in 2017!
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### Holiday Shipping Surge Stretches Carriers and Storage Options to Breaking Point
> As eCommerce orders spike again for peak season, parcel carriers show familiar signs of struggling to keep up with a holiday shipping surge.
- Published: 2016-12-14
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/holiday-shipping-surge-stretches-carriers/
- Categories: News
- Tags: delivery rates, E-commerce, fedex, holiday fulfillment, parcel carriers, seasonality, shipping, ups
The weather outside is becoming reliably frightful. Unfortunately, the fire this season sets in the supply chain is far from delightful for many of the players involved in the seasonal gifting rush and the holiday shipping surge that follows. The annual challenge to meet skyrocketing eCommerce order levels and delivery expectations is not one that comes as a surprise to fulfillment professionals. Shipping and logistics data show that online sales break records every year. Carriers and warehouses gear up with more seasonal staff every year. Call it the supply chain equivalent of the Circle of Life. Despite this predictable pattern, every year we always find headlines announcingdelivery delays at the major carriersand operational bottlenecks that threaten to hit on-time rates for yet another holiday season. Holiday Shipping Surge: Record Demand vs. Restricted Delivery Both FedEx and UPS are failing to keep pace with the soaring adoption of e-commerce by U. S. consumers. The Thanksgiving sales bonanza of Black Friday is now more accurately termed "Cyber Season" by many, as analysts expand the horizons of how and when consumers complete their holiday shopping. This year, the day afterThanksgiving almost equaled Cyber Mondayas the biggest online sales event of the year. Retailers are spreading out their offers to reflect the fact that customers can buy whenever and wherever they want to. That trend is underlined by the fact that mobile purchases grew again this year, this time by 28% over the holiday weekend. $3 billion seems to be the magic number for...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: November 2016
> All of the important logistics news and supply chain analysis you might have missed during a hectic November of 2016.
- Published: 2016-12-05
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-november-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: economy, news, rail freight, retail, road freight, supply chain analysis, transportation
As workers headed off for the Thanksgiving break, fulfillment crews started to shift into high gear for the holiday rush. For the retail sector and those of us who supply them, this really is the business end of peak season. If you're in the industry it's likely you've been too busy to think, let alone put your feet up to peruse the supply chain headlines. Whatever you missed in November, we have the monthly round-up that will get you all caught up! Order Fulfillment Review: November 2016 Here are all the important news and views you might have missed during a hectic November: Black Friday and Cyber Monday dominated the month's retail and fulfillment headlines, first by anticipating how confident consumers would be after a surprising US election result, then by analyzing their purchasing habits in real-time. Anextra 10 million people shopped onlineover the holiday weekend, leaving retailers who prioritized e-commerce offers feeling confident going into Cyber Week (or should that be "Cyber Season"? )All of those holiday packages don't ship themselves, of course. Hiring for the holidaysadded another 8,900 jobsto our sector as parcel carriers and warehouse operators geared up for their biggest month. That follows strong payroll additions in October and keeps the industry on course to contribute around 50,000 new positions to the economy in 2016. Rail freight volumes continued to edge down in November, although election results brought hope for the future. To date 2016 carload traffic is down 9. 2%, but the potential revival of coal...
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### Capacity Passes the 10 Million Order Mark!
> Capacity is proud to announce that we have reached a company milestone in November: more than 10 million orders processed.
- Published: 2016-11-30
- Modified: 2021-04-18
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-passes-10-million-order-mark/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, News
- Tags: Capacity LLC, news, Order fulfillment, updates
Capacity is proud to announce that we have reached a company milestone in mid-November: more than 10 million orders processed. That's a lot of products that have passed through our dock doors over the past 17 years. This landmark figure was passed before the Black Friday/Cyber Monday volume spike, making it even more satisfying to start shipping holiday orders this week! From those days as an ambitious supply chain startup back in 1999, Capacity has grown to become an internationally trusted fulfillment partner. We process orders for some of the world's most recognized brands, from health and beauty products to electronics, apparel, and many other sectors. Suffice it to say, the 10 million mark represents a lot of progress and a great deal of hard work! The fulfillment business is worth more than $30 billion in the US alone. Capacity has become a linchpin forour clientsin several industries that contribute a lot to that total. Every order shipped represents an opportunity for us to help our clients build their brands, by making their customers so happy that they keep coming back to order again. That sentiment is held deeply by the leadership team and radiates out through every employee at our New Jersey and California fulfillment campuses. Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder Thom Campbell had this to say about the company's latest landmark: "We owe this milestone to our clients’ success, the hard work of our employees, and the shared vision of our leadership team. From the early days of...
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### 10 Tasty Stats About the Thanksgiving Supply Chain
> The preparation for Turkey Day is as complex as you'd expect, with the Thanksgiving supply chain at the heart of everyone's favorite holiday.
- Published: 2016-11-22
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/thanksgiving-supply-chain-statistics
- Categories: News
- Tags: statistics, Supply chain, thanksgiving
As every Mom and Dad knows, Thanksgiving isn't a holiday that just happens. It takes weeks - maybe months - of preparation, taking in food, football, family, friends, and how to bring all of those elements together for a successful feast. Much like any successful event, there's an extensive operation making it happen behind-the-scenes, as these ten stats about the Thanksgiving supply chain demonstrate. 10 Thanksgiving Supply Chain Stats Before you head off for your Thanksgiving break, take in these striking Turkey Day statistics. Trust us, they make your meal all the more tasty! Americans consume more than 50 million turkeys over the Thanksgiving weekend, which amounts to more than $1 billion spent on the seasonal bird across the nation. All before we consider stuffing and sides! (Source:National Turkey Federation) Almost as many travelers on the roads as turkeys on our tables? You better believe it! According to the American Automobile Association, 48. 7 million of us will hit the highways this week. (Source:AAA) It's not just turkeys and travel, of course. There's also the beginning of the holiday retail season, which is increasinglydriven by e-commerce. Online holiday sales areset to reach $95 billionthis year, which explains why several US ports reportedrecord-breaking inbound cargo volumes in October. (Source:AAPA) A Thanksgiving meal travels up to 2,500 miles getting from farm to table. It's not artisanal, but it's certainly impressive in terms of an established supply chain! (Source:World Business) As every supply chain manager knows, not everything goes to plan when you have...
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### Warehouse Operators Look to the Skies for Additional Storage
> The market for warehouse space is quite literally looking up, as Prologis' latest storage facility in Seattle shows.
- Published: 2016-11-14
- Modified: 2024-01-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/multi-story-warehouse-storage/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Distribution, fulfillment, storage costs, warehousing
The market for warehouse space is looking up. Literally, in fact, as companies seeking storage facilities closer to cities are hoping to get more for their money by building multi-story facilities. Following a concept that is already popular in Asia and Europe, Prologis announced last week that it would bring itsfirst multi-level warehouseto the U. S. Located near Seattle, the facility will have three floors and a square footage of 580,000. All that space will be needed, as market forces combine to stretch the supply of commercial real estate and add another fulfillment challenge for brands. Storage in the City The search for more space has been a growing challenge for supply chain professionals in the last year or two. Available space has plunged to less than 8% in 2016, down from the double digits just a few years earlier. In fact, another drop in Q3 2016 would mark the 26th consecutive quarterly fall. During this period commercial real estate costs have soared. Why's that, you ask? For starters,brands are trying to get closer to customers. That means being in or near major cities, and that space doesn't come cheap! Same-day delivery guarantees and a demographic shift towards city life for younger workers have accelerated that requirement, leaving retailers to play catch up. Along the same lines, the physical reality of adding extra warehouse space means that construction is also lagging behind demand. Finding suitable sites in metropolitan and exurban locations is tough enough. Getting them approved and built in a short space...
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### 10 Million Orders Processed
> Passing the 10 million orders mark is a significant achievement for the company, which serves more than 150 clients from New Jersey and L.A.
- Published: 2016-11-13
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/10-million-orders-processed/
- Categories: Press Releases
NORTH BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (November 13th, 2016) -- Capacity LLC, trusted leaders in order fulfillment, eCommerce, and electronic data interchange (EDI), has confirmed they have reached a company milestone in the month of November by surpassing 10 million orders processed. Operating in a business sector worth over $30 billion in the US alone, Capacity has become a linchpin for diverse brands in a wide range of industries. From health and beauty products to electronics, apparel, and beyond, every order shipped represents an opportunity for the company to help its clients build their brands and grow by making their customers happy. Since opening its dock doors in 1999, Capacity has grown from a small service provider serving a handful of clients to an internationally trusted fulfillment partner, processing orders for globally renowned brands. Passing the 10 million orders mark is a significant achievement for the company, which serves more than 150 clients from fulfillment campuses in New Jersey and California. “10 MILLION ORDERS PROCESSED” "We owe this milestone to our clients’ success, the hard work of our employees, and the shared vision of our leadership team," says Thom Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder of Capacity. “From the early days of all hands on deck, filling last-minute orders and spending nights on the office floor, we’ve experienced a lot over those 10 million orders! Our clients know that we’re the last to touch their products before they head out the door. Our team’s experience and passion is why they put their...
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### Order Fulfillment Review: October 2016
> Use our fulfillment review for October to catch up with all of the industry news and views you might have missed last month.
- Published: 2016-11-05
- Modified: 2021-03-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-oct-2016/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: fulfillment news, news, Order fulfillment, Supply chain
As we enter the final few months of the year, it's almost peak season for retailers and the domestic supply chain gears up accordingly. If you're impacted by our industry, there's every chance that we've reached your busiest time of year as well. Time is short and shipments are about to start flying out of the door (we hope! ), leaving little time to read and digest the latest industry analysis. That's what we're here for, with our monthly round-up of all the recent news and views. Order Fulfillment Review: October 2016 Here are all of the headlines we considered worthy of note in October. Let us know if you've seen something that we missed... we're always ready to add new elements to the monthly digest! Despite troubled times for the shipping industry, familiar uplift takes hold in September and October asimports spike ahead of the holidays. 2016 is no exception, as the National Retail Federation (NRF) reports increased inbound cargo that it expects to feed a 3. 6 percent rise in holiday sales. Hanjin Shipping ended September in the throes of bankruptcy, which inevitably meant that October was atime of asset salesand attempting to salvage what little remains of its operation. The beleaguered carrier has been forced to strip away non-essential parts of its operation by the South Korean court handling the case. The company and court will attempt to settle debts and try to find some way to keep the company afloat (pun semi-intended). Volume numbers continue to confound...
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### Florida Airport Rocked By FedEx Plane Fire
> Flights are stressful enough without a cargo plane exploding in front of you as you prepare to board. A look at Friday's FedEx plane fire.
- Published: 2016-11-01
- Modified: 2016-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fedex-plane-fire/
- Categories: News
- Tags: air freight, cargo plane fire, contingency planning, fedex, news, supply chain planning
Preparing for a flight is stressful enough when everything is going right. So, imagine how you'd feel if a ball of flame erupts from an aircraft as you're casually strolling through a terminal. That was exactly the experience for hundreds of travelers at Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport this past weekend, when aFedEx cargo plane caught fireafter landing (video below). Thankfully, no-one was injured and the cargo onboard appears to be safe. The pilot and co-pilot escaped dramatically through the cockpit window via rope ladder and the explosion largely damaged the plane externally. The runway affected re-opened on Monday evening after the damaged plane had been investigated and removed from the scene. Even with the vast amounts of cargo moved via air freight, incidents like this are quite rare. We monitor the major headlines and industry analysis every day for events that could disrupt or delay shipments. More often than not we don't have to take action on behalf of our clients, but it's important to be up-to-speed with news that affects the supply chain. It helps us keep ahead of the curve and make contingency plans when things don't move as expected. As we saw with theWest Coast port delayslast year - andEast Coast storm eventsevery year! - we can't always count on plan A to work out. Having plans B and C ready to roll when that happens can mean the difference between disappointment and delight for your customer. On behalf of the team at Capacity, we wish the...
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### In-Store and Out of the Box, Eataly Exemplifies a Luxury Brand
> With stores around the world and a concept that combines artisanal products with fine cuisine, Eataly embodies the idea of a luxury global brand.
- Published: 2016-10-27
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/eataly-luxury-brand/
- Categories: News
- Tags: boston, branding, eataly, luxury brands, nyc, Packaging
A great brand should be a feast for the senses. That's true of creating a reputation for almost any product, but it's absolutely essential when what you're selling is luxury food and drink. Enter Eataly... The gourmet Italian marketplace will open another expansive location next month,this time in Boston. After starting life in Turin almost a decade ago, the brand quickly expanded across the Atlantic, finding two homes in New York City and another in Chicago. Image Credit: Nathan Mac/Flickr Covering more than 100,000 square feet of floor space between them, it's easier to think ofEatalyin warehouse terms, rather than retail or restaurant space. That being said, all of that room is required to do justice to an ambitious brand concept. The company takes the core elements of artisanal food stores, Italian marketplaces, and high-end dining establishments, then blends them into one unique experience. A sense of quality and authenticity runs throughout the space, which in turn lends a sense of luxury. The brand extends beyond the in-store experience, of course, and that luxury appeal needs to go with it. The Look of Luxury Eataly is close to our hearts - or, more accurately, our stomachs! - not only because we're so close to them in New York City, but because we're privileged to have a hand in their packaging assignments. With so many luxury products, gift boxes are a natural extension of the Eataly brand. We're more than happy to assemble them and, as you can see from the images below, there...
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### 5 Crucial Questions to Ask a Fulfillment Provider
> Make your first choice the right choice by following these five important questions to ask a fulfillment provider.
- Published: 2016-10-23
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/questions-to-ask-a-fulfillment-provider/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: choosing a service provider, E-commerce, fulfillment, fulfillment questions, outsourcing, questions to ask a fulfillment provider, Supply chain, supply chain questions
Deciding when to outsource order fulfillment is a tough choice for any company. As we've covered in the past, there are a number ofquestions to ask before outsourcing. Once the decision has been made that using a third party service is the correct path for your organization, it's time to consider the right questions to ask a fulfillment provider on your shortlist. In our industry, that's not quite as easy as you might expect. The exponential growth of e-commerce and the shifting purchase habits of consumers make the need for an experienced and flexible provider more important than ever. The questions we'll recommend today will help you uncover whether or not the fulfillment services that make your shortlist are ready to handle the demands of your business. 5 Crucial Questions to Ask a fulfillment provider The request for proposal (RFP) phase of choosing a fulfillment service is crucial. The information you request and the questions you ask can make or break the transition, whether you're moving from in-house fulfillment to an outside service or changing to another third party provider. Spending extra time to get the answers you need from prospective fulfillment partners is far more efficient than having to change providers because the fit isn't quite right. These are five important questions to ask a fulfillment provider as you research your options and try to create a shortlist. How do you define what you do? (AND how is IT different to other fulfillment providers? ) Two questions in one to...
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### Planning for 2016 Holiday Deliveries Blends Hiring with Hub Automation
> Will 2016 holiday deliveries buck the trend of previous years and meet scheduled delivery dates? UPS and FedEx are turning to technology for help.
- Published: 2016-10-13
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ups-fedex-2016-holiday-deliveries/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: demand, ecommerce, fedex, hiring, holiday deliveries, holiday season 2016, parcel carriers, peak season, seasonal employment, staffing, ups
As the retail sector gears up for another hectic holiday season, attention turns to preparations being made by the package carriers to handle the annual rush. The examination of 2016 holiday deliveries will be no exception, but the way the major carriers are approaching peak season this year is a little different. Alongside the standard strategy of bringing on a small army of temporary workers, bothUPS and FedEx are exploring new technologyto help them avoid delays and increase efficiency. The Stress of the Season Late December has become synonymous with late deliveries in recent years. With the rise of e-commerce, online orders have grown more quickly than the carriers ability to handle them, leading to supply chain bottlenecks and inaccurate forecasting of delivery dates. Last year, much of the month following Thanksgiving was spent speculating about the impact that record online sales would have on holiday orders reaching their destination on time. 2016 holiday deliveries will inevitably be subject to the same speculation, with UPS and FedEx keen to learn the lesson ofprevious failures. On-time rates in December 2015 fell as low as 91% and 95% respectively, marking the third straight holiday season in which both companies experienced major disruption to established service levels. We've written before about effectivestrategies for seasonal demand planning, but hiring more people and adding training resources has not been enough to avoid annual disappointment for some customers. This year they will add new technology at sorting hubs into the mix, hoping that the combination of more personnel...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: September 2016
> If you missed any of the fulfillment news and supply chain analysis of September 2016, take a look at our monthly digest to catch right up.
- Published: 2016-10-05
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-sept-2016/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: fulfillment review, september 2016, supply chain news
Things are about to get crazy... Between the excitement of election season and the impending retail rush of the holidays, there's not going to be a lot of time to keep up with supply chain news in the weeks ahead. The solution? Our monthly digest of the supply chain headlines and all things order fulfillment! Take a look at everything you might have missed in September below, then connect with us onLinkedinorFacebookdaily updates on our industry. Fulfillment Review: September 2016 If you fell behind the news as we switched from summer to fall last month, here are some of the stories you might have missed: Hanjin Shippingbecame the poster child for container business woes, entering September with financial troubles delaying vessels unloading and ending the month in bankruptcy. The news has had a ripple effect around the industry, with spot rates up on the busy Asia to North America route and some of the companies with close ties to Hanjin facing an uncertain future themselves. Businesses across the country are in full holiday hiring mode, as we prepare for the seasonal retail surge. Target announced7,500 new distribution center positionsfor the months ahead, which makes up a significant portion of the company's seasonal employment drive. UPS and FedEx are also looking to recruitment to help put the delays of past holidays behind them, with around 50,000 (UPS) and 95,000 (FedEx) new hires expected as the festive season rolls around. U. S. trucking reportedtonnage increases of 5. 7%, reversing a small decline during the previous month....
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### 3 Similarities Between Organizational and Employee Onboarding
> The common thread is communication. Allow for clear dialogue and honest feedback and all forms of onboarding become a lot smoother.
- Published: 2016-10-03
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/similarities-in-organizational-and-employee-onboarding/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
From the outside looking in, the language of onboarding sounds a lot like buzzword bingo. A sprinkling of synergy here, a dash of digital convergence there, et voila! A fundamental aspect of operational development becomes just another arena for management jargon. It doesn't have to be this way! Despite the potential for elaborate language, there are some common elements of integrating people and providers that can be used to root the process in reality. Whether it's bringing a new supplier - or group of suppliers - online or integrating a new employee into the fold, understanding these basic truths of onboarding will help you leverage resources and increase organizational bandwidth (BINGO! )Okay, let's just say these ideas will make life a little easier for everyone when change is on the horizon... There Should Be No Surprises As we covered witheffective supplier integrationearlier this month, giving everyone a heads up before anything changes is always a good idea. Not every topic can be covered, but just knowing that a transition is ahead is enough to mentally prepare most stakeholders. Some common recommendations for effective communication about change are as follows: Make your messages consistent and frequent. Use all available channels, online and in-person, to reach as many people as possible. Allow time for people to ask questions and offer feedback. Misunderstandings can be almost as dangerous as no communication at all, so be sure to clarify, confirm, and help everyone get to the same page. Encourage individuals who are already on...
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### A Brand Built on Fulfillment
> Fulfillment adds finishing touches that make brands memorable and keep customers delighted. Capacity helps brands to be built on fulfillment.
- Published: 2016-09-21
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/brand-fulfillment/
- Categories: News
It should come as no surprise to those who know Capacity that fulfillment is at the heart of everything we do. It's a word that describes not just our job, but the feeling we want to inspire in every client and their customers. It's fair to say we see brands as being built on fulfillment. Communicating what fulfillment is in supply chain terms isn't quite as easy. People outside our industry know all about warehouses, delivery trucks, and retail stores, of course, but the work that goes on behind the scenes isn't so obvious. With two new initiatives, Capacity's marketing team aims to change that... Built on Fulfillment Watch the video above and you'll find the essentials of what we do. It squeezes a lot into less than two minutes, but that's about all the time most viewers have these days! By their very nature, supply chains are extensive and complicated: manufacturers, retailers, shipping companies, government agencies, intermodal freight services, customs agents, freight forwarders, warehouse, and distribution specialists... you can't have that many moving parts spread around the world and not expect some complexity! Aging industry identifiers like 3PL and logistics provider simply aren't good enough to cover what we can offer our clients. We're the last to touch their products before they head out to customers, which means what we do is as much about leaving a lasting impression as it is the last leg of delivery. At Capacity, we say we focus on fulfillment. It's a word that neatly encapsulates every...
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### 6 Essential Elements of Effective Supplier Integration
> Without the right preparation and buy-in from key providers supplier integration can fail, causing problems up and down your supply chain.
- Published: 2016-09-14
- Modified: 2019-12-30
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/effective-supplier-integration/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: onboarding, supplier integration, Supply chain, Supply chain management, third party providers
One of the central challenges faced by every supply chain team is the effective integration of suppliers. Managers in our industry can work long and hard toimplement the right technologyand set expectations internally, only to have an external supplier miss the memo and bring things to a grinding halt. From poor communication to a lack of supplier buy-in, there are many reasons this disconnect could occur. As the saying goes, you're only as strong as the weakest link in your (supply) chain! That's why we'll be spending a good portion of this month looking at supplier relations and effective onboarding techniques, starting today with the fundamentals of successful supplier integration. 6 Important Elements of Supplier Integration With the right blend of awareness and education, the process of integrating service providers into your supply chain becomes significantly smoother. Ensure you cover these six aspects of supplier integration to keep all parties as engaged as possible: Get the news out early: No-one likes surprises. The earlier you can let suppliers know that a change is coming, the more time you have to hear their concerns and address any challenges that they anticipate. For new suppliers, make sure that you have a clear and realistic timeline for onboarding that they can be handed on day one for review and response. Request feedback at every step: "The best-laid plans of mice, men, and supply chain managers often go awry. " Not all of those parties are included in Robert Burns' classic quote, but there's no doubt...
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### Fulfillment Delivered
> Two simple words clearly communicate our ability to deliver diverse, flexible order management for a digital world: Fulfillment Delivered.
- Published: 2016-09-13
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-delivered/
- Categories: Press Releases
NORTH BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (September 19th, 2016) - Capacity LLC, trusted leader in order fulfillment, e-commerce, and electronic data interchange (EDI), has secured the intellectual property rights to its signature tagline, “fulfillment delivered. ™” The company’s trademark application was approved earlier this month, officially confirming what clients already know: Capacity is a modern order fulfillment partner in a sector that often clings to outdated practices. This comes at a time when aging industry identifiers like 3PL and logistics providers are not consistent with the core capabilities that Capacity provides clients. The last to touch clients’ products before they are shipped, Capacity plays a critical role in maintaining brand reputation and ensuring customer satisfaction. Their wide range of value-added services – from kitting and assembly to gift sets, custom packaging, and more – provide the finishing touches that help brands stand out and keep customers delighted. To capture that quality and differentiate the company from more providers of basic warehouse and shipping services, Capacity needed a tagline that speaks to those abilities. “Fulfillment Delivered” “fulfillment delivered. ™” zeros in on Capacity’s core mission of excellence in order fulfillment. Two simple words clearly communicate Capacity’s ability to deliver diverse, flexible order fulfillment for a digital world. “The company brand name itself needed something more to bring clarity to those services we provide: a powerful tagline was crucial,” says Marketing Director Rich Reba. Stressing the importance of a great tagline he adds “Taglines are extremely important for they encapsulate what a company does...
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### Orla Kiely Builds Up to a Big Move in NYC
> As New York Fashion Week starts up, our client Orla Kiely is all set to make it big on Bleecker Street this month.
- Published: 2016-09-09
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/orla-kiely-store-move-nyc/
- Categories: Case Study
- Tags: Capacity, clients, fashion brands, fashion fulfillment, new york fashion week, nyc, orla kiely
It's just a short walk across 6th Avenue to move from the artistic leanings of SoHo to the hip hustle and bustle of Bleecker St, but this is a journey that our client Orla Kiely intends to make the most of! The renowned fashion brand moves on from its Mercer St. location this month, all set for an exciting new store in the West Village. It's a switch that the company has been talking about a lot, especially with New York Fashion Week (NYFW) descending upon the city this week. The new Orla Kiely store - pictured above - opens later this month at 372 Bleecker Street. The company's models have already been seen lining the surrounding streets, providing striking visuals for the gathered NYFW photographers and a steady stream of content for Orla's Instagram feed. The continued strength of online retail sales makes it easy to forget just how valuable physical space can be. For a strong global brand like Orla Kiely, a real world store provides a canvas for the kind of creative expression and sensory branding that online channels can't fully replicate for customers. @orlakiely amazing new NY store is here! Check out #orlakielybleeckernyc - the perfect venue for... https://t. co/3gRuoeUDOz— Liz Matthews (@lizmatthewspr) September 9, 2016 Reaction on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter reinforces this sentiment, showing that fans are every bit as excited about the move as the brand itself! On behalf of the team at Capacity, we wish everyone at Orla Kiely...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: August 2016
> News and analysis from around our sector for the month of August, 2016.
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Modified: 2021-06-16
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-august-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: freight, fulfillment review, shipping, Supply chain, transport, transportation, US economy
The unofficial end of summer is here and, like many of us, you're probably wondering where the last couple of months went. It always feels like this part of the year flies by, which means the same is true of the news that impacts our industry. Knowing this, we keep an eye on the supply chain so that you don't have to. In a week where everyone is playing catch up, our recap of the news and views from August will get you back up to speed. Order Fulfillment in Review: August 2016 Here are the fulfillment headlines you might have missed as summer came to a close: Hanjin Shipping started August with the news that it would have one month to get its affairs in order toavoid receivership, with a deadline of September 4th to arrange payments to creditors. Fast forward to this week and the embattled ocean freight company is still scrambling to find the appropriate funds, with a bankruptcy filing and $14 billion worth ofcargo stranded at sea. The National Retail Federation reported the official start ofimports ramping up for peak season, with back-to-school inventory and early holiday stock driving an increase in inbound cargo. Global Port Tracker forecasts 1. 64 million TEUs for the month of August, up slightly on July's figures and signifying the opening stages of the holiday shopping season. Sadly, with the ongoing downturn in US rail freight, the fact that August's figures are"only down by 1% if you exclude coal carloads"...
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### Antica Farmacista Brings Independent Body Care to Barneys New York
> The spirit of independence will be on full display in Barneys New York this fall, as Antica Farmacista takes to its stores around the country.
- Published: 2016-09-07
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/antica-farmacista-barneys-new-york/
- Categories: News
- Tags: antica farmacista, barneys new york, beauty fulfillment, beauty products, body care products, clients, retail
We've already enjoyed July 4th this year, but that same spirit of independence is worth celebrating wherever we find it. That's why we're so proud to share that our client Antica Farmacista is heading to the distinguished displays of Barneys New York! The Seattle-based brand, which produces high-quality bath and body-care products, joins many other major names on the department store's shelves. What distinguishes Antica from most of the others is the unique quality that comes from independent ownership. An Independent Brand The foundation ofAntica Farmacista's success to date - which includes a presence in more than 900 retail stores and 400 hotels around the country - is, to a large extent, the fact that it remains in the hands of its two co-founders. Shelley Callaghan and Susanne Pruitt started the company back in 2003. Bound by their passion for fragrances that enhance ambiance and capture the essence of a moment, the pair set about creating unique products and quickly found their niche in the luxury market. From there, they cultivated relationships with most of the major names in deluxe retail, from Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom to Saks Fifth Avenue and the latest move into Barneys New York. By customizing fragrances for certain clients and expanding its product range to incorporate items that compliment one another, Antica Farmacista has been able to maintain a personal touch that has become the cornerstone of the brand. It's an approach that has paid off. As Women's Wear Daily reports this month, Antica is...
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### New Fulfillment Space Adds Another 100,000 Square Feet for Capacity Clients
> Capacity's fifth expansion adds the kind of fulfillment space that makes a difference to our clients and the value-added services they ask for.
- Published: 2016-08-30
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-expands-new-jersey-fulfillment-options/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, News
- Tags: Capacity, commercial real estate, fulfillment space, New Jersey, Order fulfillment, storage space
We're expanding again... Yes, we understand that with the company name "Capacity" we have a responsibility to upgrade on a regular basis, but we're particularly proud of our new space in New Jersey! Known simply as "C5" around ourNJ Fulfillment Campus, the new facility opens up an extra 100,000 square feet of space for our clients, present and future. Against the backdrop of growing need for e-commerce fulfillment services and the increased expectations of digital consumers, Capacity continues to expand to meet and exceed demand. This is our fifth expansion since we set up shop more than 15 years ago and adds extra flexibility, both in terms of available space to expand and a wide range of value-added services. The new facility expands our total operational space to more than 575,000 square feet. That includes both the New Jersey headquarters, where C5 has been added, and our fulfillment center in California. Together, these strategic locations combine to form a bicoastal fulfillment solution that our clients know keeps their cargo moving and their customers happy. As you'll know if you read these pages regularly, there is a major squeeze on U. S. storage spaceright now. Availability in existing warehouses has been slower to expand than rapidly rising demand. This resulted in a 9. 9% jump in commercial rental rates during 2015, which was three times bigger than the same figure globally. In some areas, this means that U. S. businesses are scrambling for space. At a time when many companies are attempting to take advantage of...
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### Walmart's Jet Acquisition Will Spur on Amazon's Fulfillment Plans
> While Walmart hopes its Jet acquisition will transform the company's e-commerce fortunes, Amazon is making its next moves into order fulfillment.
- Published: 2016-08-17
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/walmart-jet-acquisition-ecommerce-fulfillment/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, ecommerce, jet, marc lore, online sales, Walmart
If you can't beat them,buy them. It's a concept familiar to many in the tech sector and it seems to be catching on in retail, if Walmart's $3. 3 billion Jet acquisition is anything to go by. For anyone unfamiliar with Jet. com, it's the online retail platform founded by Marc Lore, who previously sold diapers. com to none other than Amazon. Launched to the public little more than a year ago, Jet quickly racked up a reputation for deep discounts and rewards for consumers who bought in bulk. By leveraging extensive VC funding and the e-commerce expertise of its founder, the site was able to accelerate to a valuation of more than $1 billion in twelve months. E-commerce Also-Rans? Okay, that's a little harsh. Walmart is the fourth largest online retailer and the most notable challenger to Amazon's online crown. Nonetheless, for a brand that dominates America's physical retail landscape, lagging so far behind digital competitors is simply unacceptable. With that in mind, what Walmart needs more than anything else at this juncture is a clear e-commerce strategy crafted by someone with a proven track record in online sales. Marc Lore ticks both of these boxes and many more. As industry analysts have been quick to point out, this acquisition is as much aboutbringing Lore on boardas it is integrating the abilities of Jet. com into Walmart's expansive operation. While the official explanation praises outgoing CEO of global e-commerce Neil Ashe for his role in bringing Walmart this far and seeks to...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: July 2016
> Our monthly round up of order fulfillment in review and analysis of logistics industry news from July 2016.
- Published: 2016-08-09
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-july-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: consumer spending, economy, fulfillment review, july 2016, news, Panama Canal, rail freight, road freight, shipping, supply chain analysis
We're more than halfway through the summer and you can be excused for sleeping on some of the supply chain headlines last month. The sunshine season has a similar effect on all of us! Thankfully, our team of fulfillment-focused analysts stay up to date with the industry's news and views so that you don't have to. As usual, here's our monthly round-up of all the issues and information that caught our eye during July. Fulfillment Review: July 2016 Here are some of the articles and supply chain stories you may have missed last month: In case you hadn't noticed, storage space is currently at a premium. Online demand is booming for e-commerce retailers and warehouses arebreaking rental recordsas a result. More than 70 million square feet of space was leased in Q2 2016, making it the highest level in 30+ years and up 6% from the corresponding period in 2015. If you signed a long-term storage agreement early last year, you have our permission to feel suitably smug right now. Signs that the economy is inching its way back to health continued last month, as Bloomberg reported a 4. 2% gain in consumer purchasesdespite other lagging economic indicators. Taken together with the news that June posted a third consecutive month ofU. S. households buying more goods and services. America's railroads continued to feel the full effect of lagging demand for their major cargo types, with an8. 8% decline in carload trafficlast month compared to July 2015. There was a tentative...
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### Unpacking: Supply Chain Chargebacks
> In supply chain management chargebacks are inevitable, but with good planning they won't dominate your operational planning or destroy your bottom line.
- Published: 2016-08-04
- Modified: 2023-11-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-chargebacks/
- Categories: EDI Fulfillment
- Tags: edi, efficiency, inventory management, shipment handling, Supply chain management, warehouse management, WMS
After we recently looked at the efforts of big box retailers towhip their suppliers into shapeand streamline inventory flow, it's natural that we return to cover the topic of chargebacks. The term is used to describe the infamous financial penalties that are levied across many different business types, which are especially prominent in the supply chain. From the outside looking in, you can think of a chargeback as the stick behind the carrot of lucrative contracts with big brands; a supplier should always chase the promise of such business, but must also be ready to pay the price if they consistently fail to live up to expectations. So what are chargebacks and how can we reduce their impact on operational efficiency? What are SUPPLY CHAIN CHARGEBACKs? Chargebacks occur in the supply chain when vendors fail to meet previously agreed standards of service. This could conceivably be any important area of operations, from the timely transmission of critical shipment information to poor packaging or incorrect labeling when the goods are delivered. What chargebacks always mean is that a part of the supply chain process has failed, causing inconvenience and unnecessary costs. Here are some of the more common areas that a company might choose to levy supply chain chargebacks: Late or non-transmission of shipment data, such as an Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN), inventory details, or customs documentation. Poor packaging or incorrectly packaged goods, leading to damage and/or delays in receiving products. Unscannable or incorrectly place product labels. Order shortages or incorrectly filled...
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### Heidi Daus Designs for a Cancer-Free Generation
> New Jersey jewelry designer Heidi Daus makes a sparkling statement for the fight against childhood cancer.
- Published: 2016-07-19
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/heidi-daus-childhood-cancer/
- Categories: News
- Tags: cancer research, charity, ecommerce, good causes, heidi daus designs, jewelry, New Jersey
Here at Capacity, we're always excited to showcase the special talents of our clients. Working in order fulfillment affords us the privilege of handling all kinds of different products. All are precious, of course, but some come with a special sense of purpose attached to them. That's how we felt when we were informed of the latest Heidi Daus jewelry design, "Sparkle Strong," which is dedicated to helping fight child cancer. A Cancer-Free Generation Childhood cancer is the second most prevalent cause of death in children 15 and under. Of the nearly 16,000 children under 21 who are diagnosed every year, around one-quarter will not survive. Sadly, the cause receives only a small portion of the national cancer research funds made available. September isChildhood Cancer Awareness Month. To mark the occasion and help raise funds for the cause, Heidi Daus turned to what the company knows best: beautiful designer jewelry. Beginning in August, all “Sparkle Strong” pins sold online will have 100% of the money passed directly to charities fighting childhood cancer. The website is consistently a destination for anyone seeking stunning accessories, so all the more reason to bookmarkheididausdesigns. com as a reminder to head back there on August 1st! Although the process is complicated, the goal is clear: to help the next generation live free from the devastating burden of cancer. Why this particular cause? In a statement, Heidi reveals the inspiration behind the pin and its special place in her heart: "This pin was inspired by the 13 year-old daughter...
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### You Give Goods Partners with Capacity to Deliver Simple & Efficient Donations
> Ever wanted to support a cause, only to find you're too far away to do so? You Give Goods knows that feeling and can help you deliver the goods.
- Published: 2016-07-17
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-yougivegoods-deliver-donations/
- Categories: Case Study, News
- Tags: charity, clients, delivery, donations, New Jersey, news, nonprofit organization
Have you ever wanted to help out a good cause, only to find your too far away to lend your support? Frustrating, isn't it? You Give Goods, a nonprofit based in our home state of New Jersey, understands this feeling all too well. Six years ago, in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti, founder Lisa Tomasi and her husband Paul wanted to do more than just donate money. They wanted to see the exact items that people so desperately needed on the ground and in their hands. Unfortunately, they didn't see that efficiency at work and were left troubled by the delays in moving those all-important donations. From that frustration, You Give Goods was born. Knowing the outstanding work that Tomasi and her team accomplish through the organization, Capacity is proud to bepartnering with You Give Goodsto streamline fulfillment operations and deliver more donated goods around the country. The Intersection with Order Fulfillment If all of this sounds like a familiar challenge, you must read our articles regularly! Fulfillment isn't all that far removed from making sure donations reach their destination. Fundamentally, it's about getting items from point a (the order part) to point b ( the fulfillment and delivery part). What comes in between can be complicated, especially when dealing with an international component, but an experienced fulfillment team will get it done, efficiently and on-time. That's where Capacity comes in... You Give Goods aims to be the bridge between good intentions and actually getting...
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### Inventory Holding Costs (and How to Handle Them)
> Handling your own inventory holding costs is challenging but the potential for a more efficient, agile operation makes it worth the effort.
- Published: 2016-07-14
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/handle-inventory-holding-costs
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: agile ordering, efficiency, fulfillment, Home Depot, inventory holding, project sync, stock costs, storage costs, storage space, target, Walmart, warehousing
If you're up to speed with the latestsupply chain headlines, you'll know by now that storage costs are on the rise. As a proportion of operating expenses, holding inventory is a significant contributor. Retailers are especially vulnerable to excessive storage costs, which makes it all the more difficult to see the price rising after many years of relative stability. There's never a bad time to explore ways to save money and improve efficiency, which is exactly what we'll do today in terms of reducing inventory holding costs. The Rising Cost of Storage Space The US third-party fulfillment and logistics market expanded by approximately 7. 5 percent every year between 2009 and 2014. This growth was fueled by increased outsourcing of a variety of supply chain activities, from cargo movement to storage andvalue-added services. As demand has grown for order fulfillment services, storage costs have followed suit. The cost of holding inventory remained relatively low in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Even against the backdrop of robust performance in the supply chain sector, storage costs in the US did not accelerate, in part thanks to the wider economic drag factor. All that changed in 2015. According to the annualState of Logistics Reportfor 2016, commissioned by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), inventory holding costs went up by a little over 5 percent. This followed several years of those same costs sitting at record lows for most US companies. As we entered 2016 the tables had turned. Businesses optimistically...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: June 2016
> As the fireworks fade and summer activities loom large on the horizon, supply chain professionals can catch up with the latest headlines in our June review.
- Published: 2016-07-06
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-june-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: aar, ATA, ecommerce, internet retailer, june 2016, news, online retailer, Order fulfillment, rail freight, retail, supply chain analysis, Trucking, wayfair
What a difference a month makes... As the fireworks fade and summer vacation plans loom large, the hectic schedule and holidays can prevent you from consuming all the supply chain news you'd typically follow. That's where Capacity comes in, offering up our usual monthly review of all things important, intriguing, and even downright odd that have made headlines in supply chain circles. Fulfillment in Review: June 2016 Here are the main stories that caught our eye during the month of June: The newlyexpanded Panama Canal finally openedtowards the end of June, bringing with it larger vessels, shorter transit times, and an increased focus on the infrastructure of destination ports. This holds significance for Capacity's key locations in California and, especially, New Jersey, as the race to complete infrastructure improvements crystallizes into exact dates and project deadlines. "Rail traffic remains relatively weak" is the underwhelming analysis from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) in its summary of June's performance, although the organization admits to being unsure how the second half of the year will pan out. With total carload traffic down a little over two percent in June and 12. 3 percent for the first half of the year overall, the best the AAR could muster in its outlook for the near-term was "cautious optimism. "The country's roads had more cause to focus on the positive side of cargo movements,halting a two-month declinein truck tonnage with gains of 2. 7 percent in May over April. The American Trucking Association's (ATA) numbers also...
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### US Ports Prioritize Efficiency and Infrastructure to Keep Pace
> As industry trends and new technology push ever-larger container loads into the country, US ports are rushing to remain attractive import locations.
- Published: 2016-06-30
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/us-ports-location-infrastructure-and-efficiency/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Haulage, imports, infrastructure, long beach, los angeles, New Jersey, new york, ports, shipping and transportation, us ports
We've spent a lot of this month looking at the importance of location in fulfillment. From alternative ways toleverage location in a digital worldto the physical reality of bringing ever-larger vessels through thePanama Canal, it's clear that where we are and the routes we choose to move cargo through have a direct impact on product availability and customer satisfaction. Another aspect that cannot be overlooked, but which none of us can fully control, is the ability of the port operators to get goods off ships and onto domestic transport routes. It's a challenge that has been the subject of much discussion recently and one that we'll review as we close out another busy month. A Tale of Two Cities Or two competing coastlines, more accurately, as America's primary ports on the East and West coasts continue to jockey for position. In California, the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach is going to great lengths to ensure the port congestion experienced last year is a thing of the past. Almost 20 percent of the port's billion dollar budget for 2015/16 is dedicated to infrastructure improvements, including its first fully automated container terminal and the development of transport links in and out of key facilities. Container Cranes at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach The port's strategic plan reveals that capacity and efficiency improvements rank highly on its list of priorities, taking the first two places in a four-point plan for the future: Build a world-class infrastructure for West Coast importers, Ensure efficient,...
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### Panama Canal Expansion Puts a Squeeze on New Jersey's Infrastructure
> As the Panama Canal expansion nears completion, the eyes of US importers turn closer to home and the Port of New York/New Jersey.
- Published: 2016-06-24
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/panama-canal-expansion-squeezes-bayonne-bridge/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Bayonne Bridge, east coast, infrastructure, New Jersey, new york, Panama Canal, port of nj, sea freight, shipping, transportation
It seemed like the day might never arrive, but after multiple delays and several billion dollars in budget overrun, theexpanded Panama Canal will finally openthis weekend. On Sunday, a Chinese container vessel will navigate its way through the expanded locks, in what shippers around the world hope will be the first of many successful passages by today's larger commercial ships. It's been a long time coming for shipping lines especially, many of whom have invested heavily in the 14,000 TEU capacity vessels that the expanded waterway is designed for. However, even this delayed arrival has come too soon for some. Most notably for ourselves - and everyone else bringing in cargo via the East Coast - the expansion has caught the Port Authority of NY/NJ on its heels. Burden on the Bayonne Commuters in our area will be familiar with the Bayonne Bridge, which links northern New Jersey to Staten Island and, by extension, the rest of New York City. What those going over it might not know is what's going on underneath and above the heavily traversed bridge. For many years, the port authority has been working toraise the roadwayand increase the height capacity underneath the bridge. It will achieve this with a series of adjustments to the traffic flow on the existing roadway and simultaneous construction work to create a highway that is both higher and wider than its predecessor. The downside of this ambitious infrastructure improvement - aside from the inevitable commuter complaints you'll hear throughout...
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### Capacity Starts the Summer with Art & Evening Drinks
- Published: 2016-06-17
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-summer-event-whitney-art/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: arts, Capacity, drinks, eats, events, whitney art museum
The official start of the summer isn't here until Monday, but we decided to take a note from our fulfillment team and get going a little early! We gathered with some business peers, clients, and colleagues this week in New York City, to take in the visual delights of theWhitney Museum of American Arton a private tour. To take advantage of the beautiful weather, we followed it up with light bites and beverages at the Standard Biergarten, which is then ideally located for a sunset stroll along the Highline. Below we present a quick summary of the evening, which was as entertaining as it was enlightening. Thank you to everyone who attended and also toGotham Mediafor their help with the event. We look forward to getting together again soon! Attendees take in the Whitney on Capacity's private tour. Post-tour drinks and hors d'oeuvres at the Standard Biergarten. If you're in NYC at any point this summer, we highly recommend checking out the excellent food and drink on offer at theStandard Biergarten, as well as taking a stroll down theHigh Line, a historic rail line turned public park. The Standard Biergarten is perfectly situated to enjoy summer and a light stroll along the historic High Line. It's a majestic blend of the area's commercial past and architectural present, of which we're proud to play our part moving goods in and out of the tri-state region. Stay tuned for more information about Capacity events and be sure tosign up for our mailing listto keep...
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### Bluemercury Finds the Beauty in Brick and Mortar Retail
> For all the excitement of eCommerce, there's something unique to stores that lets a brand flow into unique brick and mortar retail spaces.
- Published: 2016-06-11
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/bluemercury-bricks-and-mortar-retail/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: beauty, branding, bricks and mortar, cosmetics, retail, storefronts, Supply chain
There are some sensations that only a retail store can replicate. Yes, we love e-commerce, but there's something about the hands-on feel of a brick and mortar retail storefront that allows a brand to flow into a physical space. Our clientBluemercuryunderstands this sensation and channeled its value to score some exuberant press last week. The popular beauty brandopened its newest locationin New York City, down in one of the most attractive neighborhoods for aspirational brands, TriBeCa. Suffice it to say, it wasn't long before the headlines and social media praise started rolling in! Retail Revival A quick review of recent retail headlines will reveal several headlines for the company over the last six weeks, including store openings in Cincinnati and Washington D. C. Of course, store openings are nothing new. Retailers open (and close) storefronts each and every week. However, it's only a select few who receive positive press attention for doing so. This is usually because consumers are eager to get inside and experience the brand firsthand, which in turn makes the press eager to cover the event. This coverage by Pretty Connectedprovides a case in point: "What makes Bluemercury so great in addition to the feel when you walk in, and wonderful staff is the product curation –it’s fantastic! " Brand loyalty like this is what separates general beauty brands from those that are truly special. Customers want more than just a product from their cosmetics company, they want an experience. Brick and mortar stores can build on the...
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### Leverage Location: Fulfillment Gets Brands Closer to Customers
> Strategic locations for order fulfillment help to speed up delivery and improve the order experience, by getting brands closer to customers.
- Published: 2016-06-08
- Modified: 2021-04-10
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/leverage-location-closer-to-customers/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: consumers, fulfillment centers, millennials, purchase habits, warehouse location
Change is inevitable, not optional. Once we accept that, it simply becomes a matter of how we handle successive shifts in the business sectors we serve. That being said, it's time for retailers to acknowledge a significant shift in consumer demographics. As consumers, millennials are taking over from Baby Boomers. In terms of income levels, purchasing habits, and plain old population ratio, those born after 1980 are coming of age and are now the most important market segment for most companies to reach. With this shift comes a related challenge for supply chain professionals: gear up order fulfillment solutions that meet the growing demands of this generational transition, or be left behind by competitors who do. From Static to Dynamic Delivery Before the advent of online markets, delivery was a relatively simple choice for consumers: they could head to the store or open up a mail-order catalog to browse and purchase products. Less of a headache for logistics professionals, to be sure, but not exactly convenient for the customer. Fast forward to the present consumer environment and the opposite is true. It's the customer who now has abundant options to decide where and when delivery occurs, leaving the seller with the headache of how to make it happen. Throw in increasingly short lead times - expected as promptly asone-hour after purchase, in some cases - and dynamic delivery is undeniably one of the most important factors in the modern consumer's mind as they decide where to buy. Millennial Habits: At Home...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: May 2016
> Catch up with all the latest fulfillment news and supply chain news from the busy month of May.
- Published: 2016-06-03
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-may-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: ecommerce, fulfillment, news, Order fulfillment, scm, supply chain news
May is a month of preparation for the fulfillment business. We're still some way out from our busiest time of year, but gettingset for up peak seasonis top of mind for most providers. With all the preparation required for the busiest shipping period of the year, it's easy to miss the news and analysis that affect our industry. As we move into June, let's take a second to reflect on the important supply chain stories of last month and what they mean for the industry as a whole. Order Fulfillment in Review: May 2016 These are the headlines that caught our eye across the world of order fulfillment in May: The National Retail Federation kept its optimistic hat on ahead of the summer, as it announced afall in imports. Despite the dip, the NRF emphasized that goods are still coming into the country in "some of the highest numbers we've ever seen," with the added promise of forecasts that predict a bumper summer for goods arriving into U. S. ports. The country's rail and road freight also saw declines reported during May. Looking back at April's tonnage, the American Trucking Association (ATA)confirmed a 2. 1% dip, making for a second consecutive month of falling volume. Similarly, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said rail freight posted a 10. 3% decline in carload traffic for the month of May. Despite the seemingly gloomy news, both associations mentioned the more positive economic climate of Q2 and put some of their volume declines...
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### 5 Ways An Effective Fulfillment Provider Will Save You Money
> What makes for an effective fulfillment provider? If they can save you time and money in these five key areas, you're on the right track.
- Published: 2016-05-25
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/5-ways-effective-fulfillment-provider-will-save-money/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, contractors, cost management, cut costs, efficiency drive, operational efficiency, suppliers, supply chain costs, third party fulfillment
In a month which sees us focusing on driving efficiency, reducing waste, and cutting out unnecessary costs, let us not forget the humble fulfillment provider. As they're hard at work behind the scenes, getting products into the eagerly awaiting hands of customers, it's easy to forget that you should also expect your service provider to be a source of ideas that could save you time and money. Today, we'll look at some of the ways in which an effective provider will help you achieve greater efficiency and lower your costs. 5 Ways an Effective Fulfillment Provider Will Save You Money Most owners and managers have some idea where they want to start streamlining when they hand over fulfillment to a third party. However, not everyone understands the breadth of experience that the right provider brings to the table. With that in mind, it's worth considering the following five areas where an effective fulfillment partner can help save you money: Increased operational efficiencyRate negotiations and consolidated volumeEstablished relationships in the industryExperience of what has worked beforeExpert insight into supply chain challenges and opportunities This article will take a closer look at each of these qualities and how they can save you time and money on your order fulfillment. Efficient Fulfillment: Time is Money When yououtsource your order fulfillment, you expect to see products stored, picked, packed, and shipped in a seamless process. You're hiring an expert, and expertise should equal efficiency. In turn, efficiency saves you time and money. The importance...
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### Becca Toast Champagne Success with Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics Collaboration
> Another hot product promoted strongly across social media leads to a champagne moment for the latest Becca & Jaclyn Hill cosmetics collaboration.
- Published: 2016-05-20
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/becca-champagne-success-jaclyn-hill/
- Categories: News
- Tags: beauty products, becca, cosmetics, cosmetics fulfillment, demand, jaclyn hill, social media marketing, Supply chain management
There's certainly no shortage of social media success stories in the world of beauty and cosmetics retail... No sooner had we proudly written about the rush of demand for thelatest Pat McGrath product, now we have another sold out collaboration between our cosmetics client BECCA and professional make-up artist Jaclyn Hill. The media attention revolves around the limited release of Hill's latest line, alluringly entitled the Champagne Collection. While we're used to seeing outstanding beauty products like this one fly out of our doors, in this case the sheer speed of the orders that came in is remarkable. Becca's Champagne Moment Rather than throw superlatives at the story, we think you'll agree that the numbers speak for themselves: More than 6,000 posts using the product's official hashtag, resulting in more than 64 million impressions across social networks. 20,000 units of the blush and highlighter combination pack, sold out within 90 minutes of being made available through theSephora mobileapp. At $52 per palette, that's a little over $1 million of sales revenue in under two hours! It's an impressive feat, both in terms of marketing and product fulfillment. The popular item will be available again online this week, on May 26th, and hits stores on June 16th, 2016. Capacity's VP of Logistics, Tony Ruiz (right), with Jaclyn Hill and Bob DeBaker, CEO and President of Becca. Congratulations to everyone involved and best wishes for the full upcoming product launch through Sephora. (Somehow, given this week's numbers, we don't think we need...
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### Stand Up to Cost Challenges in Today's Supply Chain
> The modern supply chain throws up all kinds of cost challenges, some of which can be turned around into savings for your business.
- Published: 2016-05-18
- Modified: 2016-06-24
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-cost-challenges/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: cost management, efficiency, fulfillment costs, supply chain costs, transport
The Great Recession is well behind us, but keeping costs in check remains a focus for business owners and managers in many sectors. With increasingcompetition from online sourcesand international rivals, not to mention the rise of amore demanding generationof consumers, retailers of all sizes are finding that cost management is more crucial than ever. Although it's clear that costs must be kept in check, separating unnecessary expenses from unavoidable ones is more tricky. Understanding fluctuating costs in the modern supply chain helps managers to see the forest for the trees, finding areas. Today we'll look at several current cost challenges your business could soon face. By learning more about each issue, it should become easier to identify areas where savings are possible and where costs must simply be swallowed. Peak Season Surcharge Peak season is an annual challenge logistics companies must confront head on. As we prepare to ship goods throughout summer and get ready for theseasonal rushthat seems to get earlier every year, those familiar carrier surcharges (PSS) start to rear their ugly head during June and July. That being said, container rates arehitting unexpected lowsand some carriers are struggling in a buyer's market. Such is the impact of this trend, these almost standard seasonal costs are a question mark this year. PSS announcements are yet to be made for 2016, so keep a close eye on the industry. As an additional tip, if you have the shipping volume to justify it, now is the time to lock...
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### Pat McGrath Leads the Pack in Beauty Product Promotion
> Via celebrity collaborations and social media connections, Pat McGrath creates online buzz that drives the brand's beauty product promotion.
- Published: 2016-05-13
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/pat-mcgrath-beauty-product-promotion/
- Categories: Case Study, News
- Tags: beauty products, brands, Capacity, clients, cosmetics, pat mcgrath, skin fetish 003
You might know them better by the brand line Skin Fetish, but there's no doubt that if you understand anything about cosmetics and beauty product promotion, you know all about an iconic name among our clients, Pat McGrath. A major influence in the world of cosmetics, the award-winning British make-up artist behind the brand is now focused on bringing her industry insights to a wider audience. Iconic fashion magazine Women's Wear Daily (WWD) reports this week on the phenomenal buzz behind the brand, fueled in no small measure by its social media team. From a fulfillment standpoint, we see firsthand the results of the Pat McGrath team's marketing efforts -- even after decades in the business, it's quite something to behold! Since its launch late last month, the Skin Fetish line has flown out of the digital doors so quickly that the company's site temporarily buckled under the weight of all those orders. It was quickly back up, of course, but the immediate demand told the creators all they needed to know about how popular their product would be. Celebrity collaborations with Kylie Jenner and Rihanna have helped the brand's reputation to fly higher still. Through the use of glossy endorsements on Instagram and Twitter, Pat McGrath has created an additional online buzz that has taken the brand's beauty product promotion (and most importantly its orders) to the next level. Limited availability only serves to increase demand, as we see every time Apple releases a new product, and that same effect...
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### Target's Targets: Big Brands Demand Greater Supplier Efficiency
> The message from Target is that every aspect of the supply chain can be optimized and supplier efficiency is a key part of eCommerce success.
- Published: 2016-05-11
- Modified: 2021-04-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/big-brands-supplier-efficiency/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: big box retailers, brands, Supply chain, Supply chain management, target
If any organization understands the critical nature of an optimized supply chain with high supplier efficiency, it's big-box retailer Target. The company'sill-fated expansion into Canadais considered a cautionary tale in the retail sector, proving that even established brands can come unstuck if operations aren't efficient. With this episode very much in mind, it's no surprise to see Target among a host of major retailers tightening the screws on suppliers. Tough new standardswill go into place at the end of this month, with suppliers facing fines of up to $10,000 if they slip up. It's a princely sum, but that's the price you pay for supplying the major names in retail. The bottom line for brands like Target, Best Buy, Walmart, and many more who are examining their suppliers, is that a missed deadline means a disappointed customer. So what can we learn from the example of big box retailers and their increasing focus on supply chain efficiency? Setting Standards to Increase Supplier Efficiency One of our most popular articles in recent years has been 8 Ways to Eliminate Waste From Your Supply Chain. It's not so surprising that this one would bubble up to the top. Any time the call comes to reduce costs, inefficiency is one of the first places that most managers look. With that in mind, here are some areas in which increased supply chain efficiency can drive competitive advantage: Improved reliability: When customers have confidence that a brand meets its delivery promises, they'll keep coming back. Everyone offers...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: April 2016
> All the fulfillment news and supply chain views you might have missed in April.
- Published: 2016-05-06
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-april-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
If it doesn't feel much better in terms of temperature, know that the news for the fulfillment business in April followed suit. From the lower import volumes to concerns about global trade, there wasn't a whole lot in the headlines to feel warm about. If you spent the first full month of spring waking up after winter's peak period, the chances are you were too busy to catch all of the major supply chain headlines. If that's the case, our quick monthly recap is exactly what you need to catch up. Order Fulfillment in Review: APRIL 2016 Here are some of the stories you might have missed last month: It's not just our nerves that are impacted by congestion on US roads, and now there's data to prove it. Research conducted by ATRI - the American Transportation Research Institute - shows that excess traffic isa drag on the trucking industryas well, to the tune of $49. 6 billion in 2014. This is based on additional operating costs incurred due to congestion, with analysts finding the average cost per truck at an extra $26,625 for every 150,000 miles traveled. Rail freight continued to see falling volumes in April, withcarload traffic down 16. 1%compared to the corresponding period in 2015. Road freight also saw another month of decline, amounting to2. 1% less tonnagethan the previous year. While rail remains a concern, analysts in the trucking industry believe the declines merely represent a correction of inventory levels after a period of overstocking....
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### Somme Institute Delivers on a Key Brand Promise
> The Somme Institute mission statement is elegant in its simplicity: "deliver on your brand promise."
- Published: 2016-05-06
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/somme-institute-delivers/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: beauty products, Capacity, clients, cosmetics, health and beauty order fulfillment, somme institute
We often say that although few others find it sexy, there's something inherently attractive about order fulfillment for the team at Capacity. It might not be a glamorous industry that grabs the headlines but satisfying demand for great products is enough to keep us passionate about coming to work every day. Perhaps that's because we do get to see the glitz and glamor or luxury products, by working with brands like Somme Institute. Like us, Somme Institute understands the meaning of "delivering the goods. " In fact, the company was founded on the simple assertion that "skincare companies should deliver the claims that they promise. " Whether it's making a product that meets/exceeds consumer expectations or getting that product into their hands accurately and on time, the end result is the same: a happy customer who will order again. A product line rooted in customer satisfaction sets the bar high. We believe that clients choose our team because we demonstrate a passion for their business and respect for the products they ship. Everyone at Capacity understands that brand reputation is built on exceptional order fulfillment. We take that responsibility seriously because clients like Somme Institute put their brand in our hands, literally! It's a challenge that we're happy to clear each and every day. Products That Deliver the Goods As if to underline the results-oriented attitude of Somme Institute, the company recently received some highly sought-after press coverage from Harper's Bazaar. (For those of you not as involved with the...
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### We Wrote the Book On Outsourcing Order Fulfillment
> To help business owners and operations managers alike, Capacity created this complimentary eBook on 'Outstanding Outsourcing'.
- Published: 2016-04-29
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/outsourcing-order-fulfillment-ebook/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Capacity, ebook, free download, guide, Order fulfillment, outsourcing
The eBook, to be precise, and we're confident it will help anyone looking for a new supply chain solution. Entitled Outstanding Outsourcing: A Guide to Successfully Contracting Out Your Order Fulfillment, it provides a step-by-step guide to outsourcing one of the most important activities of your business. Whether you're a relatively new business owner still packing and shipping orders in-house or an established brand seeking a new service provider, this guide has industry insights to make the decision and transition easier. Among other things, this guide will help the reader to understand: How to know when the time is right to change provider, or to contract out fulfillment for the first time, The advantages of outsourcing order fulfillment to a third party, How to identify the best fulfillment services and create a shortlist of suitable providers, The most effective way to ensure a smooth transition to your new service. To receive your complimentary copy of Outstanding Outsourcing, fill in a few quick details below and download via the link that appears. If, after fully digesting this guide, you want to dig deeper into other aspects of order fulfillment, our series on theFive Fundamentals of Order Fulfillmentis a smart place to start. Happy Reading!
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### Ask Capacity: How Do You Incorporate Sustainability Into Your Operations?
> Sustainability is an important consideration for any supply chain. On Earth Day, we look at how Capacity handles environmentally-friendly operations.
- Published: 2016-04-22
- Modified: 2021-05-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/operations-sustainability/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: earth day, eco-friendly operations, green operations, recycling, sustainability, sustainable supply chain
Sustainability is an important element of the supply chain, especially now that we know so much about our world and the environmental impact of activities in our business sector. Consumers are also asking questions about where their goods come from and how their orders affect the environment. On Earth Day, it seems fitting to answer a question that we hear a lot more nowadays: how does Capacity handle sustainable operations? Our Part in a Sustainable Supply Chain From the moment a product is manufactured in its country of origin, through being packed up, transported halfway around the world - not to overlook Made in the USA! - and repackaged for distribution to the end customer, it's clear that supply chain operations impact the environment considerably. Our part in that process leans heavily towards handling inbound cargo and the final mile, but we're inevitably influenced by what comes before that. The clients we serve will always bring their unique requests for sustainable solutions and we're more than happy to integrate them into our existing efforts. Closer to home, here are some of the steps we take to ensure an environmentally-friendly operation at our New Jersey and California locations: Solar Power:Much of the roofing at our campus in New Jersey is made up of solar panels, which generate enough electricity to power our facilities when the sun shines. Smart Lighting:Some areas of our warehouse use sensor-activated lighting so that we can cut down on energy waste during times of low activity. Recycled Packaging: Almost...
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### Why Kourtney Kardashian Needs Her Doctor Daily
> Even with radiant skin, someone like Kourtney Kardashian relies on a special kind of doctor to keep her beauty brand glowing.
- Published: 2016-04-18
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/kourtney-kardashian-manuka-doctor/
- Categories: Case Study, News
- Tags: Capacity, clients, kardashians, kourtney kardashian, news
When a Kardashian says she needs her doctor, the world listens... Thankfully for Kourtney Kardashian, it's naturalcosmetics company Manuka Doctorthat she's calling for, rather than a medical professional! If you spent any time around Times Square this past weekend, you'd have seen Kourtney's glowing visage beaming over the busy city streets below. It's all part of her new role as Brand Ambassador for our client Manuka Doctor, for whom we proudly handle order fulfillment. Kourtney Kardashian Call the Doctor... Manuka Doctor creates naturally-inspired skincare and cosmetics products sourced from bees and honey. That's obviously where their rich look and deep colors come from, but it's the feeling they leave after application that seems to have attracted the Kardashian connection. In the video below, Kourtney Kardashian explains how it happened: It's not just celebrities who have fallen in love with the brand, either. A quick scan of the #ManukaDoctorconversation on Twitter reveals a hive of activity - pun completely intended - including one close to our hearts, opening up a package of freshly delivered Manuka products:Alongside a celebrity endorsement, there's nothing better than seeing a satisfied customer sharing their excitement about your brand with the world. Perhaps we should consider approaching Kourtney's brother-in-law Kanye to representCapacity West? On second thoughts, we'll stick to fulfillment solutions!
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### Managing Warehousing Requirements During Peak Periods
> When a surge in storage demand occurs, managing warehouse requirements is a challenge. Capacity CSO Thom Campbell speak to IL on the topic.
- Published: 2016-04-13
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/managing-warehousing-requirements-during-peak-periods/
- Categories: Press Releases
Peak season is an annual challenge for most of the stakeholders in our industry. Capacity CSO and co-founder Thom Campbell spoke to Inside Logistics on this issue, managing warehouse requirements, and how to handle the test of surging demand for storage in a dynamic supply chain environment. Managing peak period shipment volume is a structural challenge in the U. S. economy. Those preoccupied with executing order fulfillment services spend much of the year thinking about and planning for it. The surge is a three- to four-month peak, first to inbound and then outbound shipments, with overlap. Shipments to retailers come first, followed by a huge spike in shipments directly to consumers. Industries such as toys can see as much as 80 percent or more of their sales in a very short timeframe. This is primarily an issue for consumer products, because other verticals do not have such spikes in volume during peak season; demand for baby products and medical devices, for example, tends to be relatively flat throughout the year while demand for gift items spikes strongly toward year-end. This sudden demand puts a strain on everyone involved, suppliers, clients, and colleagues alike, making it all the more important to manage surge warehousing in an organized and proactive manner. Handling Storage Surges and Managing Warehouse Requirements Warehouses can use a number of techniques to maintain service level agreements (SLAs) – the ”guaranteed” turnaround time for an order to go out) – during peak demand periods. These techniques include: 1. Manage laborers carefully: From Labor...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: March 2016
> A collection of some of the logistics news and supply chain analysis you might have missed during the hectic month of March 2016.
- Published: 2016-04-12
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-march-2016
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: fulfillment review
The end of Q1 had us casting a keen eye over the future of our industry, exploring various avenues of thefuture of order fulfillment. Thanks to rapidly advancing technology and the greater expectations of the modern consumer there was a lot to examine last month, but that doesn't mean the everyday supply chain news stopped flowing. As ever, we keep up with the headlines so you don't have to. With that in mind, here are the stories, news, and views that mattered in March, summarized in our monthly fulfillment review. Fulfillment in Review: March 2016 Just as the Tri-state attempted in vain to shed the shackles of winter, the supply chain headlines were unable to show much in the way of a spring bloom. The sluggish start to the year for sectors such as road and rail freight pervaded into the March headlines. It wasn't all winter blues, however, as you'll see from our selection of stories below: Payrolls were cutacross some key sectors for the supply chain, as the country's trucking companies, railroads, and warehouse operators saw a third straight month of decline. Overall, the sector saw almost 6,000 positions lost from February to March, fueling concerns that flagging demand and economic headwinds from China will be a long-term drag on international freight movements. Unfortunately, rail freight volumes offered no silver lining to the employment numbers, posting notable drops across all modesof transport in February. There was more positive news on America's roadways, however, as the American Trucking Associationreported...
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### How to Quantify Quality with Fulfillment Metrics
> How do you measure success or quantify a quality experience? Fulfillment KPIs help focus strategic attention on the issues that matter.
- Published: 2016-04-05
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-kpis-quantify-quality/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: fulfillment kpis, fulfillment metrics
How do you measure success, or quantify quality? It's a challenge faced by every business, especially when it comes to order fulfillment KPIs. Setting key performance indicators for fulfillment and expressing your service levels in numerical terms provides a tangible way to compare month-to-month activity and regularly review performance. With the huge amounts of data now available, however, it's as critical to identify the right type of performance indicators as it is to measure your operation in the first place. Find the Right Fulfillment KPIs The value of KPIs is evident, but knowing where to begin can be difficult. There are potentially hundreds of valuable numbers to track and limited resources to track them. This is where the paralysis of analysis can often creep in, getting you lost in a forest of data rather than providing a clear path to improve order fulfillment. Finding the right balance between depth of data and understandable performance indicators is crucial, however, if you're going to make sense of what's going on in your operation. This begins with identifying the strategic objectives of the business Even if you have several objectives, try to pick the top two or three to quantify. From here you can work backward to create the right measurements for each. Whether the goal is to improve efficiency, reduce delivery time, or increase levels of customer satisfaction, there is an appropriate metric to measure progress and performance. The next question is what specific fulfillment metrics you should put in place to enable further discussion, which...
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### Ask Capacity: How Has the Fulfillment Business Changed Over the Years?
> From drones to delivery times, the fulfillment business has changed a lot since our early days. Even so, some things do remain constant.
- Published: 2016-03-31
- Modified: 2016-03-31
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ask-capacity-how-has-the-fulfillment-business-changed-over-the-years/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: ask capacity, fulfillment business, history, Packaging, supply chain projects, Technology, tracking, value added services
We've been at this for a long time. With more than 15 years in the fulfillment business and decades of collective experience in and around the supply chain, it's fair to say we've seen our share of changes. Capacity was founded in 1999, so we can claim to have operated in something of a pre-digital era -- or, at least, a time when Wi-Fi wasn't the first thing people asked about when they walked in the door! We are often asked what kind of changes we've seen over the years and thought answering this would be an appropriate way to end our month exploring the ongoingevolution of order fulfillment. Learning on the Job Even though the Internet was in its infancy when we started, connectivity was still an important consideration for fulfillment success. Clients have always needed to know where their product is located and how far along individual orders have progressed. Nonetheless, the standards and expectations around these basic principles of the fulfillment business have changed. "We still use people, technology, warehouses, pallets and trucks to move goods, but not much else has remained the same," says Thom Campbell, Capacity's CSO and co-founder. In ourFulfillment Fundamentalswebinar last year, Thom recalled nights spent sleeping on the office floor with fellow founder andCEO Jeff Kaiden, following an exhausting day of getting the job done for our initial clients. Reminiscing on Capacity's early days, Campbell explains: "For our second major client, we moved 70 truckloads over 5 days. There were a number...
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### Fulfillment Technology: How Sophisticated Should Your Tech Get?
> The rapid advances in fulfillment technology by the likes of Amazon are important to keep tabs on, but how much should smaller brands try to keep up?
- Published: 2016-03-24
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-technology-evolution/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: Amazon, appropriate technology, capacity technology, delivery drones, fulfillment technology, kiva robots, tech, warehouse technology
If you're anyone other than Amazon, it might feel like you're constantly behind the curve of advances in fulfillment technology. Whether it's robots and drones or Big Data and cloud computing, the rapid evolution of supply chain tech makes it tough to keep up with your reading on the subject, let alone actually taking action that could benefit your business. Thankfully, not every headline has to mean a new headache for your fulfillment team. Today we'll explain how to sort the wheat from the chaff and only explore the most appropriate technology for your business needs. Order fulfillment is evolving We like to watch what's happening in the world of fulfillment technology, not just because it's our business to do so, but because many of the advances are occurring right on our doorstep here in New Jersey. Amazon's expansive newwarehouse facility in Robbinsville is just a little over 20 miles southwest of our North Brunswick campus. Its application of automated KIVA robots and precision order picking algorithms is undeniably impressive, further bolstering the e-commerce giant's dominant position in online retail. This could be just the tip of the iceberg, however, as research continues into delivery drones, driverless cars, wearable technology in the warehouse, and a wide variety of devices connected to the cloud, all of which stand to significantly influence fulfillment operations. The potential to create a highly responsive, automated order picking environment that can operate 24/7 has clear implications for efficiency and productivity, especially when applied across a large organization....
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### Ask Capacity: How Do I Manage Short-Term Seasonality Without Long Term Storage Contracts?
> To properly manage short-term seasonality when you work to long term fulfillment plans, you must take full advantage of the people and platforms available
- Published: 2016-03-17
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ask-capacity-long-term-storage-contracts/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: ask capacity, seasonality, storage contracts
We often get asked about the best ways to manage short-term seasonality, when the reality of order fulfillment means planning cargo movements and efficient inventory management throughout the year. Keeping product in storage costs money, as do long term storage contracts. No-one wants to keep more stock on hand than is required in the immediate future, but the implications of running out of an item in high demand can be just as damaging in terms of lost sales. This is a structural challenge in the US economy, and those of us preoccupied with executing order fulfillment services spend much of our year thinking about and planning for it. Managing short-term seasonality with your long-term storage contracts can pose some tough operational questions, but we'll try to answer some of those for you today. Understanding Seasonality The seasonal surge, known by most as "peak season," is typically a three to four-month spike in inbound shipments, at first, followed by outbound shipments and with some overlap between the two. In terms of filling orders, shipments to retailers come first, followed by a huge spike in shipments directly to consumers. Industries like toys can see as much as 80% or more of their sales in a very short time frame. This is primarily an issue for consumer products, because other verticals do not have such spikes in volume in the odd phenomenon which is our holiday peak season. Demand for baby products and medical devices tends to be relatively flat throughout the year. Demand...
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### 10 Changes Set to Shape Order Fulfillment in the Next 10 Years
> Planning for long-term change is always a challenge. To get ahead, review these ten fulfillment changes that we expect to see in the years ahead.
- Published: 2016-03-10
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/future-fulfillment-changes/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: fulfillment changes, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, warehouse technology
With more than 15 years under our belts in the order fulfillment business and decades of collective experience, it feels like there's very little the Capacity team has not done or seen. Fulfillment changes on a regular basis and requires frequent reviews to stay on course. We've moved from the early days of the Internet to a world where connectivity and data transfer defines our industry, while keeping real-world service and customer satisfaction at the top of our agenda throughout. That doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels, however. It always pays to stay on top of any evolving supply chain, whether to drive improvements, reduce costs, or anticipate potential issues on the road ahead. Today's article takes a look at ten developments that we expect to shape our industry in the coming years. Plan Ahead: 10 Order Fulfillment Changes to Expect To successfully navigate the fulfillment challenges of the future, it helps to understand the environment in which they'll arise. Knowing what's on the horizon also makes it easier to spot opportunities that could give your business a competitive advantage, such as a more cost-effective way to deliver orders or a quicker route to get cargo into the country. Here are ten changes that we expect to see influencing the order fulfillment landscape over the next decade: Amazon drives delivery technology -read moreSelf-driving cars could automate deliveries -read morePorts must manage expansion and automation -read moreSame-day delivery finds its limits -read moreCommercial real estate influences core strategy -read moreWarehouse workers will...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: February 2016
> The world of order fulfillment evolves every month, which is why we take the first week of a new calendar page to review key stories from the previous one.
- Published: 2016-03-05
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-february-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Amazon, Deliv, e-commerce fulfillment, rail freight, road freight, sears, ups, Walmart
If you work in or around our industry, February felt like a month dominated by e-commerce fulfillment news. From the analysis of the 2015 holiday season and the huge role played by online sales to the big brand retailers grappling with their online strategies for the future, last month made it clear that delivering in the digital age is about more than having every product imaginable under one vast roof. There were other important headlines, of course, and that's what our monthly review is here to do: gather all of the major supply chain stories from February into one place so that you can catch up quickly. Image Credit: Kip-koech Fulfillment Review: February 2016 Here's what we saw last month, as retailers started to draw a line under their 2015 performance and set out new strategies to drive them through 2016 and beyond: Despite the predicted seasonal surge in 2015, major retailers Walmart and Sears/Kmart reported results that failed to inspire confidence. Instead, they appear to bedriving store closures, as online giant Amazon goes from strength to strength and all of its established retail rivals review their e-commerce fulfillment strategies to get back on track. Rail and road freight volumes experienced a sluggish start to 2016, for the most part, although intermodal carloads on the country's railroads did post a healthy 12. 9% gain on February of last year. The Association of American Railroads reportedmixed signals for their sectorduring February, while the American Trucking Association confirmed that month-on-monthtonnage fell by 1....
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### Size Matters (But What Else Do You Want From Your Warehouse?)
> Order fulfillment evolution is demanding more and more from warehouse providers, even as available space remains the primary question for most customers.
- Published: 2016-03-03
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/warehouse-order-fulfillment-evolution/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Big Data, cloud data, distribution centers, order fulfillment evolution, retail compliance, warehouse EDI, warehouse management
"The times, they are a-changin'. " Those famous lyrics ring around the tri-state area more emphatically than most places, but you could be forgiven for thinking a warehouse wouldn't be the first place to seek out dynamic change. With the evolution of order fulfillment, however - and with all due respect - you'd be wrong. Since founding the company in 1999,Capacity's leadership teamhas seen things change at an astonishing pace, from the way we manage our passionate workforce to the technology they use to get the job done. Throughout March, we will take a look at order fulfillment evolution from a number of different perspectives, with a view to explaining where we come from and where our industry is going. That starts today, with the surprisingly adaptive world of warehousing and the changes that affect our clients as our business evolves. Size, Location, and Other Realities Of Real Estate As we explained in our rundown ofsupply chain trends for 2016, even distribution centers can't stay in one place for too long. In response to shifting demographics and the desire of younger consumers to stay close to major urban centers, everyone from Amazon and Walmart on down must review where their order fulfillment occurs. When you need to deliver a customer within 24 hours, it doesn't pay to be more than a day away in terms of standard shipping time. As well as moving closer to major metro areas, brands with a physical retail presence are attempting to leverage their brick-and-mortar...
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### 4 Ways Outsourcing E-commerce Fulfillment Helps a Business to Scale
> Knowing exactly when outsourcing e-commerce fulfillment is the right move can be complex, but the benefits in terms of scaling up are self-evident.
- Published: 2016-02-27
- Modified: 2020-12-17
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/outsourcing-e-commerce-fulfillment/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: e-commerce fulfillment, growth, online sales
At some point, every ambitious online business needs to scale. Expanding beyond that early period of rapid growth and operational independence is a daunting prospect, but the transition from plucky startup to established brand is what secures continued success. In addition to hiring the right people to help grow your business and physically expanding the operation to larger premises, brands that sell online face a major challenge regarding order fulfillment. There comes a time when even the most customer-focused CEO must stop packing orders and start planning strategy, which is when the important consideration of outsourcing e-commerce fulfillment arises. How Outsourcing E-commerce Fulfillment Helps a Business to Scale There are some things that even an owner with daily involvement in the operational side of the business cannot anticipate, or information to which he or she has no access. Managing cargo movements and ensuring timely fulfillment is a full-time job for any growing business, which is why so many owners turn to a third-party for assistance. Here are four ways that outsourcing e-commerce fulfillment can take your online business to the next level: 1. It brings immediate access to experience:Any order fulfillment questions you'd previously been unable to answer, you now have a motivated and knowledgeable resource to provide a measured response. Any partner with years in the business will have handled most of the operational challenges you face many times before, meaning they're well-placed to help you navigate increasingly complicated fulfillment scenarios. 2. More experience means improved service:That experience doesn't...
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### Unpacking: Seasonal Fulfillment
> Successful seasonal fulfillment means planning orders far in advance and anticipating common shipping challenges. Here's how to handle it.
- Published: 2016-02-23
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/seasonal-fulfillment/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
Winter often feels like the longest season, but if you're involved in procurement or planning inbound product movement, it's already long gone. Seasonal fulfillment means focusing on what consumers want several months down the line, rather than what's in the pipeline for the next few weeks. In a world where it can take three to four weeks just to move cargo from an origin port halfway around the world to its U. S. destination, it will come as little surprise that the best brands are working on order fulfillment many months before that product is required. Having only just examined theflurry of winter e-commerce, it may seem a jarring shift of gears to focus on products more suited to the summer. The truth is, however, that product planners are always a season or two ahead of the rest of us. All of the ordering undertaken to satisfy that aforementioned holiday demand occurs over the summer months, with peak season for shipping in effect as we enter fall. The Importance of Planning for Seasonal Fulfillment Aside from the obvious need to satisfy customer demand, precisely executed seasonal planning has several other benefits. First and foremost, it makes your brand look good. When you always have the right products available for order or on shelves, when and where your customers want them, sales are maximized and people trust that you'll be there when they need you. Accurate seasonal fulfillment also delivers lower inventory holding levels. When managed well throughout the year,...
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### The Essentials of E-commerce Retail Compliance
> Fulfillment errors can spell disaster for any online retailer. Establish a clear e-commerce retail compliance program to raise service & reduce complaints.
- Published: 2016-02-17
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-retail-compliance-essentials/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, EDI Fulfillment
- Tags: compliance, on-time shipments, retail compliance, routing guides, Supply chain management
Retail compliance is the bedrock of any successful online brand. More than ever before, orders have to move through your fulfillment process quickly, accurately, and on-time. Anything less than service levels that habitually surpass 99% and higher will open up your business to lost customers and a reputation for failure. In the world of order fulfillment, it's easy to talk a good game but all that really matters is delivery. Nowhere is this truer than for online retailers, who live or die by efficient ordering and timely shipments, because competing sites are just a click away for their customers. This is why compliance guides and service level agreements are so important, which is exactly what we focus on in this article. Retail Compliance: Back to Basics The bottom line of retail compliance is shipping the right items, on-time, in the correct quantities. If that sounds simple from the outside, dig in and you'll find many more layers of complexity. From managing multiple carriers to meeting various legal and quality requirements, maintaining compliance can quickly become a full-time task. Thankfully, there are some tried-and-trusted methods to make sure your compliance expectations are clear and processes are followed. One of the first areas to explore is EDI integration. The fulfillment technology behind this is a key consideration in its own right, but the basic idea is that you should be able to push and pull data between your system and those of your vendor(s) in real time. Close integration and the seamless...
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### Revised Retail Store Strategies After Record Holiday Sales Online
> Brands adjust their retail store strategies as eCommerce and mobile devices continue to challenge bricks and mortar shopping.
- Published: 2016-02-11
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/retail-store-strategies-e-commerce/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, book stores, bricks and mortar, click and collect, E-commerce, e-commerce fulfillment, in-store pick up, kmart, online sales, retail, retail sales, sears, Walmart
Early in the holidays, we examined the expectations of arecord-breaking peak period for e-commerceduring the 2015 sales season. These predictions proved to be the case as online sales soared, but not in the kind of even distribution across big brands that some analysts expected. Far from being boom time for all the major retailers, it appears that Amazon once again dominated the holiday orders, leaving its competitors to fight it out for a distant second spot. The realization that they could be left behind is hitting household names like Walmart and Sears hard, as their strategic announcements during January clearly signal. Top of the list for many of the major retailers is their network of physical stores. Rather than the expansion of years gone by, however, it is cutting costs and closing stores that's the order of the day. As big names revise their bricks & mortar strategy, malls may be vulnerable | Image Credit: Mike KalasnikAltering Retail Store Strategies for Bricks and Mortar Locations In January, Walmart announced that it will close 154 of its U. S. locations this year. The bulk of these are Walmart Express stores, the smallest format operated by the big-box retailer and a move described as the end of a pilot project, rather than a significant consolidation of the company's position. Even so, the accompanying commitment from Walmart to refocus its energy towards online sales channels and revise retail store strategies also spoke volumes about the evolving - and complex - commercial landscape. Hot on...
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### Common E-commerce Fulfillment Errors (and How to Fix Them)
> Selling online is big business. Avoid these common e-commerce fulfillment errors to build brand reputation and keep your customers coming back.
- Published: 2016-02-08
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fix-ecommerce-fulfillment-errors/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: data management, ecommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment, ecommerce stats, online sales conversions, online selling, parcel carriers, pricing, reduce shipping costs, shipping costs, shipping solutions
In 2016, e-commerce is undeniably the most popular way to connect customers with the products they love. That makes e-commerce fulfillment the base on which great online brands are built. So far, so simple. Building the kind of fulfillment solution that satisfies online customers every time they order is not nearly as easy. There are plenty of pitfalls on the road to growing a successful e-commerce site. Many of these revolve around the challenge of getting your goods to customers as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, which is also where errors start to creep in. As we focus this month on the rise of e-commerce and how to handle this dynamic shift in the supply chain, let's look at some of the more common e-commerce fulfillment mistakes and what you can do to avoid them. Common E-commerce Fulfillment Errors If you've spent any time processing and shipping orders placed online, you'll have some idea of just how many errors can occur along the way. The ease with which a sales site can be created often belies the complexity of its underlying structure. Expansive product ranges can be listed in seconds, but maintaining their information and managing the physical product shipments requires a lot of preparation and coordination. To address the kinds of errors that you can expect to encounter as you set up or develop an e-commerce fulfillment solution, we've broken potential issues down to three main categories: Administrative Errors Pricing Issues Shipping Oversights Let's take a look at each...
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### 5 Important Elements of Employee Satisfaction
> Employee satisfaction is an area of business that tends to receive a lot of attention without seeing enough follow-up. Here are five ways to walk your talk.
- Published: 2016-02-05
- Modified: 2021-04-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/employee-satisfaction/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Business, employee satisfaction, people
Employee satisfaction is an area of business management that tends to receive a lot of attention without seeing enough follow-up. As Elvis has been heard to drawl: "a little less conversation, a little more action please. All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me. " Questionable grammar aside, the King had a point: talking too much about the value of employees without showing them that you mean it can quickly become a recipe for disaster. Employee Relations: The Next Generation There's little doubt that with a change in generation, there comes a significant shift in the way we view work. The "job for life" that was so often sought by our grandparents is now a faint memory for most, with employees regularly changing positions, and even companies, every few years. Some of this can be attributed to the tough economic times of recent years, as well as a more general increase in information about open positions and online networking. More broadly, however, it signals a shift in the way workers and companies view loyalty to one another. It would be hard to argue that, in today's job sector, there's less of that being shown from both sides of the table. That doesn't have to be the case, of course, as Marc Lore, CEO of Hoboken-based e-commerce site Jet. com, recently explained to the New York Times. At a time when analysts find only one-third of workers in the U. S. to be "engaged" in their job, Lore has made it a priority to create...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: January 2016
> Keep up to speed with all of the latest supply chain and order fulfillment news with our monthly round-up.
- Published: 2016-02-02
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-review-january-2016/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Amazon, baltic dry index, drones, ecommerce, global trade, Google, Haulage, january 2016, Logistics, Order fulfillment, rail freight, retail, road freight, shipping, shipping costs, Supply chain, Trucking
It's a new month once again, which means another opportunity to look back at the world of order fulfillment and remind ourselves of what happened up and down the supply chain as 2016 got underway. Naturally enough, much of the early coverage consisted of reviewing the previous year. (Heck, we did much the same with a look back at our most popular articles of 2015! ) There was also plenty to look forward to, so let's dive right into the mix of news and reviews that surface during January. Order Fulfillment Review: January 2016 Here are the stories, news, and views that made the headlines in our industry last month: Winter storm Jonas hit the East Coast hard, leaving behind it a big dig to get things moving again. Shipping and transportationservices were inevitably disrupted, though perhaps not as badly as they would have been had Jonas arrived during the working week. Even with the weekend arrival, however, the storm will cost the economy somewhere between $500-800 million. As we focus onecommerce order fulfillmentthis month, last month's analysis of a busy holiday season show both sides of booming online sales. While Amazon led the ecommerce driven sales surge, which saw a 12. 1% increase in revenue over the same period in 2014, it's also notable that the company'sshipping costs went up by 37%. Even for Amazon, that's no small number. And for companies who have to keep a close eye on every fulfillment expense? It's a reminder that every sales...
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### Capacity Works When the Weather Doesn't
> Winter blues? Even with the worst conditions of a blizzard, the team at Capacity works to keep cargo moving and customers happy.
- Published: 2016-01-25
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-works-blizzard-2016/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: blizzard, Capacity LLC, digging out, jonas, snow, weather, Winter storm
Up and down the East Coast last week, businesses were busy preparing for the arrival of winter storm Jonas. Readying shovels and plows, we all watched the weather forecasts closely and prepared to do some digging. It's a familiar feeling here at Capacity. Around the same time last year, we had to handle Octavia, followed by the ominously-named (and eventually underwhelming) Thor. Over the years, we've learned to listen less to the flamboyant names and more to one simple mantra that sees us through: Capacity keeps working, even when the weather doesn't! Capacity Works When the Weather Doesn't Winter weather challenges the best of us. Even with ample preparation time and all the right equipment, Mother Nature is more than capable of throwing a curve (snow)ball at us all. A quick glance at today's back-to-work updates confirm how tough this past weekend has been for the major carriers. UPS released this statement earlier today: "Recovery efforts are underway following severe winter weather in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Operations have resumed, however, service continues to be impacted in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D. C. where there are no pickups and deliveries in some areas. Our teams have implemented contingency plans to help ensure that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as possible. However, some shipments may be delayed. " FedEx reports a similar situation, advising customers to read an area-specific update on where the winter storm hit its operations hardest. As deliveries get going again after the weekend, customers will undoubtedly...
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### How to Change Fulfillment Provider (Without Sacrificing Service!)
> When you change fulfillment provider or outsource the operation for the first time, a lot can go wrong. Use our guide to ensure that doesn't happen.
- Published: 2016-01-21
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/how-to-change-fulfillment-provider/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, change management, how to, Order fulfillment, outsourcing order fulfillment
What changes should you make to improve your operation in the next twelve months? A change of year is also a popular time to shake things up at your organization. From internal processes to external service providers, highlighting what's performing well and areas for improvement is important to set the stage for a successful year. With that in mind, this might be the right time for you to change fulfillment provider, or outsource those activities if you expect significant growth in 2016. Do You Need A Fulfillment Provider? For some, the question is whether or not to outsource order fulfillment after handling it in-house for many years. It can be tough to let go of such a fundamental service element, but the reality of rapid expansion means that every growing business must consider the benefits at some point. Because there are so many implications of this decision, we recommend asking these five questions before outsourcing order fulfillment: Does the value of the product(s) you ship hold up after you factor in fulfillment costs? Is your order forecasting accurate enough to confidently predict increased volume? Are you spending too much time managing everyday order issues? When do you expect your next peak order period? Are you correctly valuing the time you spend on order fulfillment? For a more in-depth examination of these questions and why they matter, read the full article on outsourcing your order fulfillment. If you already have a service provider, the motivation to switch probably arises as you've experienced performance issues...
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### Capacity Client Adds a Little Luxury to Air Travel
> Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden is used to seeing the luxury of MALIN and GOETZ products in action -- and delighted to find the brand at 30,000 feet!
- Published: 2016-01-14
- Modified: 2016-01-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/malin-and-goetz-luxury-air-travel/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity, malin and goetz, skin care, stress, travel, wellness
If you're anything like the Capacity team, you probably rack up a lot of travel miles in the last month or two of the year. Between business travel to visit clients and heading home to family for the holidays, it adds up to a plenty of time in transit, on the land and in the skies. It's exciting and stressful in the same breath, not unlike the fulfillment business! That being said, there are certain little creature comforts that help along the way. MALIN AND GOETZ: Local Business, national REACH Comfort is certainly how Capacity CEO Jeff Kaiden felt on a recent trip across the country, flying LAX to NYC. The airline in question double-booked his seat but did secure Jeff an upgrade, so he was moved up front. What he didn't know was that his skincare would also get an upgrade for this flight, as Jeff found - and snapped! (see right) - a valued client's luxurious skin care products in this otherwise sterile environment. (MALIN+GOETZ) is a New York City business through and through, but its products travel far and wide. Rooted in the values of traditional apothecaries, the company provides sensitive skin care products because its owners had a problem to solve for themselves, which quickly became a mission to help others, first in their city and then far and wide thanks to expanded order fulfillment capabilities. Of the appearance of finding client products among the complimentary items included in his upgrade, Jeff had this to...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: December 2015
> As we say goodbye to another year, take one final opportunity to browse our order fulfillment in review from the supply chain headlines of December 2015.
- Published: 2016-01-12
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-review-december-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: container shipping, ecommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment, forecast for 2016, fuel prices, online retail, Order fulfillment, rail freight, road freight, Supply chain, Supply chain management, sustainability, transportation, Trucking
It was a busy year for everyone involved in order fulfillment, with December inevitably one of the most active months on the calendar. With a record start to the shopping season and the increasingly complex requirements of getting goods in the hands of customers, immediate order fulfillment was the name of the game. Even if professionals in our industry had one eye on the anticipated supply chain challenges of 2016, making good on the business of 2015 was the primary focus. If you missed any industry news in the rush of last month, here's your quick catch up. Order Fulfillment in Review: December 2015 Here are some of the more significant supply chain headlines that you might have missed last month: Delayed Christmas deliveries dominated the headlines in the middle of the month, as major parcel carriers and retailers struggled to keep pace with the demands of record-breaking holiday orders. In addition to the likes of FedEx and UPS implementing emergency measures to handle the rush of orders from customers taking advantage of free shipping from major retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target, new players like Jet. com were also forced to admit that not all orders placed before published deadlines could be guaranteed a Christmas delivery. The American Trucking Association reported a fall in truck tonnage as the year drew to a close, curtailing some of the gains made in previous months. It marked an unexpected dip in what has typically been a strong sector, sparking concerns that there could be further...
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### 4 Fulfillment Challenges You Can't Overlook in 2016
> Learn more about the state of the supply chain in 2016 and the fulfillment challenges your business can expect to face in the New Year.
- Published: 2016-01-06
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-challenges-for-2016/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 2016, customer satisfaction, Customer service, ecommerce, fulfillment challenges, inventory, inventory management, new year, operations, Order fulfillment, planning, retail, Supply chain management
As we move into a New Year, you're inevitably thinking about the challenges your business is likely to face in the next twelve months. You have a plan in place for the major strategic issues you expect to see, but have you faced up to the fulfillment challenges that 2016 will bring? To build a firm foundation for the year ahead, here are four important order fulfillment challenges worth considering in January. 4 Order Fulfillment Challenges for 2016 Every business sector is unique, but there are always elements of the supply chain that have a knock-on effect to many other industries. How strong those headwinds are can make a big difference, as you try to get your goods from one part of the world to another and into the waiting arms of your customers. These are the four main challenges we expect to impact our industry this year: Putting the Customer in Control Risk Assessment and Alleviation Distorted Inventory Levels Shifting Seasonality Let's break those down to see what individual challenges each could throw up for your fulfillment plans. Customers Are in Control The customer always comes first, as we know, but the expectations and influence they exert as we enter 2016 is unprecedented. Online shopping has made product research and price comparison a sinch, while mobile technology means customers are even empowered with such knowledge when they shop in-store. Having the right products in stock, when and where the customer wants them, has never been more important. If you don't...
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### Our 5 Most Popular Supply Chain Articles of 2015
> As we look back on another year of fulfillment insights and analysis, we present our most popular supply chain articles from the past twelve months.
- Published: 2015-12-31
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/popular-supply-chain-articles-2015/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: best of capacity, Capacity, fulfillment, Logistics, Supply chain
As another year draws to a close, we always like to review the many posts we've written on order fulfillment, logistics news and supply chain analysis. It gives us a chance to find out which were most widely read - or received the most positive feedback - and share the best articles with you once again in a single place. After running the numbers and reading the feedback, the posts below bubbled up as the best of the bunch. Let us know which you liked (and what you'd like to see more of in 2016. Happy New Year! Top 5 Supply Chain Articles of 2015 Five Fundamentals of Order Fulfillment (Read More): A spinoff of our extremely popular webinar on the key aspects of order fulfillment, this series was our most popular piece of content of the past twelve months. Supply Chain Lessons from Target Closing in Canada (Read More): Big name brands always attract attention, especially when they fail to live up to our expectations. That was especially true of Target's major retail failure in Canada, where the frustrations felt by customers offered important insights for supply chain managers everywhere. 8 Ways to Drive Continuous Improvement (Read More): Kaizen-Genba is not a new concept, but the motivation to better ourselves and improve operations remains evergreen. This was demonstrated with our deep dive onto continuous improvement, which was only published in October but ranks as our third most popular supply chain article of the year. 10 Supply Chain Trends to Watch...
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### Happy Holidays!
> Happy holidays from the team at Capacity!
- Published: 2015-12-23
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: 2015, Capacity, Holidays
From the entire team at Capacity, we offer our best wishes to you and yours for a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. As the year draws to a close, we hope you find time to relax with friends and family, before returning to drive your business to new heights in 2016!
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### Beware, Online Shoppers: Here Be Porch Pirates
> Package theft isn't a new phenomenon, but with booming ecommerce and a busy holiday season in full swing, porch pirates are a very real risk for shoppers.
- Published: 2015-12-14
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/porch-pirates-christmas-2015/
- Categories: News
- Tags: delivery, Holidays, Order fulfillment, porch pirates, stolen goods, theft, transportation
For anyone in the fulfillment business, getting goods to their intended customer is the final mile of a job well done. While all of the preceding miles involve a lot of detailed planning, this Christmas it seems to be the final few meters that could be the biggest challenge. Why, we hear you cry? Porch pirates, matey. The Grinch Porch Pirates Steal ChristmasToday is the biggest delivery day of the year for the US Postal Service, which also makes it attractive for another group of porch-focused people: package thieves. Although the term "porch pirates" is new, the practice it describes is not. Packages stolen direct from the doorstep after delivery has been completed, leaving both carrier and customer with a challenge to solve. 23 million Americans have experienced having a package stolen in this manner, according to insurancequotes. com, and the holidays provide extra incentive for this land-based larceny. With approximately $11 billion spent between Black Friday and Cyber Monday according to Adobe - at an average order value of $135. 25 - it comes as little surprise that thieves are expected to be increasingly active this holiday season. Indeed, expanded holiday eCommerce has opened up an even bigger activity period for porch pirates. What was once a short window between the start of the shopping season and delivery before Christmas is now a months-long surge of activity on America's doorstep. So how can online shoppers protect themselves against this happening to them? How to Avoid Holiday Package Theft Here are a few tips to help you...
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### 10 Supply Chain Trends to Watch For in 2016
> As others look back on this year's events, get a jump on the competition by reviewing these top 10 supply chain trends to watch in 2016.
- Published: 2015-12-08
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-trends-to-watch-2016/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 2016, ecommerce, Order fulfillment, scm, Supply chain management, trends
The final month of the year brings the usual mix of looking back over the previous twelve months and anticipating the year ahead, in this case with the supply chain trends to watch over the course of this year and beyond. Our industry is no different, as we try to make sense of major events in 2015, while at the same time looking forward to the trends and predictions for 2016. Trends are an interesting phenomenon from our perspective. Fulfillment is not a ‘trendy’ industry. Like your bank or attorney, how dynamic do you really need them to be? However, if you can't push fast forward on your fulfillment technology, or adjust quickly enough to meet changing consumer behavior, you'll soon find yourself in the midst of a most undesirable downward trend. Supply Chain Trends to Watch in 2016 With the economic upswing expected to continue and ecommerce driving all kinds of changes in consumer behavior, 2016 has the potential to become a banner year for evolving supply chains. Here are the ten supply chain trends we think you'll want to watch and plan for as we enter the New Year: 1. Brands will review the size and location of their distribution centers As more of their buyers move to city centers and the immediate suburbs and new generations expect rapid delivery, companies must be acutely aware of the capacity and delivery lead times of every DC they use. Many of the country's biggest brands are moving to larger facilities on...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: November 2015
> Our monthly round up of order fulfillment in review and analysis of logistics industry news from November 2015.
- Published: 2015-12-01
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-november-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: 3PL, cass freight index, economy, freight, Logistics, month in review, news, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, trade
If all that Thanksgiving turkey and leftovers have made the past week something of a food coma-induced blur, take comfort in the knowledge that you haven't missed any important news from around the supply chain. That's because we've gathered all of the headlines together for you, provided here as usual in our monthly round-up of order fulfillment in review and analysis of logistics industry news. Order Fulfillment in Review: November 2015 Before the holidays hit, it was a busy month for order fulfillment. Seasonal shopping and holiday ecommerce obviously sprang into action, but there were other important announcements to go along with the focus on ringing cash registers. Image Credit: TelesHere are some of the most notable moments we picked out: The Cass Freight Index released its numbers for October and it wasn't good news, with year-on-year shipments down 5. 3 percent. That level puts it lower than each of the preceding three years and reflects some of the pull back that we have seen this year as China's economy adjusts to slower growth and North America continues to tread carefully out of the economic downturn. Volumes jumped on US roads again in October, according to the American Trucking Association's numbers released last week. Despite a slight decline in September, tonnage on the country's highways increased by a healthy 1. 9% in October. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello sounded a note of caution, however, reminding analysts that "overall tonnage has been pretty flat this year," and raising question marks over...
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### Happy Thanksgiving from Capacity!
- Published: 2015-11-24
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-thanksgiving-2015/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: thanksgiving
On behalf of everyone here at Capacity, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Travel safely to be with your family and friends, have a relaxing break, then full speed into the seasonal surge of December. Warm Wishes, The entire team at Capacity
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### 7 Striking Stats About Logistics, Global and Local
> There are plenty of stats about logistics to go around, but research from Colliers gathers some of the most striking numbers into one new report
- Published: 2015-11-18
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/7-striking-stats-logistics-global-local/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: container ships, containerization, global logistics, Globalization, logistics stats, shipping, shipping volumes
Recently, in our order fulfillment review for October, we made brief mention of an intriguing new report from Colliers International on global logistics trends. Titled "From First Mile to Last Mile," - a concept that aligns perfectly with our outlook on business - it chronicles the rapid rise of container shipping and its impact on international trade. The report holds some intriguing stats about logistics on a global scale. Let's take a closer look at some of those statistics and what they mean for our industry. 7 Stats About Logistics on a Global (and Local) Level Global trade and the channels that drive it are often most effectively communicated in numerical terms. Consider the following seven statistics from the report, which have the potential to reverberate up and down the supply chain:1. Container shipments have grown by 290% since the turn of the century. Barely stopping to draw breath, even during a major recession, container shipping has grown by an average 8. 5% per annum since the year 2000. From 224. 8 million TEU that year to 651. 1 TEU in 2013, this juggernaut growth continues to demand greater investment in infrastructure - ports, road and rail - and has driven a more integrated supply chain. 2. China's $61. 64 billion trade surplus emphasizes a new source of competition. The combined trade surpluses of China and Western Europe almost exactly match the US trade deficit, a subject of much debate as another election season looms. Perhaps it's now time to...
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### Cyber Season: Holiday Ecommerce Blurs Shopping Boundaries
> Holiday ecommerce has traditionally been kickstarted by Cyber Monday. New research shows that like Black Friday, those boundaries are increasingly blurry.
- Published: 2015-11-11
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/cyber-season-holiday-ecommerce/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: black friday, bounceback tuesday, criteo, Cyber Monday, ecommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment, holiday season 2015, mobile consumers, mobile shopping, omnichannel fulfillment, Online shopping, peak season
'Tis the season to shop, as you'll have noticed if you've stopped into any big box store in the last week or so. The digital world is gearing up for holiday eCommerce as well, with Black Friday flyers leaking out online and retailers shouting "free shipping! " from the rooftops. So far, so standard. But what is changing is the way consumers perceive this annual shopping extravaganza. Where in the past we have clearly delineated days for deals and where to get them, like Black Friday in stores and Cyber Monday online, mobile shopping and modern ecommerce habits are reshaping that perspective. Holiday Ecommerce 2015: The Smartphone Force Awakens It's no coincidence that the blurred lines of seasonal shopping have occurred in just the last few years, as smartphone use has hit critical mass. New holiday sales research from consumer marketing group Criteo backs this up, concluding that the season now starts earlier than ever and most deals are not held back for the traditional peak days that follow Thanksgiving. A lot has been made of the extra research that goes into the purchase process now that we have so much product information in the palm of our hands. The impact of that same technology on when we make the decision to buy is less considered, but the creep of deal details from mid to early November is a clear indication that things are changing. Specifically, the report from Criteo and its partners at Ad Age concludes the following points for retailers...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: October 2015
> All the fulfillment news and supply chain analysis you need to catch up with our order fulfillment in review for October 2015.
- Published: 2015-11-06
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-october-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: ecommerce, Haulage, Order fulfillment, rail freight, retail, road freight, supply chain analysis, supply chain news, transportation
As the clocks fall back and the nights draw in, Halloween is over and the holiday season is about to get into full swing. Retailers and parcel carriers are already weighing up their holiday staffing requirements, facing the crucial balancing act of maintaining high service delivery levels while not overloading on labor costs. If you already feel overwhelmed, take a break to breathe for a second and review our summary of all the important headlines from the world of logistics and order fulfillment in review for October. Image Credit: US Dept. of Transportation Order Fulfillment News - October 2015 Let's dive right into the headlines that made October a notable month up and down the supply chain: Rail and road freight reported mixed fortunes, with volumes slightly down again on America's railroads for both the month and year, while the trucking industry saw an uptick in tonnage in its latest report. Numbers were also up for road haulage in employment terms, where 400 jobs were added last month. A deal for one of the biggest trade agreements in the history of ours or any other nation, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was confirmed early in October. Although it must still pass through the machinations of Capitol Hill, and convince lawmakers in 11 other countries that the proposed agreement is viable, the potential for increased international trade and opening up new markets is now tantalizingly close. FedEx and UPS both managed to rile ecommerce retailers by increasing fuel surcharges, even as global fuel prices fall....
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### The Epicenter of Improvement: Getcha Genba Boots On!
> When you want inspiration for ways to improve your organization, Japanese management philosophy offers three words of advice: go to Genba.
- Published: 2015-10-29
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/epicenter-of-improvement-genba-kaizen
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: business processes, continuous improvement, gemba walks, genba, ideas, improvement, kaizen, management, Supply chain, toyota, warehousing
We've focused a lot on improvement this month, from ways to develop a kaizen-inspired mindset in your organization, to areas where you can cut waste and reduce shipping costs. But even if you follow every piece of advice on the subject, how will you know if your business is getting better, or find out what's really going on where the action happens in your organization? Hiking back to Japan for inspiration, here's the simple answer: get your boots on and "go to Genba. " Also referred to as Gemba in the Western world, the term is rooted in Japanese improvement philosophy and quickly spread as a popular way to reconnect with everyday business operations. It means "the real place," referring to the location in your business where the fundamental work gets done, where value is created. The thinking goes that if you really want to see what's going on in your organization, you need to observe it in action. In such a hands-on industry as fulfillment and warehousing, we see all of the action moving cargo in and out of our facilities in New Jersey and California. It gives our team an instinctive feel for creating efficient, cost-effective systems, while always looking for ways to improve them. But it's not just your supply chain that can benefit from Genba, it's the entire organization. Many well-known brands subscribe to the idea, one of which was instrumental in bringing the concept to a wider audience. Going to Genba with Toyota Toyota Museum,...
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### 7 Steps You Can Take to Reduce Shipping Costs
> Shipping is a major expense for retail and eCommerce businesses. Use these suggestions to reduce shipping costs without sacrificing service.
- Published: 2015-10-23
- Modified: 2021-04-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/7-steps-you-can-take-to-reduce-shipping-costs/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: delivery, ecommerce, hybrid delivery services, Packaging, reduce shipping costs, reliability, retail, returns, returns management, service levels, shipping, waste
Shipping represents one of the most significant expenses for any business that relies on prompt delivery to customers. Whether you manage a small start-up or a well-known name brand, your delivery promise is key to customer satisfaction, so to reduce shipping costs without cutting service levels can be something of a Catch-22 situation. Fortunately, there are a number of areas to save some money on your shipping, simply because you're probably spending more than you have to there already. Streamlining in these areas has the potential to yield the kind of cost savings that have a positive impact on your bottom line, while still shielding your customers from any negative impact. All of this assumes you know where to look, of course, which is where we come in. Areas to Review As You Reduce Shipping Costs Consider these seven areas when you think about how to trim the amount you spend on shipping: Vary carriers and cost typesUnderstand different mailing typesDimensional weight considerationsHybrid mailing servicesWork with a fulfillment partnerReview your freight dataReview return shipping costs Let's take a closer look at each of those ideas. If any in particular sound the alert as areas you know your business can do better, skip straight on to the item most relevant to you. . Alternate Your Carriers The old adage about where you should store your eggs holds just as true for your deliveries; usually, one basket simply isn't enough. Aside from the potential to shift order volume from one carrier to...
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### 3 Quick Tips to Encourage Creative Thought
> Some folks are full of ideas, while with others you have to work to encourage creative thought. Here are three ways to start.
- Published: 2015-10-16
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/tips-to-encourage-creative-thought/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: brainstorming, Continual improvement process, continuous ideas, creative thought, creativity, improvement, process improvement, teamwork
In recent pieces, we've focused on driving continuous improvement and developing outside the box thinking across your organization. Both are rooted in great ideas, the best of which tend to flow when you encourage creative thought. That can be easier said than done. Not everyone is able to channel or express their great ideas as easily as others, even though every member of your team has something valuable to contribute. That doesn't mean that they don't want to contribute and feel like a part of the process, though. That comes down to your company management, training, and creating an atmosphere that motivates everyone to offer their opinion. Even when you feel like you have a lot of creative individuals in your midst, it's worth taking the time to expand the idea pool as wide as you can take it. A few simple ideas can help you to do that, as well as giving a broader perspective on ways to improve an organization. 3 Ways to Encourage Creative Thought When you find a block or limited layer of contributors to your creative process, consider employing the following ideas: Don’t just copy what everyone else is doing: Is everyone in your sector doing the same thing? It's important to benchmark and understand what your competitors are up to, but all too easy to be drawn into emulation. It's far more preferable to be the company that everyone else copies, rather than the one always playing catch up with competitors. Consider how you can...
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### Unpacking: Think Outside the Box
> If the phrase "think outside the box" tends to sound your buzzword siren, it's time to unpack the idea and make it work in harmony with your business.
- Published: 2015-10-12
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-think-outside-the-box/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: continuous improvement, creative thought, fulfillment challenges, problem solving, quality, Supply chain, Thinking outside the box
It's a familiar phrase, but one that has succumbed to the burden of being overused in business circles. "Think outside the box" is widely understood to mean creative thought, mindfully avoiding the limitations of existing practices and processes. As problem solvers, it's an idea that we encourage at Capacity. Even with the need for a robust, structured supply chain to get 99% of orders delivered, it's that other 1% that holds the risk of failure, which disproportionately affects how customers view your brand. In terms of our recent examination of continuous improvement, it's an important part of developing new ways of working that reduce waste in an organization or increase customer satisfaction. Repackaging Think Outside the Box Puzzle solution (Credit: Wikipedia) 9 Dots Puzzle (Credit: Wikipedia) The boxes above represent the origins of "outside the box" thinking. It dates back to 1914, when Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, Tricks, and Conundrums was published, including the Nine Dots puzzle you see above. The rules were simple: connect all of the dots using four straight lines, without lifting the pencil from the paper. Much like the phrase it inspired, the puzzle is widely known by now, so no spoiler alert for providing the solution in this case (you more than likely have plenty of puzzles to solve in your business anyway, we don't want to add another! ) Sam Loyd's original formulation of the idea labeled it the "Christopher Columbus Egg Puzzle" and, much like the infamous explorer's legacy, it has a polarizing...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: September 2015
> If the month flew by too fast for you to keep tabs on order fulfillment and supply chain headlines, Capacity is here to deliver your catch up.
- Published: 2015-10-06
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-september-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: fulfillment review, industry updates, month in review, news, omnichannel, rail freight, road freight, september 2015, shipping, Supply chain, transportation
In the first full month back after the summer break, it's easy to let important order fulfillment news items fall through the cracks. As peak season looms large and the slower days of summer become a distant memory, you might wonder what you've missed and how to get back up to speed. Let our monthly roundup of all the relevant events in order fulfillment and around the world of supply chain management be your fast track to catching up with our industry. Here's what you need to know from September: FedEx confirmed its rate increases for 2016, with the average rise coming out at 4. 9%. The announcement is a reminder that shipping rates can be a complex and inflationary cost to manage. Having a fulfillment partner with preferential rate agreements is an effective way to shield your company from these annual shifts. Although we're hitting peak season once again, retailers aren't feeling the spirit of the season quite as much as previous years. Hiring for the 2015 holiday's temporary positions is predicted to be much the same as last year, leaving analysts to debate whether this is due to more permanent positions in play, pessimistic demand forecasts, or simply too few workers in the seasonal employment market. Reports pointed once again to the importance of omnichannel fulfillment, as different purchase and delivery options begin to overlap. Studies from GfK demonstrated that leading-edge consumers, who typically show what will be expected of retailers in the future, consider both social networks (79%) and...
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### 8 Ways to Ensure Continuous Improvement in Your Organization
> There's no shortage of continuous improvement programs to choose from, but which is right for your organization depends on how you intend to implement it.
- Published: 2015-10-02
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/8-ways-to-drive-continuous-improvement/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: BPR, business process reengineering, continuous improvement, deming cycle, employees, ideas, kaizen, pdca cycle, plan do check act, training, w edwards deming
In our personal and professional lives, a commitment to improvement is often the hallmark of success. Beyond only immediate fixes for business challenges, though, the drive to be better can flow throughout a company, provided it is encouraged and allowed to flourish. This is a truth at the core of Kaizen and its 5S methodology, which we'll also explore here. Modern management practice began to fully embrace continuous improvement in the 1970s, when Japanese companies were desperate to reverse a global reputation for low-quality products. That they did, as household names like Toyota, Sony, and Panasonic all found their feet thanks to a focus on precise manufacturing improvements, which eventually brought the brands attention for top-of-the-range, reliable products. Followed by Motorola, 3M, and many other prominent American brands, continuous improvement also obtained a reputation for high success rates. Define the kind of improvements you're looking for in your organization. | Image Credit: Dan Paluska An interesting note on the subject is that although the practice rose to prominence in Japan, and is best known by its Japanese term "kaizen," it was American engineer W. Edwards Deming who provided the impetus for its adoption there. Deming subsequently became a celebrated figure in management theory and was widely honored in Japan for his part in the country's return as a global economic influencer. The term kaizen is easy enough to dissect:"Kai" translates as "change," while "zen" is "good," which when placed together are synonymous with improvement. Other theories rooted in that tradition...
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### Ask Capacity: How Do You Define Quality?
> If you want to define quality, you first need to define what it is your company is promising to deliver. From there, you know where to improve and excel.
- Published: 2015-09-24
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ask-capacity-how-do-you-define-quality/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: ask capacity, Capacity LLC, Order fulfillment, quality, Quality assurance, quality control, Supply chain, team, Technology, values
The monthly series Ask Capacity focuses on questions from customers, service providers, and some good friends. We'll take submissions via Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin, so feel free to ask our experts if you have a burning desire to learn about a particular fulfillment topic, supply chain trend, or even if you just want to know where to eat in the tri-state area! Today we answer a question that every company should consider regularly as it grows: how do you define quality? Capacity defines quality in terms of the results we are able to achieve when people collaborate and technology is intelligently implemented. We are the last people to touch our clients' products before their customers see it, which puts a lot of responsibility on our employees to make that all-important delivery look and feel great. We focus on the outcome for our clients above all else, so a customer-centric approach plays a key role in what quality means to our team. While our work is transparent to our clients' customers, we see our role as extremely critical to our clients’ success. We know from our own experience how challenging and expensive it is to acquire customers. It is our goal to give our clients and their customer the best possible experience with our services, from efficient storage and clear tracking tools, to reliable delivery and attractive packaging. This requires a metric-driven approach - we manage quality performance with training and re-training, monitored execution and extensive use of a target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropping them...
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### Study Shows Consumers Want More Omnichannel Fulfillment Options
> With omnichannel fulfillment on the rise in all quarters of retail, consumer expectations support the wish to seamlessly switch between different channels.
- Published: 2015-09-15
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/consumers-demand-more-omnichannel-fulfillment-options/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: big brands, customer expectations, Customer service, omnichannel fulfillment, Order fulfillment, retail, retailers, Supply chain
The next generation of shoppers will expect more omnichannel fulfillment options, according to a research conducted by German consumer behavior experts GfK. The firm finds that so-called "leading-edge" consumers are driving the future of shopping, with their requests indicating a strong desire for retailers to provide extensive online purchase options, in addition to traditional in-store solutions. Experts increasingly believe that a failure to meet these omnichannel expectations could be the kiss of death for any retail business, regardless of size, scale, or brand recognition. Why do they believe this when a majority of customers still flock to stores? Early adopters, habitual shoppers, and online influencers are typically a good indicator of trends, despite the fact that they make up only 15% of the population. About 70% of these consumers say they can find everything they need online, and major names in retail, from Lowe's and Macy's to Best Buy and Target, are winning them over with omnichannel solutions. Even so, that doesn't spell the end of actual stores, as ecommerce purists so often claim. While much of the product research and purchase process can be achieved online, there are still some clear advantages to having a physical space for consumers to handle, compare, and pick up their purchases. Add to that the serendipity of wandering into a store when out at the mall or in need of a break, as well as the convenience of collecting orders directly rather than waiting for a delivery, and you have the essence of omnichannel fulfillment....
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### 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Outsourcing Order Fulfillment
> Outsourcing order fulfillment could be the best decision you ever make to grow your operation, but there are a few key questions to consider first.
- Published: 2015-09-08
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/5-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-outsourcing-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, Business, fulfillment service, Order fulfillment, outsourcing order fulfillment, shipping questions, Supply chain management
Is it time to outsource your order fulfillment? It's a question many business owners ask themselves but too few take the time to examine some important questions behind the question. There are many signs that it might be time to contract out your pick, pack and ship activities to a dedicated service provider. Some are practical and quantifiable. Others are emotional and intangible. In either case, all of these signs have a direct impact on where you spend your valuable time and how you service the customers who will define your future success. For that reason, we suggest asking yourself the five questions below before making the decision to outsource or keep your fulfillment operation in-house. 5 Questions to Ask Before Outsourcing Order Fulfillment We see all kinds of great products whose founders prefer to ship direct to consumer, but fail to consider some key questions about their operation before taking the plunge. Outsourcing order fulfillment can be the best decision you will ever make for your company to grow, but you need to time it right. Here are five questions that will help you to understand if you have picked the perfect moment to find a third-party fulfillment provider: 1. Does the value of the product(s) you ship hold up after you factor in fulfillment costs? The low-value item you can successfully ship from your own storage space at a profit might not seem like such a rock star product by the time you build in external fulfillment and...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: August 2015
> If the world of order fulfillment passed you by as quickly as did the summer for everyone else, our monthly review will see you get back up to speed.
- Published: 2015-09-03
- Modified: 2021-04-07
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-august-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: China, east coast ports, economy, exports, fulfillment services, imports, Order fulfillment, rail freight, railroads, road freight, shipping, Supply chain, tianjin, Trucking, warehousing, west coast ports
Well, that was summer. Sure, we might get a few more weeks of temporary temperature bumps, but the free and easy days of August vacations are now in the rearview and the race into peak season is upon us. If you're unwilling to accept that those summer days will soon be a distant memory, let us take you back one last time. Fulfillment in Review: August 2015 Here's our digest of all the order fulfillment issues and news that mattered in August 2015: The financial markets took a major hit as August drew to a close, which we're sure you caught even if you were away on vacation. Less widely publicized but no less important was the contraction in US trade with the rest of the world, logged over the first seven months of the year. The value of the nation's goods and services traded externally dropped 2. 7 percent in that period, which equates to around $83 billion and marks a continued decline in America's role as the engine of global economic expansion. That shift has been slow but steady and is likely to play a profound role in international fulfillment as developing economies like China and India overtake the US. Despite a tone of doom and gloom around coverage of the global economic outlook, the sentiment on U. S. railroads was reassuringly upbeat. Senior AAR representative John T. Gray confirmed that the organization expects "demand for rail service should continue to grow," which he puts down as a function of...
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### QVC, Zulily, and the Importance of Omnichannel Fulfillment
> If you thought you'd heard enough about omnichannel fulfillment, think again; QVC and Zulily, two major retail players in a complimentary space, are about to join forces.
- Published: 2015-08-22
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/qvc-zulily-omnichannel-fulfillment/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerce, fulfillment, omnichannel, QVC, shopping, TV, Zulily
Two different shopping solutions became one last week, as QVC parent company Liberty Interactive Corp. bought online retailer Zulily for an estimated $2. 4 billion. As examples of different shopping setups, QVC and Zulily are worlds apart. Together, though, they stand to boost omnichannel fulfillment options for each other's customers. QVC is probably the most familiar name to most, even if you don't subscribe to television as a place to purchase. The nation's most famous shopping channel has been around for decades and is not only the biggest shopping network on TV, but the second largest of any network in terms of revenue generated. By contrast, Zulily is a small fish in the big ecommerce pond, but has nonetheless established a strong brand in online flash deals, building to $1 billion in sales annually as of 2014. Together, the two companies should combine to provide customers with the omnichannel fulfillment options that the modern market demands. QVC and Omnichannel Fulfillment in Focus For most consumers, delivery of orders across different channels has quickly crept into become the norm. Almost every major retailer offers some way to order online and pick up in-store, with giants like Walmart eager to leverage their bricks and mortar locations as a competitive advantage against the extensive reach of Amazon. Factor in ordering via mobile apps, click and collect to third-party locations, and even delivery to the trunk of your car, and we start to see the extent of expectations on order fulfillment in an eCommerce world. What the...
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### Slower Peak Season: West Coast Hangover or Improvements from Importers?
> Peak season shipping could be slower in 2015, thanks to events in 2014 that many shippers would prefer to put to the back of their minds.
- Published: 2015-08-19
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/slower-peak-season-a-west-coast-hangover-or-improvements-from-importers/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: bicoastal order fulfillment, Capacity LLC, east coast imports, Port of Los Angeles, shipping, shipping costs, shipping delays, west coast imports
They say there's no use crying over spilled milk, but if the bill for said spillage were to run into billions of dollars, we can forgive the nation's retailers for shedding a tear or two. (At some points during the west coast's congestion problem, it probably wasn't unusual to see some operations managers in the fetal position, weeping inconsolably. ) With all of that in the distant past, however, importers can now move onwards and upwards into the next peak season, right? Wrong. Wrong, at least for companies who had to take in and hold the inventory that was held up for weeks, if not months, during the delays of last year's peak. That knock-on effect is limiting US imports growth as we move into the second half of 2015, with a slower than expected 2015 peak season the likely result. Peak season traditionally starts around this time of year, as retailers set in motion the shipments that will fill North American shelves as the holidays roll around. The exact dates depend on industry and demand, but peak season is always on the radar for anyone involved in or associated with the world shipping. It even has its own surcharge, so you know it's the real deal! Congestion played a big role in disrupting the last peak season and its excess inventory will certainly impact the next seasonal peak. But some experts are questioning whether this seasonality has hit a peak of its own, and could now recede as an...
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### Improve Your Order Fulfillment at Magic, Las Vegas
> We're in town to check out Magic Las Vegas this summer.Contact us if it's time to improve your order fulfillment, whether in the world of fashion or beyond!
- Published: 2015-08-14
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/improve-your-order-fulfillment-at-magic-las-vegas/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, fashion fulfillment, Fast fashion, improve order fulfillment, las vegas, Logistics, Order fulfillment, supply chin
What happens in Vegas is usually supposed to stay there, but when it involves receiving the latest advice to improve your order fulfillment, we think it's worth breaking that rule. Next week, our focus shifts from the warehouse to the wardrobe, as we take in the next big trends in apparel and accessories at the Magic 2015 trade show in Las Vegas. Our fulfillment experts will be in town to take in the latest from designers across the world of fashion; apparel, accessories, and anything else they have time to check out. Just as fashion brands need to keep on the cutting edge of the next season's styles, fulfillment professionals such as ourselves have to predict and perfect the best ways to get those items into stores. We're always open to meeting new people and discussing the latest developments in order fulfillment for fashion, so we want to hear from you! We look forward to helping you move your latest designs from the catwalk to the customer's closet, with all the speed and efficiency that today's fast fashion demands!
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### Fulfillment Fundamentals: The Final Mile
> In terms of fulfillment fundamentals, there's very little more important than getting delivery right in the final mile to your customer.
- Published: 2015-08-07
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-the-final-mile/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: cost reduction, Customer service, delivery, final mile, fulfillment, Order fulfillment, shipping costs, Supply chain management
Back in April, we held a webinar to explore the fundamental elements of order fulfillment. Capacity's co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell identified five key areas to focus on if you truly want to develop a fulfillment process that keeps customers coming back to your business time and time again. To follow up on the event we've been unpacking each of these elements in more detail. To end this week we look at the importance of what many call the "final mile" of your fulfillment: what it costs to get a product into the hands of your customer, and how it looks and feels when it gets there. You can read the rest of the entries in this compelling series under the tag Fulfillment Fundamentals. Get it there, so you can bring customers back for more. When all is said and done, even the best fulfillment systems in the world don't make any difference to your customer if the delivery does not happen how and when they expect it. This is the final mile of fulfillment, and it is worth going much more than the extra mile to make it happen without a hitch. As always, cost makes for an important consideration, but at the same time, never underestimate the value of a customer who wants to keep coming back to do business because they trust you to deliver. “There is no finish line,” if you swear by the philosophy of Nike. This concept should always come into play when it comes...
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### Order Fulfillment in Review: July 2015
> Order fulfillment news is like a New York minute; blink and you'll miss it! If it feels like everything changed last month & passed you by, we have a recap.
- Published: 2015-08-04
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-in-review-july-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Amazon, Customer service, delivery, fulfillment news, industry news, logistics industry, monthly update, news and views, Order fulfillment, prime day, Supply chain management
If you've followed our monthly updates for any length of time, you'll notice a slight shift in article title this month. That's right, halfway through the year and we thought we should shake things up for summer! "Order Fulfillment in Review" is now our monthly roundup of all the news and views you need from around our industry. To zero in on our primary areas of service and provide more practical information for clients, our monthly news recaps will now gather more headlines from the fulfillment world and gather the logistics news into short, sharp bullets that get right to the point. You will still see relevant updates from the worlds of transportation and supply chain management, they'll just be much more focused. After all, the goal is to provide a speedy recap of all you might have missed the previous month! Fulfillment in Review: July 2015 That being said, let's dive into the relevant order fulfillment headlines that could easily have passed you by during July: Transportation and warehousing jobs are on the up and that's an extremely positive sign for the nation's economy, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Employment-related to order fulfillment is seen as the fourth most important sign of a healthy economic outlook, and with thousands of warehouse positions and tens of thousands of trucking jobs being added every month, the BEA believes that outlook is good. From Kiva to automation-obsessed startup companies, warehouse robots are a hot topic for fulfillment providers right...
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### Fulfillment Fundamentals: Cost Management
> A look at cost management with Capacity's Chief Strategy Officer, Thom Campbell.
- Published: 2015-07-29
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-cost-management/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: cost management, Order fulfillment
We recently held a webinar to explore the fundamental elements of order fulfillment. Capacity's co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell identified five key areas to focus on if you truly want to develop a fulfillment process that keeps customers coming back to your business time and time again. Today we look at how you can keep fulfillment costs down, with regular process reviews and by building constructive partnerships in the industry. You can read the rest of the entries in this compelling series under the tag Fulfillment Fundamentals. The fulfillment landscape can be complex, even confusing if you have little experience with the industry. That's especially true when it comes to pricing, which makes it all the more important to understand how providers set their prices and how you can use that knowledge to better manage your own shipping costs. Fulfillment providers work from a variety of cost models. Some ship goods based on an agreed percentage of a client's gross revenues, while others set prices based on the cost of transactions. Most service providers who specialize in B2C fulfillment offer transactional pricing, where orders and items shipped have a set fee. Some providers prefer to use cost plus pricing, whereby prices are marked up according to a set percentage. In this scenario, you hope that the company details specific costs, otherwise you have far less visibility of where service expenditure ends and profiteering begins. Percentage-based pricing can be attractive because it clarifies what order fulfillment will cost as a proportion of your gross. Here it's important to focus...
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### A Local Reminder on Insurance and Preparedness
> A lesson on insurance and being prepared that hit a bit too close to home for comfort.
- Published: 2015-07-22
- Modified: 2015-11-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/insurance-and-preparedness/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: fire, insurance, new jersey north brunswick, planning, Warehouse
We had a close call here recently in New Jersey, as a facility next to us on Corporate Road in North Brunswick was hit by a fire. It's always scary to see that much smoke up close and personal, and seriously disheartening to note the damage done as crucial company equipment goes up in flames. Thankfully, no-one was hurt in the incident and, with the proper insurance, property can always be replaced. With that in mind, this is a reminder to us all that preparedness is the cornerstone of everything we do. From taking out insurance to having a back-up plan for those tough times when an emergency situation arises, thinking ahead to all of the possibilities, though never easy, is an absolute necessity. In many ways it's the core of what we do: establishing a standard system of warehouse operations and distribution, while always having one eye on what could go wrong and the solutions we can bring to the table if the worst occurs. Take a moment to reflect on your business preparedness. Whether it's being insured against acts of God or having a fall back plan for your everyday operations, are those plans widely understood in your organization? When it comes to the crunch, do you have confidence that your business and your people are prepared to deal with anything that's thrown their way? Once again, best wishes to our neighbors for a full and speedy recovery to routine operations.
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### Prime Day Tries to Stoke Up Summer Ecommerce
> Prime Day is Amazon's latest attempt to kickstart midsummer sales. Could it push consumers one step too far?
- Published: 2015-07-14
- Modified: 2021-06-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/prime-day-tries-to-stoke-up-summer-ecommerce/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, black friday, ecommerce, eCommerce Fulfillment, online sales, prime day, sales, Walmart
So, are you all set for the big day? If you shrug your shoulders and look mildly confused, you’re forgiven; July 15th is not typically a day of great note... yet. Amazon would like to change that, however, as it seeks to set the date in stone as Prime Day. Under the banner of celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary, Prime Day is the latest in a line of members-only promotions and services that Amazon hopes will win over new subscribers. Billed as an event “bigger than Black Friday,” it’s fair to say that the company has high hopes of cornering the calendar on this one. Prime Day: Do We Need a New Black Friday? Make no bones about it, the e-commerce giant is serious about becoming the consumer’s one-stop shop for online purchases. After raising the question late last year as to whether retailers had jumped the shark with fabricated discount days, it’s clear which camp Amazon falls into. Clearly, there’s some indication that it felt the same about the seasonal holiday rush to deep discounts. The answer from Bezos and co, however, is not to curtail these celebratory sales events, but rather to spread them out. Somewhat inevitably, Amazon won’t be alone in this endeavor. Walmart has already entered the fray with something it’s calling “atomic deals,” and others are expected to follow. Whether they can make the July 15th deadline is another matter, but there’s plenty of summer left yet and you can bet your bottom dollar that...
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### Logistics Industry Review: June 2015
> If June proved too fast for you to follow, here's a quick logistics industry and supply chain update to bring you back up to speed.
- Published: 2015-07-10
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-june-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Logistics, logistics industry, Supply chain
It's Friday and heading into the height of summer sun, so we'll get right into it this month. Here's your review of everything supply chain and logistics industry-related that mattered most in June. (If we missed anything important, please let me and the readers know in the comments! ) Logistics in Review: June 2015 US rail freight posted impressive numbers throughout the month, with the highlight being a record-setting second week in which intermodal volumes hit 283,363 containers. The news continues the country's wider embrace of intermodal transport solutions, which we examined in this article last fall. Road freight bounced back from its April dip, with the American Trucking Association reporting last month that May's 1. 1% increase in tonnage almost erased the 1. 4% drop the previous month Although volumes have not been able to sustain January's record high, analysts remain positive on the sector's performance for the rest of the year. In other road-related news, the Department of Transport effected an important part of its long-term road safety initiative, ensuring that tomorrow's vehicles will all be fitted with anti-rollover devices. The measure makes it mandatory for all trucks manufactured after August 1st, 2017, to be fitted with electronic stability control systems that are expected to prevent thousands of crashes every year, some of them fatal. When the world's largest shipping line lays out plans for a $1. 8 billion capital investment in new vessels, you know the future of the industry is looking rosy (for them and the cargo they...
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### Fulfillment Fundamentals: Appropriate Technology
> Order fulfillment technology need not be cutting edge, but it does need to give a stable, solid platform for your brand to deliver the goods for customers.
- Published: 2015-07-01
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/order-fulfillment-technology-fundamentals/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: 3PL, delivery systems, fulfillment, fulfillment fundamentals, Logistics, Supply chain, tech, Technology, Warehouse management system, warehousing
We recently held a webinar to explore the fundamental elements of order fulfillment. Capacity's co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell identified five key areas to focus on if you truly want to develop a fulfillment process that keeps customers coming back to your business time and time again. To follow up on that event we're unpacking each of these elements in more detail. Today we look at the importance of using the most suitable order fulfillment technology to ensure that you can deliver on your fulfillment promises to customers. You can read the rest of the entries in this compelling series under the tag Fulfillment Fundamentals. Before we get started, let's clarify one thing: fulfillment technology is not going to trouble NASA. We're not landing on the moon, even if we are getting an important package, your product, from A to B (and often in challenging conditions! ) What the tech in our industry must provide is a stable and consistent platform on which we can deliver the goods, literally, and delight customers with prompt service and clearly communicated tracking. That's what makes it a fulfillment fundamental, and why we dedicated an entire section to the tech in our presentation. When you consider a 3PL provider, the key is finding that appropriate balance between best practices in technology and a solid service platform. Identifying the Appropriate Order Fulfillment Technology Your business needs a provider who offers a warehouse management system (WMS), the foundation of any stock tracking and inventory control operations. These software platforms allow...
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### Logistics Industry Review: May 2015
> The logistics industry moves fast, especially as summer approaches and peak season looms large. That's why we track the headlines so you don't have to!
- Published: 2015-06-08
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-may-2015-2/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: logistics industry, rail freight, road freight, Supply chain, Supply chain management, transportation, warehousing
If, in the blur of pre-summer planning and regular old work routine, you missed May's news in the logistics industry and around the supply chain, we're here to catch you up. Our monthly round-up from around the supply chain is your one-stop shop to provide a quick review of the logistics industry headlines you might have missed. There were some intriguing developments in the world of logistics last month, so let's not waste any time in bringing everyone up to speed: The American Trucking Associations (ATA) delivered some excellent news for road freight - and everyone around the industry - with the announcement that revenues topped $700 billion for the first time ever in 2014. Freight volumes continued to rise last year, approaching the 10 billion tons moved mark and emphasizing the strength of road transportation as the backbone of the country's economic recovery. Amazon expanded its same-day delivery service to 14 new metropolitan areas, upping the stakes when it comes to lead times and customer expectations. Even with all the promise of these services we had to ask: will it scale? (The same question applies to Taco Bell's delivery test, if it ever extends beyond the college campus! )Lawmakers punted on the issue of improving the nation's infrastructure, as funding for surface transportation was extended only through the end of July 2015. Despite ongoing concerns about the conditions of key transport routes, and their obvious importance to the economy for commerce and commuters, the gridlock in DC continues to...
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### Can Same-Day Delivery Scale Outside of Metro Areas?
> The media and consumers love a good same-day delivery story, but can services that offer fulfillment within hours of ordering really scale countrywide?
- Published: 2015-05-28
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/same-day-delivery/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, delivery, ecommerce, fulfillment, jc penney, macys, Order fulfillment, out of milk, prime, prime now, same day delivery, shipping apps, shipping easy, shyp, slice, tech
Today marks the start ofAmazon's free same-day deliveryservice in 14 metro areas around the United States. The expansion covers only members of the company's Prime subscription service and follows its February roll-out of Prime Now, which providesone-hour deliveryacross all of Manhattan. The same-day service guarantees delivery by 9pm in cities including Seattle, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Phoenix, if an order is placed before noon. It is one of the most widely available same-day fulfillment solutions and brings online stores a step closer to the elusive "need it now" factor that drives some shoppers. With the rapid development of same-day or better delivery services, it's tempting to think that we're only a short while away from seeing such lead times across the country. As we've examined in the past, online ordering has become a fact of life and theposition of e-commerce companieshas never been stronger. Major retailers like JC Penney and Macy's also announced same-day delivery earlier this year, again for specific metropolitan areas in which the offering will serve a high-value, concentrated set of shoppers. At the same time, thefulfillment challengesfor retailers have never been greater. At the same time as they look to online orders for future profits, declining store visits have investors worried about the prospects of both JCP and Macy's. Even the juggernaut Amazon has raised some eyebrows with its skyrocketing shipping expenditure, despite its unparalleled dominance. So, with customer expectations growing and order volume increasing, should we expect to see delivery lead times tumble from days to...
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### Logistics Industry Review: April 2015
> Logistics is fast, our monthly updates on the industry are faster.
- Published: 2015-05-04
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-review-april-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: industry, Logistics, news, scm, Supply chain
It's a month named for its Fools, but April was no joke when it comes to the world of logistics and order fulfillment. If you were rushed off your feet we can sympathize, having spent the first half of the month putting together our inaugural webinar, but we still found time to gather the important headlines to bring to you in our monthly logistics review. So, without further ado, here's all the news that was fit to print in and around April's supply chain: After the extensive disruption to west coast operations in recent months, the last thing the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach needed was another labor dispute. That's what they got, though, with truck drivers ending the month of April with a week-long strike over their desire to unionize. Although this instance came to a close on Friday 1st May, the threat of future strikes is likely as negotiations did not advance in this case. Mixed news from the Cass Freight Index, which measures shipping activity across transportation modes including trucking and rail. The month of March saw a slight gain in shipping activity, but the year on year figure was down by a more significant 5. 1% compared to 2014. Analysts place much of the blame at the door of the aforementioned port strike by longshoremen, which promises to cast a long shadow on the industry even after the dispute was resolved in March. California company Fetch Robotics revealed a pair of automated warehouse workers that it hopes...
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### Fulfillment Fundamentals: Brand Consistency
> Brand consistency is based on delivering an expected level of service time and time again. To do so, understanding what customers want and how to fulfill it is key.
- Published: 2015-05-01
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-brand-consistency/
- Categories: Customer Experience
- Tags: branding, brands, Customer service, delivery, fulfillment fundamentals, Order fulfillment, Packaging, value added services, Value-added service
Last month we held a webinar to explore the fundamental elements of order fulfillment. Capacity's co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell identified five key areas to focus on if you truly want to develop a fulfillment process that keeps customers coming back to your business time and time again. To follow up on that event we'll be unpacking each of these elements in more detail. Today we look at fulfillment consistent with your brand, and you can read the rest of the entries in this compelling series under the tag Fulfillment Fundamentals. “Your vision is very important. You should know whom you’re selling to, what your marketing and advertising says about you, and whom it’s speaking to. Me personally, I don’t try to please everyone. I understand who I am selling to and I work towards that vision all the time. ” ~Ralph Lauren Order fulfillment has the ability to impact a great deal about your business, not least of which is brand recognition and reputation. Packaging, shipping, and the value-added services that feed into them will all communicate something about your brand to the end customer, whether you're aware of it or not. Most businesses have several functional challenges to face, many of which take priority over order fulfillment. Product development, merchandising, marketing and the all-important sales effort are all key areas in which you'll need to deliver quality to succeed, but none of that counts if you can’t get deliver your products in the time and manner your customers expect....
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### Fulfillment Fundamentals: Making Service
> Or order fulfillment fundamentals series/webinar looks at what it takes to move your business through various stages of growth. First up is making service.
- Published: 2015-04-23
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/fulfillment-fundamentals-making-service/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, best of capacity, delivery, Order fulfillment, outsourcing, warehousing
Earlier this month we held a webinar to explore the fundamental elements of order fulfillment. Capacity's co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell identified five key areas to focus on if you truly want to develop a fulfillment process that keeps customers coming back to your business time and time again. For the rest of the month, we'll be unpacking each of these elements in more detail. Today we look at how making service defines your fulfillment process and, eventually, your reputation with customers. You can read the rest of the entries in this compelling series under the tag Fulfillment Fundamentals. If you've ever picked, packed and shipped an order, it probably seemed pretty straightforward, to the extent that you might think, "what's the big deal? " That's not something we'd argue with at a certain level, but when you start to consider scaling that same process, things can get complicated, quickly. In a small business, stock levels can be managed visually in a small storage area. You may have a handful of SKUs (stock keeping units), perhaps into double digits, but you can see when you're running out and your proximity to that stock - and, more importantly, the sales figures - gives you Spiderman-like senses as to when an item is running low. In this scenario your customers get almost every order correctly and on time because you can handle every element yourself. In other words, at this early stage and scale, you can make service more or less 100% of the time. At...
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### Review the Five Fundamentals of Order Fulfillment
> If you missed our fast-paced webinar on the Five Fundamentals of Outstanding Order Fulfillment, here's your chance to catch up at your own speed.
- Published: 2015-04-17
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/review-five-fundamentals-of-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, branding, Customer service, delivery services, fulfillment providers, Logistics, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, vale added services, warehousue, webinar
Yesterday we launched the first in a series of planned webinars, exploring the fundamentals of order fulfillment and the wider logistics industry. The goal is to help attendees better understand our sector and what they can do to improve their fulfillment systems. Although there's no substitute for the live event and having the opportunity to ask questions of the expert directly, if you missed the webinar we still think you'll get a lot of value from the content. Below is a YouTube embed of the recorded event so you can replay at your leisure and pick out the most relevant points for your business. Capacity LLC on YouTube Review the Five Fundamentals of Order Fulfillment In summary, the five fundamental elements of order fulfillment are as follows: Making Service: Meet (and exceed) expectations, delight customers, keep them coming back as a result. Read more. Fulfillment Consistent With Your Brand: Craft a fulfillment plan that fits your business. Factor in the inevitable errors and turn them into positive customer interactions. Read more. Appropriate Technology: It doesn't need to be futuristic, but your fulfillment tech needs to track progress, service, and get the job done. Read more. Cost Management: Costs can easily get out of hand if everyone is not paying close attention. Monitor them and partner with services who know how to keep costs down. Read more. Importance of the Final Mile: Understand what it takes to get it over the goal line so that all your efforts up to that final mile are not in...
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### Logistics Industry Review: March 2015
> It's April already and the logistics industry keeps on moving forward, regardless of how much time you have to take note. Use our monthly review to keep up.
- Published: 2015-04-07
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-march-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Amazon, delivery drones, drone technology, drones, FAA, Google, logistics industry, Supply chain
Is it really April already? Yes, the seasons have changed and one-third of the year has already rushed by. If you haven't yet planned an annual review of your operations and logistics industry strategy, spring is a great time to do so. Even as we're busy preparing a must-attend webinar for all of you who want to keep customers coming back for your outstanding order fulfillment, we've still compiled the most important logistics industry stories from the past month, in case you missed them. Seeing as time flies by so fast, we'll dive right in and get you all caught up on the latest from the world of the logistics industry: The economy continues to expand, and U. S. road freight is seeing the benefit of that with a steady increase in tonnage, but driver shortages remain a considerable issue for the industry. As the recovery continues it will be important for trucking companies to address the issue, to ensure that they can compete with other modes of transport as demand increases. U. S. rail freight was the focus of international attention, as a Marketplace report explained how our commercial railroads are an example that many other countries look to for ideas and success. Actual volume on the rails remained flat during March, but that emphasis on the wider importance of the transport mode was pleasing to see. Even with the west coast port labor dispute resolved in late February, the fallout became clearer during March as trade deficit figures demonstrated just...
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### Unpacking: Value Added Services in Order Fulfillment
> To include the right value added service in order fulfillment, you need to find what's on offer and a partner to provide it. Here's the 411.
- Published: 2015-03-30
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-value-added-services-in-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: ecommerce, ink jet lot tracking, kitting, labeling, Packaging and labeling, Pallet, planograph, point of sale, QC, quality control, Shrink wrap, unpacking, value added services, VAS
Our recurring “Unpacking” series digs into the deeper meaning of commonly used terms and trends in the supply chain world that prompt a lot of questions. You can read all of the previous entries here. Today we’re unpacking value-added services and the kind of additional activity that your business can incorporate into this final few miles of the supply chain. Types of Value Added Services in Order Fulfillment Almost any activity that improves your product before it leaves the warehouse on its way to a customer could be considered a value-added service. Some are utilized widely across many different industries, while others are highly specialized by niche, or even custom business requirements. Either way, it helps to know what your fulfillment partner can provide, and when you'll need to look elsewhere. These are some of the commonly requested services (and some less common, but still good to know they're there! ): Kitting: Assembly of gift sets. Insertion of component/repair parts. Preparation of point of sale (POS) displays. Kitting has many diverse components in its own right, which you can read more about here. Cello/Shrink Wrap: This can be more commonly known as gift wrapping, or also tuck and fold or diamond-end fold wrapping. The approach is effective in terms of both presentation and protection. At Capacity, we have two machines on-site, which allows us to customize wrapping services for a product's specific needs. Stretch Banding: Applying heat sealable materials around a single, or multiple products, creating a protected and safely packaged bundle. By...
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### Join Us To Explore Five Fundamentals of Order Fulfillment
> Capacity is hosting a free webinar to explain the five fundamentals of order fulfillment that stands out from the crowd and build brand reputation. Join us!
- Published: 2015-03-27
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/five-fundamentals-of-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: brand reputation, capacity events, customer satisfaction, Order fulfillment, reliability, webinar
After answering a number of questions in typically expert fashion over on Quora, we thought it high time to give Capacity's co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell a topic he can really get his teeth into. That's why we're hosting a webinar on the 'Five Fundamentals of Outstanding Order Fulfillment. ' on Thursday 16th April. You can register directly here. WHERE: Online, via GoToWebinar DATE: Thursday April 16th, 2015 - 1pm EST / Noon CT / 10am PST SPEAKER: Thom Campbell, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Capacity LLC . Exploring the Fundamentals of Order Fulfillment For any business that relies on getting a physical product into the hands of customers, establishing a reliable, cost effective process for filling and delivering those orders is essential. To better understand the foundation of outstanding order fulfillment, we distilled some of the core concepts of our industry into five fundamental elements. Thom will explore each of these in greater depth during the webinar, with an opportunity to ask industry-specific questions at the end. The ultimate goal is to learn how to develop these qualities in your own business to develop loyal customers who keep coming back, because they trust and rely upon your brand. At the heart of this discussion will be the following five talking points: Where order fulfillment intersects with brand identity, and how it leads to customer satisfaction. How to forge a partnership with quality providers who can help scale as your business does, and reduce costs. How you can use technology and value-added services to improve...
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### The Global Influence of US Rail Freight
> Although it often goes unnoticed by most Americans, US rail freight is held up around the world as a model of effective, efficient distribution.
- Published: 2015-03-23
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/global-influence-us-rail-freight/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Distribution, intermodal trnsport, Logistics, Rail freight transport, Rail transport, Supply chain, Train, Trucking, us rail freight
An eastbound BNSF train at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Even if you don't spend much time thinking about the locomotives and loaded trailers that traverse American railroads each and every day, there are those in other countries who consider it a priority. As a Marketplace report today suggests, the model of US rail freight is appreciated and influential around the world. Our monthly industry reviews often focus on the performance of the country's railroads, which when combined with Mexican and Canadian rail freight make up the highest volume commercial rail network in the world. Within the US the system also does most of the heavy lifting of any mode of transport, hauling almost 40 percent of the country's freight. Trucking comes a close second at around one-third of cargo movements, but it's the trains that grab the attention of foreign analysts seeking to replicate the US rail freight model. Their questions often center on how our commercial rail operators generate profit and ensure investment, according to the report, although there are plenty of infrastructure and equipment technology queries as well. The question of infrastructure is an important one. It has become common knowledge in recent years that the nation's roads, railways, and bridges are struggling to keep pace with the tonnage being placed upon them. Roads, of course, suffer from the added strain of the country's passenger vehicles, while rail is less burdened by non-commercial travel. This places US railroads at the heart of our economy, as it's often the...
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### 7 Ways to Spring Clean Your Supply Chain
> Springtime means a fresh start and a chance to revitalize the way your business works. Here are seven ways to achieve a clean supply chain
- Published: 2015-03-20
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/7-ways-spring-clean-supply-chain/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: business improvement, cost reduction, efficiency, fulfillment, kpi, logitics, operations improvement, scm, Supply chain, Supply chain management, supply chain metrics, Technology, waste reduction
Although the East coast weather refuses to admit it, we've finally reached the lively season of spring. After a series of challenging snow storms and the disruption they brought to delivery schedules, the first day of spring is something to celebrate. As you try to remember what a warm day looks like and get back to all of those outdoor tasks that you've been putting off for months, why not take time to give your business supply chain a spring clean as well? It's the ideal time to take stock of what's gone well during a busy winter and, more importantly, where you think things can be improved. Today we'll take a look at some of the areas of your operation that make for a sensible starting point in this seasonal shake-up. . 7 Ways to Spring Clean Your Supply Chain Supply chain processes are like any other element of your business: leave them alone long enough and they can start to lose some of their shine. Unfortunately, when your supply chain slows to a crawl, so does the rest of your business, which makes it all the more important to dust off your processes from time to time and rethink the ways they work. To get you going, here are seven ideas for places to start your supply chain spring cleaning: 1. Review transport options and transit times: A year in a long time in logistics and a lot can change in the that time. A quick update of...
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### Unpacking: The Advantages of Drop Shipping
> With the right provider and a carefully constructed business plan, drop shipping can be a powerful option for running an online retail business.
- Published: 2015-03-12
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-the-advantages-of-drop-shipping/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, Delivery (commerce), drop shipping, ecommerce, inventory management, online retailer, Order fulfillment, pick pack, unpacking
Our ongoing “Unpacking” series digs into the meaning of commonly used terms and trends in the supply chain world that prompt a lot of questions. You can read all of the previous entries here. This week we look at drop shipping. Drop shipping is a fulfillment option that you may have heard of, but perhaps haven't taken the time to consider whether or not it could benefit your business. In its most basic form, drop shipping allows retailers to sell a product without having to stock it. Rather than holding this stock and waiting for customer orders to pull it from inventory, you can wait for orders, purchase the amount you need from a third party and have it shipped directly to your customer. Adapted from an image by Schukai/Wikimedia There are various questions to consider before you dive into drop shipping as your primary order fulfillment process, but the benefits from lower stock holding costs and overheads, flexible operations, and expanded product range are attractive to many forms of business. Let's take a look at the positives and negatives of drop shipping to tell if it's right for you. The Pros and Cons of Drop Shipping The advantages of drop shipping revolve around the fact that you don't have to hold the products you sell and ship yourself. Pros: Less capital expenditure to buy and hold inventory because you don' t order until the customer does. Easier to run without an office, meaning lower overheads and the ability to scale without this increasing dramatically. A wider product range can...
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### Logistics Industry Review: February 2015
> The logistics industry moves fast. Let our monthly review keep you caught up on anything you may have missed last month.
- Published: 2015-03-09
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-review-february-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: logistics industry, news, Supply chain management
As the month changed last week we still found ourselves battling the frozen wrath of winter storms. Now that we've sprung forward and the official seasonal change is in sight, companies and commuters will be hoping that the rising temperatures are more than just a temporary reprieve from ice and snow. Container ship APL Poland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Before we move on too soon, though, there's still time for our monthly wrap-up of important news and views from around the world of logistics and the supply chain sector. If you missed a lot in February as you were digging out every morning, here's your chance to catch up! The labor dispute affecting west coast ports finally reached a tentative agreement, allowing operations to begin the catch up unloading the line of vessels that had built up throughout January. The dispute itself stretched back some nine months and although business owners will be relieved to see a resolution, for many the damage has already been done in terms of revenue lost from delays, especially during the holiday period. On the subject of those extended west coast delays, here's a great photo set showing just how bad things were at times. This is also what prompted our article last month on why we recommend a bicoastal fulfillment solution. U. S. truck tonnage reached an all-time high at the start of this year, according to figures reported by the American Trucking Association in February. The year-on-year increase was 6. 6% compared to January 2014, which...
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### Winter Storm Thor Wreaks More Disruption (But May Be the Last)
> A state of emergency in NJ and disrupted service across many states seem like the new normal, but will winter storm Thor be the last of the season?
- Published: 2015-03-05
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/winter-storm-thor-weather-update/
- Categories: News
- Tags: bad weather, Capacity, deliveries, Distribution, news, snow, snow storm, transportation, ups, weather, winter, winter storm thor
Another storm has swept through the southern states and is currently impacting the East coast. Much as Octavia did two weeks ago, Thor came in the night and left commuters and delivery companies alike to deal with its mess. Reaching for the shovels again, we've marched outside to look Thor square in the eye (of the storm) and tell him in no uncertain terms, "we're open! " Digging out of Thor at our NJ facility The snow has forced many companies to call off operations for the day, however, as winter advisory warnings go up around the Northeast and New Jersey has declared a state of emergency. Capacity is up and running despite this latest dump of the white stuff, while carriers are shutting down in some areas, struggling to stay on top of the deluge. UPS issued the following bulletin to make customers aware that scheduled deliveries will be disrupted: Severe weather in Louisville, KY caused a significant disruption to operations at Worldport®, UPS's main hub in the United States. As a result, some shipments may experience unavoidable delays. UPS is working to move shipments to their final destinations as quickly as possible. Trailers line up at Capacity's NJ loading bays One bright spot of this particular storm is that some believe it's the last one for this winter. Whether or not you believe the weather men and women, two things are for sure: the clocks go forward for spring this weekend and the seasons officially change in two...
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### The Advantage of Adaptation and Flexibility in Order Fulfillment
> Capacity was featured in Transportation and Infrastructure Magazine, where we were happy to explain the importance of a flexibility in order fulfillment.
- Published: 2015-02-26
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/adaptation-flexibility-in-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: 3PL, best of capacity, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, Supply chain management
Last fall, Capacity was featured by the fine folks at Transportation and Logistics International magazine, one of the leading media outlets covering the vast spectrum of fulfillment services. We picked up the print edition at the time (PDF below), and can now share the piece with you here online. An important element of what was discussed, the importance of flexibility in order fulfillment, is also a timely one, given the major disruption experienced by west coast supply chain operations in recent months. The kind of headlines we like to hit. Thanks to Brian Selgado for his time and writing. PDF of the article: Capacity Feature Trans Logistics More specifically, it's the importance of having an adaptive, flexible fulfillment provider that can really make or break a relationship when times get tough. Furthermore, there are a seemingly infinite number of disruptions that can occur in our industry to make life tough for your business to consistently deliver at or above customer expectations. The Advantage of Flexibility in Order Fulfillment When a link in your supply chain breaks, the last thing you need to deal with is a service provider who is too rigid to adjust their operation and offer a solution. As CSO Thom Campbell explains in the T&I article, our industry comprises companies of all shapes and sizes, some of whom are "10 times or larger than our size. ” In some cases that larger scale can be a benefit to customers, but there are also situations when it can limit response time. In those cases...
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### Delivering Fun at Toy Fair 2015
> We spent the start of this week taking in the sights and sounds of Toy Fair 2015 in NYC. Instead of getting jealous, check out our photos!
- Published: 2015-02-18
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/delivering-fun-at-toy-fair-2015-2
- Categories: News
- Tags: brightz, girl scout cookies, girl scouts, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City, skip hop, Supply chain, tegu, toy fair nyc. toys, toy industry, wicked cool toys
One of the great joys of our industry is that we get to work with so many different types of products and brands, from the chic selection we see in health and beauty, to the intricate supply chains of apparel and the demanding development of technology brands. When it comes to pure fun, however, it's the toy brands that are always guaranteed to deliver! That's why we had no choice (poor, poor us) to head over to the 2015 Toy Fair at New York City's Javits Center earlier this week. Not only to visit clients who were displaying their latest and greatest items at the event, but for some vital industry research into key supply chain issues and logistics... okay, fine, we just really love to play with the toys... it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it! Toy Fair 2015: Snapshots from NYC Here's a selection of shots taken by our lucky attendees: On our way to the Javits Center, the powerful presence of Barbie loomed large to greet us... ... and in to see the award-winning range of beautifully designed Playsam toys. Anyone with cavalier kids will appreciate the combination of neon cool and safety of the Brightz light range. High vis. gear for the very young! Also high visibility, thanks to their iconic brand identity and widely distributed range of products that every new parent knows well, is NYC's own Skip Hop! We build supply chains, Tegu builds awesome magnetic block models... both are equally cool, right? Right?...
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### Disruption & Delay as Winter Storm Octavia Hits the South
> As winter storm Octavia impacts all around the U.S., FedEx and UPS announce substantially reduced operations and an inability to meet delivery deadlines.
- Published: 2015-02-17
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/disruption-delay-as-winter-storm-octavia-hits-the-south/
- Categories: News
- Tags: deliveries, fedex, Logistics, news, octavia, snow, storm, Supply chain, updates, ups, winter
As a result of ongoing severe weather conditions, both FedEx and UPS have warned customers to expect delivery delays today. Winter storm Octavia passed through the southern states overnight with a less overt warning than previous weather events, delivering around one foot of snow and severe icy conditions, the like of which the region has not seen for some twenty years. Anyone who reads our blog regularly will know that we had cause to pull out the shovels on several occasions last year, and it looks like the nation is getting an unwanted share of this experience. From the East coast blizzard in late January to Octavia's less hyped but no less disruptive impact this week, most areas of the U. S. have been forced to figure out what to do when winter steps in on their supply chain. Digging out in New Jersey last year. Around the country, this winter has been just as challenging. For the country's two major delivery services, the impact was immediate and widespread. FedEx reported that it experienced "substantial sort disruptions" at its Memphis, TN hub overnight, resulting in uncertainty over whether delivery commitments for the day will make their deadlines. UPS made a similar announcement regarding its main service center in Louisville, KY. The statement goes on to tell customers that they are working hard to move shipments to their final destinations today, but that some may experience unavoidable delays that are not covered by the company's service guarantee. It followed up this afternoon...
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### A Quick Look at Why Bicoastal Order Fulfillment is Best
> After the west coast port delays, many shippers see the sense - and competitive advantage - of a bicoastal order fulfillment solution.
- Published: 2015-02-11
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/bicoastal-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Asia, bicoastal order fulfillment, Pacific Ocean, West Coast of the United States, west coast shipping alternatives
With the severe congestion on the U. S. west coast, shippers are searching for alternative ways to get their cargo into the country. This is where bicoastal order fulfillment comes into its own. Container Cranes at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach Even with several major ports available up the coast from Los Angeles and Long Beach, where much of the media coverage has been focused, the influence of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) is significant enough to slow all western intake to a crawl. Nor are the port operators free from blame in the protracted negotiations, which have now entered their ninth month. But playing the blame game is the last thing on the mind of business owners. All they want is a way to ensure that their cargo makes it into the warehouse and out to customers as soon as possible, which is tough to achieve when you have only one way in and that route is gridlocked. That's why eyes are turning east and alternatives being hastily arranged to rescue at least some of the business that could be lost due to indefinite delays in order fulfillment. Of course it's easier to see than to say, so here's a map to help you visualize just how far a bicoastal fulfillment solution can take your orders, based on our locations in California and New Jersey: Simply put, bicoastal fulfillment gives you the security of a back up when plan A unexpectedly stands for "Abort! " The long lines...
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### Supply Chain Lessons from Target's Calamity in Canada
> Target's brand was well-known and loved north of the border, so what supply chain lessons can we learn from its failure to expand into Canada?
- Published: 2015-02-05
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-lessons-target-canada/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: business expansion, Canada, case study, Distribution, Logistics, operations, supply chain challenges, Target Canada, Target Corporation, Zellers
Logo of Target, US-based retail chain (Photo credit: Wikipedia) For those of us in the U. S. , Target's announcement that it would be shutting up shop in Canada came as something of a surprise. Supply chain lessons from the company's expansion should have been a positive example to follow, rather than a model of what not to do. The big box retailer experiences big bucks success here in its homeland, and with Canadians extremely receptive to having the brand open its doors north of the border, the 133 stores that appeared should have been set for a bright future. And yet after only two years in operation, Target confirmed in January that all of those operations would cease. Although some Canadians will be sad to see it go, far fewer will be surprised. If you've ever set foot in one of Target's Canadian locations, however, the chances are you won't be all that shocked either. Why? Because, like a tri-state grocery store hours before a media-made blizzardmageddon (TM), the shelves are often stripped of everything we want. Supply Chain Challenges in Canada Target's Canadian misadventure will almost certainly be held up by business textbooks as an example of how operational inefficiencies and poor planning can bring down even big brands with a great reputation. Target is well established in the U. S. as a more chic version of their big box peers - pronounce the name with a French inflection, as fans do, and you'll get the idea - and Canada has cottoned on...
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### Logistics Industry Review: January 2015
> In case you missed any major news from our sector in January, here's our monthly logistics industry review to get you back up to speed.
- Published: 2015-02-03
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-review-january-2015/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Distribution, logistics industry, news, rail freight, road freight, scm, Supply chain
January flew by after an equally hectic holiday season, so there's every chance that you missed certain logistics industry updates and supply chain reading as the year got underway. However, we've gathered together some of the more important headlines from the first four weeks of the year to bring you back up to speed. Logistics Industry Review - January 2015 Here are some of the logistics industry headlines that you might have missed during January: A major retail announcement confirmed that Target will pull its entire presence from Canada, with industry analysts claiming significant supply chain issues contributed to poorly stocked stores and a failure to translate a strong U. S. brand north of the border. Following a year described as "challenging" by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the organization laid out its rail freight forecast for 2015. This included an estimated $29 billion expenditure planned to maintain, develop and grow the U. S. rail system. Ongoing congesti0n reached what some believed to be a tipping point, as operations at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach slowed to a point that has caused container ships to line up and await unloading. Ensuing delays for inbound cargo endangered some livelihoods for those with no alternative but to sit and wait for their goods to work their way through the a system that has ground to a crawl. FedEx completed its acquisition of Genco Distribution Systems Inc. , which was originally announced towards the end of last year. Governor of Florida Rick Scott led...
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### Outdoor Retailer Winter 2015: Bigger Than Any Blizzard
> As the East "hunkers down" for a blizzard with more bark than bite, our team returns from the West with outdoor brands on the brain.
- Published: 2015-01-27
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/outdoor-retailer-winter-2015-bigger-blizzard/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: adventure brands, camping, climbing, extreme sports, mountain climbing, ORWM, outdoor brands, outdoor retailer, safety gear, Salt Lake City, sports apparel, tents, trade show, Utah, weather, winter, winter gear
Hunkered down (presumably you're already over that phrase for the year, right? ) for the inevitable snow day, it seems like the ideal time to show off some of our shots from last week's Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show. Our intrepid adventurers left the bright city lights of NYC for the, well, only slightly less bright lights of Salt Lake City last week to meet some of the greatest brands of the Great Outdoors. Sure, it's still the big city, but a city in Utah has a much more pioneering feel than the tri-state area, even if the latter currently sits under several feet of snow at the time of writing. So turn that heater up, grab a cup of coffee and consider which of these sturdy outdoor items might now be a necessity for your next morning commute... Exploring Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2015 Liquid Hardware make innovative water bottles, with a lid that sticks to side of bottle (or other metal) via magnet and transforms into a compass, when placed in a bowl of water. The guys at Tentsile take camping to a new level... tree level! Filson is one of those time-honored brands that's passed down from generation to generation, our CSO Thom Campbell and his father being no exception. This climbing gear incorporates Bluesign textile technology, a design standard that gives equal weight to protecting the environment, worker, and consumer in its approved production processes. The innovative and sturdy lights of STRIKER looked strong enough to survive anything nature can throw at you. Intriguing...
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### Adventurous Brands Are Built On Precise Planning
> A look at the firm foundation of planning and logistics, on which some of theworld's best adventure brands are built.
- Published: 2015-01-21
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/adventurous-brands-precise-planning/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: adventure brands, brand building, branding, great outdoors, Logistics, nature, outdoor retailer, Salt Lake City, scm, Supply chain, Utah
Brands that specialize in the great outdoors are an intriguing mix of the rugged, adventurous approach that their customers adore, and the precise preparation that makes that adventure possible. We appreciate this even more thanks to our work with companies like Kor Water, Backcountry. com, and DynoMighty. These are brands that embody the rugged outside spirit, yet understand that getting great products into the hands of consumers requires a robust supply chain, underpinned by precise planning. Outdoor brands and product help consumers prepare for adventure. | Image Credit: Ilya Katsnelson It's important to have that sense of adventure to drive your business into the unknown, but delivering to customers isn't somewhere you can afford to fly by the seat of your pants! Consider a camping trip into the back and beyond, for example. It's more similar to building a trusted brand than you might think. Yes, you'll pick somewhere remote, exciting and wild so that your sense of adventure is satisfied. There will be certain dangers out there in the unknown and you won't plan exactly where you're going and the place you'll stay, as you might on a city break or package trip. Before you set off, however, you'll consider all the known dangers that you might face and prepare accordingly. The basic building blocks of a successful trip - food, water, route and shelter - will all be pretty thoroughly planned, as will the equipment you take with you. That's where the outdoor sports and adventure brands that have...
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### Unpacking: Hybrid Delivery Solutions
> What's hybrid delivery and how can it be of use to your business? Our latest 'Unpacking' series entry explains the pros and cons of such services.
- Published: 2015-01-19
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-hybrid-delivery-solutions/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, delivery, fedex, hybrid delivery, hybrid delivery systems, Order fulfillment, unpacking, ups, usps
Our recurring “Unpacking” series digs into the deeper meaning of commonly used terms and trends in the supply chain world that prompt a lot of questions. You can read all of the previous entries here. We like to think of ourselves as the final mile of your supply chain, handling the final packing and value-added services that provide the final touch before a product heads off to your customer. Of course, the final final mile is the carrier who physically takes the package to their door, and there are more ways to achieve this than you might think. That's why today we're unpacking hybrid delivery solutions and what you need to know before selecting one for your business. Hybrid Package Delivery Hybrid systems include options such as UPS Surepost, USPS Mail Innovations, and FedEx SmartPost (now Ground Economy). To make these deliveries, there are two carriers involved in handling the freight. The service consists of FedEx or UPS making the pickup at your chosen location, then delivering the package to the U. S. Postal Service facility closest to the destination. The local USPS then makes the residential delivery. Who has the final hand in your package delivery? While these services offer a more affordable way to deliver packages that qualify for hybrid delivery, it's very important to set the right service expectations from the get-go, as they differ from pure delivery solutions using only one provider. Some of the distinguishing factors include the following: There are no guaranteed delivery times. Service tracking extends only...
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### Post-Holiday Blues Worsen for West Coast Importers
> West coast importers were hoping for a resolution to the labor dispute at the Port of Los Angeles, but all they seem likely to get is longer delays.
- Published: 2015-01-16
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/post-holiday-blues-worsen-west-coast-importers/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: bi-coastal logistics, congestion, east coast, import delays, imports, Logistics, port of long beach, Port of Los Angeles, port strikes, Supply chain, us logistics, west coast
West Coast importers are feeling the burn of a labor dispute dating back to the middle of last year. Cranes at the Port of Long Beach are seeing less action than usual as the labor dispute drags on. Unfortunately, the culprit depends on your perspective and no-one's quite sure just how much it's hurting. What everyone agrees is that the sooner the dispute is over, the sooner the supply chain can get back to business as usual. Workers at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach are out of contract, demanding new terms and accusing their management counterparts of organizing insufficient labor, while they themselves are accused of deliberately slowing down operations to influence a decision in their favor. The dispute spilled out of the office and on to the docks over the holidays, disrupting daily operations and delaying stock movements that some retailers were relying on for their sales during this crucial period. Even so, not everyone is aware of the congestion and FedEx CEO Frederick Smith believes it has been underestimated, telling the LA Times: "The slowdown in the West Coast ports has been a much bigger deal than people think. I suspect that you'll see a lot of purchases of gift cards in lieu of merchandise. " Regardless of who's to blame, or the exact economic impact of the delays, no-one who relies on cargo coming in through Pacific shipping routes is happy. Congestion at North America's busiest port - approximately 40% of all U. S. imports come in via Los Angeles...
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### Logistics and Transport Industry Review: December 2014
> In case the holidays had you beat and made you miss the logistics and transport industry new as the year came to a close, here's our summary for December 2014.
- Published: 2015-01-13
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-and-transport-industry-review-december-2014/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: december 2014, delivery rates, Department store, freight, Holidays, J. C. Penney, logistics industry, macys, rail freight, road freight, Trucking, update
It was a hectic holiday season, so between squeezing in those last-minute orders and stuffing in the festive feasts, you can be forgiven for reducing your logistics and transport sector reading. As always, we're happy to go the extra mile for our readers and gather the most relevant logistics industry news and view that you may have missed during December. Here's what happened in our busy world of logistics and transport as 2014 came to a close: After a disappointing Black Friday/Cyber Monday start to the seasonal sales period, retailers saw only average increases on the previous year's sales figures despite significant economic growth throughout the intervening twelve months. Investors ended the year unhappy, with share prices in major retailers like Macy's falling and both themselves and JC Penney announcing major store closures for the year to come. Congesti0n continued to plague West Coast logistics, as operations at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach were further disrupted by a labor dispute. Despite coinciding with a $50 million commitment to infrastructure by the Port authorities, industrial action continued and delays frustrated retailers trying to get product out to make the most of a key sales period. (As a bi-coastal logistics provider we keep a close eye on these developments and provide options to remedy delays. Sign up for our email alerts here to receive the latest industry announcements. )Rail freight ended the year on a high, rising 5. 4% in the final week of 2014, compared to its comparable week the previous...
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### Capacity at CES 2015: 1/7/15
> We're at CES 2015 all week, bringing you the latest insights and images from the floor (if they're supply chain-centric, all the better!)
- Published: 2015-01-07
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-ces-2015-1715-2/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, ces 2015, consumer electronics, elvis, International CES, las vegas, Logistics, supply chain technology, Technology, Thom Campbell, Under Armour
All this week we'll be bringing you a selection of the vast (and we do mean V--A--S--T) array of electronics on display at CES 2015. Leaving winter behind in NYC Capacity LLC's Chief Strategy Office and co-founder Thom Campbell left the wintry weather on the East coast and successfully made his way to Las Vegas yesterday, ready to talk logistics tech with anyone facing supply chain challenges in the coming year. We'll be bringing you his best photo-journalism here, but for the deeper discussion around supply chain technology you'll need to track down Thom at the event itself. Email us at sales@capacityllc. com if you'd like to arrange a time and place! And now, on with the show... A relatively short line for the monorail (en route to join the masses) The most efficient transportation around the exhibition hall? Home security and the cloud. Internet of Things will be big at CES 2015. Color Block brighten up our day. Indoor drones! Coming soon, to a warehouse near you? These Under Armour Gear cases defied both gravity and anti-gravity... Back seat drivers? Of course we took a peek behind the scenes to look at the logistics of International CES. Elvis was bound to turn up sooner rather than later... So much to see it could drive you up the wall! Again, if you'd like to get in touch with Thom this week at CES, contact our sales team on sales@capacityllc. com or fill in this quick contact form.
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### Plan for Tomorrow's Supply Chain Technology at CES 2015
> Supply chain technology won't take center stage at CES 2015, but it's the brand-building base that great tech companies are built on.
- Published: 2015-01-02
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ces-2015-supply-chain-technology/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: ces 2015, International CES, Lead time, master and dynamic, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, supply chain technology, tech, Technology
“Planning is bringing the future into the present, so that you can do something about it now. ” ~Alan Lakein More than ever, technology requires us to consider what will happen tomorrow, today. Though supply chain operations are rooted in proven, reliable systems, technology is inextricably linked to logistics and drives rapid change here just as much as it does in other industries. Next week we'll be at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) in Las Vegas, all set to take in the next big trends in tech. We're also eager to talk to technology-oriented companies about how our advanced EDI and order systems enhance supply chains just like yours, driving quicker delivery lead times and cutting waste from the fulfillment process. Just as tech companies need to keep on the cutting edge of their market, logistics providers like us must stay up to speed on the latest, greatest ways to move your products seamlessly through the supply chain and out to your customers as efficiently as possible. It's the base that great technology brands are built on. What happens, for example, if your customer wants your product so much that they're pay a premium to have it delivered to their door within the hour? That's not the future, it's on offer today in New York City from Master & Dynamic, a top of the range audio technology brand with whom we work to satisfy customer demand almost instantaneously. It's the cutting edge of order fulfillment technology that everyone from local business to...
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### Lists and Logistics: Our Most Popular Articles of 2014
> After running the numbers, these are our most popular logistics articles of 2014 (and a few extras we wanted to sneak in!)
- Published: 2014-12-30
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/lists-logistics-popular-articles-2014/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: 2014, best of capacity, ces, content, International CES, Logistics, popular posts, Supply chain management
What posts were hot in 2014? - Image Credit: Daniel Moyle As you run down the clock on 2014, we're here to help with a mix of the most popular logistics articles we've posted this year (and a few more that we just plain adore. ) We've run the numbers to see which posts popped with our readers, resulting in these final five entries that topped the list with the highest percentage of views in 2014: 1. 8 Questions to Ask Your 3PL Provider - https://www. capacityllc. com/blog/questions-to-ask-a-logistics-provider - 4. 3% of all blog page views 2. 10 Movie Technologies Yet to be Delivered - https://www. capacityllc. com/blog/huvr-10-movie-technologies-awaiting-delivery - 2. 7% of all blog page views 3. Kraft Foods Outsourcing Epitomizes a Key Supply Chain Question - https://www. capacityllc. com/blog/kraft-foods-outsourcing-transportation-supply-chain/index. html - 2. 4% of all blog page views 4. Unpacking: Assembly - What Does Kitting Mean? - https://www. capacityllc. com/blog/assembly-and-kitting-explained - 1. 5% of all blog page views 5. Road Haulage Dominates U. S. Freight - https://www. capacityllc. com/blog/road-haulage-usa - 1. 3% of all blog page views A healthy blend of industry news, facts and fun, we're happy to see. We Know Logistics We also hope regular readers enjoyed the "We Know Logistics" series, which shines the spotlight on the faces inside Capacity LLC that do so much to deliver passion and excellence to our clients. These are primarily video interviews to give you an idea of who we are and how we work: Part 1 - Value Added Services w/ Emily Siegert - https://www. capacityllc. com/blog/capacity-llc-know-logistics-1/ Part 2 - Assembly w/ Claudia Rodriguez...
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### Silly Hats and Santa Stats: The Logistics of Christmas
> The logistics of Christmas cover millions of miles & some suitably huge Santa stats. Take some time to enjoy the numbers before rushing back to wrap gifts!
- Published: 2014-12-22
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-of-christmas-santa-stats/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Christmas, christmas spending, deliveries, ecommerce, fedex, Hanukkah, macys, retail, Supply chain, Toys "R" Us, ups
The last-minute orders are shipping and final deliveries being made, leaving only the logistics of getting your gifts wrapped (and perhaps hiding the sherry from Grandpa) to take care of. Before you head back into the holiday madness, take five to put your feet up and enjoy some of these crazy logistic of Christmas statistics that bring out the best (and worst! ) of the season: Santa can't do it all himself, as we established earlier this month, but if that was the reality he'd travel almost 317 million miles on Christmas Eve. That means a speed of around 1,800 miles per second. Even if retailers have jumped the shark with early holiday sales, there's still no more important period for the industry. Last year the season accounted for 19. 2 percent of total annual sales, with registers ringing to the sound of more than $3 trillion in seasonal spending. December 15th is traditionally the day on which delivery companies process the highest volumes. U. S. P. S. expected to process some 640 million items, from cards to periodicals and packages, while FedEx processes around 22. 6 million packages. Ealier this month UPS predicted its seasonal surge would be a little later on December 18th, with some 17 million packages handled. Unsurprisingly, the seasonal uptick in orders requires a similar surge in employment. Extra labor is always required to move more orders through the system and out for delivery, which for UPS means 95,000 temporary workers hired especially for the 2014 season. That's up 10,000...
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### Unpacking Order Fulfillment Technology - Part Two
> Without the appropriate order fulfillment technology, your operation is in for lots of unnecessary heavy lifting. That's why we explain ( or do) it for you.
- Published: 2014-12-18
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-order-fulfillment-technology-part-2/
- Categories: EDI Fulfillment, Technology
- Tags: API, Application programming interface, automated material handling, B2B, B2C, best of capacity, Business-to-business, direct to consumer, drop ship, edi, Electronic data interchange, Foxfire Technologies, kiva, Order fulfillment, order fulfillment system, retail, unpacking, Warehouse management system, WMS, XML
This is part two in our 'Unpacking' feature focus on order fulfillment technology. You can read the first piece here, or check out other entries in the 'Unpacking' series on our archive page. From Order to FulfillmentFulfillment means matching the request of a customer with the reality of a complex warehouse environment. Order fulfillment technology is what makes that process instant and efficient. Once we have a live order, we need to fulfill it, which is mostly the job of our WMS (warehouse management software, in conjunction with our warehouse associates on the floor. We use the DCCS by Foxfire WMS Software. ) This is software that tracks the bar codes on all products and collateral items in Capacity’s warehouse. When we receive goods from our clients’ manufacturers, we place a license plate number (LPN) on each case or pallet containing one unique product (a SKU, or stock keeping unit). This then follows that product throughout its life in the warehouse. It is scanned by handheld radio frequency ‘guns’ or PDAs when the product is moved into reserve locations, picked, or handled in any way. It’s the only way we stay sane and provide cutting-edge service, working with millions of different items for over a hundred different clients in multiple warehouses on both coasts. Finding the Right Order Fulfillment Technology The tech we employ allows us to offer extremely high inventory accuracy, with 99% to 99. 9% or even better levels of accuracy, depending on the product type. Steven Hawking may...
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### Unpacking: Order Fulfillment Technology - Part One
> Without the right software and fulfillment technology, your order processing is destined for lots of unnecessary heavy lifting.
- Published: 2014-12-15
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-order-fulfillment-technology-part-1/
- Categories: EDI Fulfillment, Technology
- Tags: API, Application programming interface, automated material handling, B2B, B2C, best of capacity, Business-to-business, direct to consumer, drop ship, edi, Electronic data interchange, Foxfire Technologies, kiva, Order fulfillment, order fulfillment system, retail, unpacking, Warehouse management system, WMS, XML
Our recurring "Unpacking" series digs into the deeper meaning of commonly used terms and trends in the supply chain and fulfillment technology world that prompt a lot of questions. You can read all of the previous entries here. Fulfilling orders can be smooth execution or hard duty. Which one you end up with for your business lies in direct proportion to the software and people you bring together to perform the service. Both play a key role, but one may prompt more work than the other, depending on the technology you put to work. Today we'll focus on the order fulfillment technology that brings the best out of your team and delivers the most, based on an answer from our CSO and co-founder Thom Campbell on Quora. For us it comes down to this (deeply mathematical) equation: Good software + well-integrated workers = fun, fast accurate work; bad software + workers = hard times on the production line. This places a lot of emphasis on the quality of the technology you choose, and with good reason. A hard-working, smart and motivated team is always important and sought-after in the warehouse and beyond, but the software they use can easily be overlooked if you don't know what works best. When it comes down to it, we're actually a software company that does some heavy lifting; a solution provider for challenges relating to efficiently getting orders to our clients’ customers, both individuals and retailers. Of Orders and Acronyms To follow an order through the supply chain, first...
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### Santa's Supply Chain: The Reality of Seasonal Order Fufillment
> Seasonal order fulfillment is about much more than writing a nice letter to Santa. But if he can't help your business, find someone who can for 2015!
- Published: 2014-12-12
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/seasonal-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: 3PL, Christmas, Holidays, Order fulfillment, peak season, seasonal demand, supply chain management 2015, winter
If you think Santa has an impossible delivery job on his hands at this time of year, try working in order fulfillment... Sure, there’s some seasonal magic in there. But when it comes to the heavy lifting that makes the big man in the red suit look good through the holiday season, it's the warehouse, distribution workers that can't afford to put their feet up! Holiday Spirit vs. Seasonal Surge The seasonal order fulfillment peak happens to retailers and our industry every year, of course, but is never without its surprises. There’s a limit to the preparations that can be made as service providers try to balance the cost of additional labor with the increasing expectation of consumers. Last year the big delivery companies were caught with their pants down and plenty of packages had to wait until after the holidays. For 2014 they've bulked up their workforce to deal with expected record volumes - peak day is expected to be December 18th, fact fans, when UPS expects to deliver around 17 million packages - but there will always be unexpected kinks and order surges that test the system to breaking point. The bottom line is that many customers are moving a significant portion of their holiday spending to online ordering. This means a later spike in fulfillment and delivery requirements, putting increased stress on the supply chain during December. Are you prepared? Peak Performance at Peak Season What a successful peak season comes down to is a mixture of thorough...
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### Draining Discounts: Have Retailers Jumped the Shark?
> Retailers hold Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the highest esteem for driving early seasonal sales but have stretched consumer patience to breaking point
- Published: 2014-12-09
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/draining-discounts-retailers-jumped-shark/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: black friday, Christmas, Cyber Monday, discounts, fulfillment, Holidays, peak season, price competition, retail, seasonal shopping
Black Friday? More like Bleak Friday, as retailers reported an 11% drop in sales revenue on this important post-Thanksgiving celebration of deep discount sales. Cyber Monday, meanwhile, rose only 8% on last year's figures, which also fell short of expectations (with the exception of Wal-Mart, which came up smelling of roses. ) The reality failed to live up to the hype of the holiday, following widespread predictions of a record-breaking start to the season. Overall it was a bit of a bust for most retailers and left them looking hopefully at the next few weeks of spending season to bridge that gap in expectations. Dollar and discount stores generally fared better over the four day spending spree weekend, leading some analysts to conclude that the economic reality . In that scenario it's economists that are experiencing the reality gap by taking indicators like stock market performance and corporate revenues over "on the ground" measures like consumer spending and confidence indices. But is this really the right place to look, or should retailers be taking a good long look in the mirror for stretching the holiday season start line to breaking point? Black Friday Fatigue is what the New York Times chose to label this year's spending, and only their choice of day might be in question. Think about how the holiday discounts applied to your inbox... if you're anything like us, you started to see special offers well before Thanksgiving. Add to that the controversy over physical store opening hours creeping into Thanksgiving day,...
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### Logistics Industry Update: November 2014 in Review
> The logistics industry is tough to keep up with at the best of times, but throw in a busy holiday week and you're beat. Here's what happened in November.
- Published: 2014-12-03
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-november-2014-review/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: black friday, Cyber Monday, fedex, freight, Logistics, logistics industry, rail freight, shipping, thanksgiving, transport, Trucking, Walmart
As we bounce back from a long weekend of food, family and frantic shopping activity - not so much of the latter, as we'll explain - it's time to refocus on what's happening in and around your supply chain. Before we hit another holiday break, take some time to catch up on what happened in November and how it will affect your competitive landscape for the coming year. Last Month in Logistics From industry trends and reports to policy news and political views, here's what happened in November that you need to know about: Black Friday? Bleak Friday, really, as retailers report an 11% drop in sales revenue on this important post-Thanksgiving celebration of deep discount sales. Cyber Monday, meanwhile, rose only 8% on last year's figures, which also fell short of expectations. (except for Wal-Mart, who came up smelling of roses. ) The reality failed to live up to the hype of the holiday, following widespread predictions of a record-breaking start to the season. Following final negotiations during November, Minnesota-based logistics provider C. H. Robinson announced on Monday that it will acquire the site freightquote. com for $365 million. The acquisition is big news for a company not typically associated with such activity, and marks further consolidation in the logistics industry as a whole. Labor talks continued in Los Angeles, as longshore workers tried to thrash out a replacement for their previous contract that expired in July. In the absence of a satisfactory outcome to date, work slowdowns and the threat...
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### With Thanks to Our Clients and Colleagues...
> A special message of thanks for clients and colleagues, as the holiday season gets into full swing.
- Published: 2014-11-26
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/thanks-clients-colleagues/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: clients, miscellaneous, season, thanksgiving
Warm wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving to all of those we work for and with! Adapted from an image by Satya MurthyWe're thankful for our extraordinary clients year-round, of course, but nonetheless, this is the perfect time to deliver our gratitude for the businesses that place their products - and trust - in our hands. Capacity LLC is extremely lucky to work in an industry that allows us to become so close to, and passionate about the operations with whom we work. As well as those we've known for many years, we give thanks for great new clients and urge you to check out some of those we've added recently: Soapwalla - Handmade beauty products designed to feed your skin - http://www. soapwallakitchen. comTatcha - Geisha-inspired skin care products that bring beauty from the inside out - http://www. tatcha. com/Yummy Bazaar - Globally curated, delicious snack foods direct to your door! - http://yummybazaar. com/EcoEasy (Instagating) - "Tailgating in a Box:" Eco-friendly tailgating for the modern sports fan Protein World - Protein revolutionaries committed to pure, GMO free supplements - http://www. proteinworld. com/ We should also thank the sales professionals who pay close attention to our clients, forming a crucial connection between their business and the fulfillment processes that run through our operation. If you spend time on Linkedin you'll find them there, ready to connect and discuss how our fulfillment solutions could benefit your business. Visit our team section to find them. There's plenty of time to take in the seasonal shopping (which is set to...
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### Can't Stand Out? Pump Up Your Product Packaging!
> If your product packaging struggles to stand out on visual appeal alone, it's time to add tactility to your list of distinguishing factors.
- Published: 2014-11-20
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/pump-up-your-product-packaging/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: 3PL, beauty products, best of capacity, branding, delivery, Design, Luxury goods, Packaging, product packaging, value added services
Updated: December 17th, 2015We all know by now that, for many brands, the packaging is as important as the product. A visually appealing package speaks to both the content and quality of the product inside. More often than not it's the appearance that product managers focus on to stand out from the crowd. That's a competitive criteria where it can be tough to stand out though (trust us, we have a hand in creating a lot of great packages each and every day! ) If that's true of your product category, it might be time to add "tactility" to the list of qualities that your higher-end product packaging should exhibit. The Gift of Great Packaging Attractive packaging is undoubtedly a gift to your customers at any time of the year. The holidays make for an ideal time to reap the rewards of product presentation that looks and feels like the brand it represents, creating an intangible sense of satisfaction that keeps customers coming back for more. A particularly popular option for value-added fulfillment at the moment is gift presentation, without which many purchases and subscription-based services would not happen. The time-honored tradition of hand wrapping items can be cost-prohibitive, but there are automated solutions if you ship large quantities of wrapped items. Ecommerce has generally set expectations that fitted/branded boxes, pre-tied bows, and other items are acceptable, as are printed gift notes. However, you can always opt for the ‘over-the-top’ option, and offer everything from handwritten gift notes to hand-wrapped...
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### Vendor Spotlight: Micara Trading LLC
> Micara Trading plays in a very similar sandbox to Capacity LLC, breeding a business relationship that we not only respect but also aspire to recreate.
- Published: 2014-11-13
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/vendor-spotlight-micara-trading/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: Logistics, value added services, vendors
Our business brings us into contact with some outstanding organizations and individuals. As our Chief Strategy Officer Thom Campbell explained in an interview earlier this year, it's the passion for people in the supply chain world that really drives our efforts. With that in mind, and the occasion of Thanksgiving fast approaching in the United States, we thought it would be worth taking the time to focus on some partners and vendors that we believe represent the best of our profession. This is our "Vendor Spotlight" series, and this week we'll focus on our New Jersey neighbors Micara Trading. Vendor Spotlight: Micara Trading The relationship we have with Micara Trading and owner David Weisfelner goes back quite some time, and with the company's 30+ years in the industry that won't come as much of a surprise. Micara operates in the logistics and distribution field with a strong focus on garment work and special services. These specialties include sewing, steaming, dry-cleaning, price ticketing and odor removal, with many other valuable refurbishing options if a client bringing in a shipment finds that something has gone awry in transit. Given the potential for damage to garments and the high rejection rates caused by even minor blemishes, expert care is required at both ends of the shipment process, from sourcing to delivery. Decades of experience make for great confidence in the latter part of the supply chain, even in cases where the earlier elements don't live up to expectations. In short, what David Weisfelner...
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### Logistics Industry Update: October 2014 in Review
> As we rush headlong into November and the busy holiday season, these are some of the logistics industry headlines you may have missed last month.
- Published: 2014-11-10
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-october-2014-review/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: industry update, Logistics, month in review, news, october 2014, Supply chain management, transport update
Rushing headlong into the new month - not to mention the busy holiday season! - it's easy to miss the forest for the trees. If you're in the business, we have your birds-eye view of the last month of news in and around the logistics industry. Here are some of the headlines that you may have missed last month: Ongoing delays and labor disagreements at the Port of Los Angeles - the country's busiest - threaten to affect availability of key products during peak season, despite planners anticipating a record-breaking shopping season. Triple play success for U. S. railroads, as stats continue to show increases across the board, for the week, month, and year-to-date. October typified this trend, with rail freight loads up 4. 4% on October 2013 and the average weekly carload rate of 301,583 marking only the third time U. S. tracks have broken the 300K level in the past six years. UPS and Fed Ex announced average rate increases of 4. 9% for 2015. Combined with the move to dimensional weight pricing, it's time to take stock of shipping costs and adjust operations accordingly. The transportation and warehousing sector added 13,300 new positions in October, following the wider economic climate in slow but steady job growth as the U. S. unemployment nudged down to 5. 8%. New York governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to divert JFK's airfreight to an upstate airfield has experts cringing. Despite the potential of Stewart International as an effective distribution hub, industry analysts say the...
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### Delivery Rates Hike Announced As Seasonal Surge Approaches
> Delivery rates will go up as usual for 2015, but this time dimensional weight pricing has to be factored into the changes. Have you crunched the numbers?
- Published: 2014-11-07
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/delivery-rates-hike-2015
- Categories: News
- Tags: deliveries, delivery rates, dimensional weight pricing, fed ex, peak season, shipping, shipping costs, ups
Earlier this week we talked about the preparations of major delivery companies ahead of what could be a record-breaking seasonal surge in shipping. Today we turn to another seasonal inevitability, the raising of the rates. UPS and Fed-Ex have both confirmed that their charges will go up just before the New Year dawns. An average rate rise of 4. 9% is the magic number this time around, and it joins the dimensional weight adjustment that we discussed earlier this year as an important factor to price into shipping costs for 2015. Given the additional consideration of dimension-based pricing, as a shipper of smaller packages you may find that your cost increases actually run into a double-digit percentage rise. Costs can accelerate quickly if your business scales in a short period, so make sure you know what's coming ahead of time and get your calculations in place for your full range of products. Combination packs may prove particularly variable and your decisions as to the contents of things like monthly gift boxes may be affected by the changes coming into effect. Even if things don't change too much, it's worth going through the exercise to get a current handle on your shipping & handling. We'll take a closer look at how these changes affect e-commerce merchants before the year is out, but to get a head start it's worth checking out the advice of your regular delivery provider. UPS has advice here, while Fed Ex offers the same.
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### Peak Season 2014 Set to Stretch Shipping Records
> Peak season 2014 is set to break records, with some expecting their supply chain to be pushed to the limit. But will services stay intact?
- Published: 2014-11-03
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/peak-season-2014-set-stretch-shipping-records/
- Categories: News
- Tags: black friday, deliveries, etail, holiday season, peak season 2014, retail, shopping, speak season
As the calendar flips through to November shippers are inevitably in full swing. We're all coordinating the arrival of a constant flow of goods into the country for peak season 2104, ready to satisfy that notoriously hungry seasonal demand. While it's not unusual to predict record-breaking years, this peak season seems set to be a doozy. Not only are major carriers like UPS expecting a bumper burst of action across a number of individual days, they also have the failures of 2013 fresh in the memory. In the final weeks of the year, insufficient resources and adverse weather conditions combined to prevent the smooth delivery required by a burst of late shopping. Carriers have no desire to see a repeat of the backlog that occurred then at this most sensitive time of year. Preparing for Peak Season 2014 More advance predictions of an expected surge for the 2014 holidays will set the stage for the logistics industry's equivalent of "Ground & Pound" (though hopefully with much closer coordination than this year's Jets defense! ) As the article says, UPS thinks it could see up to 34 million packages delivered on its single busiest day this December. This would top the heaviest day of 2013 by some 3 million packages, fueled by the continued growth of ecommerce and the opportunity that retailers see to drive early sales by offering special deals earlier online. Traditionally Cyber Monday, which follows Thanksgiving weekend and the expected physical retail therapy of Black Friday, has been the focus of online sales pushes. But...
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### Happy Halloween from Capacity LLC!
> Capacity LLC wishes clients, friends and family a safe and happy Halloween!
- Published: 2014-10-31
- Modified: 2021-06-23
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-halloween-capacity-llc/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: fall, halloween, seasonal
Not a night to wander around the warehouse alone... Happy Halloween from all at Capacity LLC!
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### Unpacking: Price Ticketing
> Price ticketing is a supply chain activity that's usually undertaken at the point of manufacture, but there are some also good reasons to consider a 3PL.
- Published: 2014-10-30
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-price-ticketing/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, labeling, Order fulfillment, order picking, Packaging and labeling, price ticketing, Supply chain management, unpacking, value added services
Our "Unpacking" series is dedicated to defining and expanding upon a practice or concept in the supply chain world that prompts a lot of questions. You can read all of the previous entries here. This week we look at price ticketing, an activity that for us comes under the category of "value added services. " These are activities that we undertake above our core services, often tailored to a client's custom requirements. There are plenty of service solutions that come under this category and we'll explore many of them in this series before the year is out. What is Price Ticketing? Price ticketing is the process of labeling up products so that they include the information required by the customer and end-retailer. This includes the price, of course, any discounts, relevant product information, and often codes that can be scanned. In some cases customer-friendly codes may even be included, such as Quick Response (QR) codes that can be scanned by mobile devices and allow the customer to access more detailed product info and specifications. Price ticketing tends to be completed at the point of manufacture, whenever possible. Product planners usually have close relationships with their manufacturer and build the price and information tags/labels into the production process. Often labor costs are lowest at this section of the supply chain, bringing the marginal cost per product down, and it's appealing to have products labeled up and ready to go the minute they arrive at the warehouse. That being said, when the...
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### Northside Pharmacy: Lessons in Customer Service from the Little Guy
> Some of the biggest brand reputations are built on heavy advertising. For little guys like Northside Pharmacy, outstanding customer service can win the day.
- Published: 2014-10-24
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/customer-service-lessons-northside-pharmacy/
- Categories: Case Study
- Tags: branding, Customer service, reputation, small business
In a city dominated by Duane Reade and CVS, a small corner of NYC's Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn is served by a different kind of pharmacist. And it's "served" that is the key word here, as Northside Pharmacy demonstrates a distinct flair for keeping customers not just happy, but ecstatic. A quick look over the pharmacy's Yelp page tells the story clearly. Here's a sampling of the comments, including one from Thom Campbell, our Chief Strategic Officer: "Knowledgeable," "helpful," "friendly," "high quality" and many more superlatives. All words that any customer service team dreams of seeing associated with their company. Big brands spend enormous amounts of money to build brand reputation and keep their products top of mind with customers. Of course the products have to have a certain level of quality to make that marketing effective, but a large ad spend goes a long way. For smaller businesses, customer service is where you'll find the best opportunity to develop a reputation and eke out a competitive advantage. Our efforts at Capacity LLC continue to build on a close relationship with our client partners, a passion for what they do and the drive to help them achieve strategic objectives. If we can remain on a path that leads to the levels of success and customer recognition that Northside Pharmacy has achieved, we'll be on the right path!
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### Apple Pay Is Primed to Revolutionize Retail Checkout
> Retail checkout is a process that we all know well, but few realize the thought that goes into it by retailers eager to keep costs down and lines moving.
- Published: 2014-10-21
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/apple-pay-primed-revolutionize-retail-checkout/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, Technology
- Tags: apple pay, checkout, mobile payments, retail, retail checkout, retailers, shopping, smartphone payments
The world's most innovative brand returns to retail this week, but this time it's not in the form of a shiny new device or sleek new operating system. Instead, the launch of Apple Pay is what is exciting and troubling retailers, depending on your perspective. The new mobile payment product was announced last month at Apple's Fall event, but was rather overshadowed by the new iPhone 6 and Apple Watch (which itself will sync to and be an important element of the payment system, but more on that later. ) For retailers, however, it could be the most important part of that event and usher in a new way of working at customer checkout. http://gty. im/167271603 Plenty of services have attempted to bring about the age of mobile payment but few have so far succeeded. Paypal has long been the veteran of online payment but its transition to mobile has proved surprisingly abortive, with few vendors and a lack of consumers using its limited mobile app. . Elsewhere, even with the vast resources of Google behind its Wallet service, and big name partners like American Eagle and Subway, it still hasn't captured the interest of the diverse Android user base. And Square, with the early innovation of its card reader mobile insert to bridge the gap between old and new, has been unable to move beyond small vendors and into the mainstream. Even with all of this competition, few brands are placed as strategically well as Apple to make mobile payments a mainstream...
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### 6 Spectacular Movie Quotes that Sum Up the Supply Chain
> Quotable movies apply to our daily lives, so why not inform our industry as well? That's the question we asked as we searched for spectacular movie quotes!
- Published: 2014-10-17
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/6-spectacular-movie-quotes-sum-supply-chain/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: film, fun, miscellaneous, movie quotes, movies, Supply chain, Supply chain management
Some movie quotes come to define real life, repeated so often that they become a shorthand for things, times and people we love. We already follow quotes from logistics leaders. But our favorite films inform our lives, so why not our industry as well? Following some inspiration from our friends at IDS Fulfillment that's what we thought as well, and why we set about compiling six splendid quotes to summarize key concepts of supply chain management. Image Credit: Noëmie Haffner Six Spectacular Movie Quotes (Adapted for the Supply Chain) Cover of The Godfather (Widescreen Edition) "Make him an offer he can't refuse. " ~Don Vito, "The Godfather" One of the best movies of all time also nails a key concept when it comes to what you pay for supply chain services. Price is always a primary factor in any operational decision, but is it so important that you'll get involved with anyone who names the right number? Consider all the costs before you get in bed with the bad guys! "It's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. " ~Nigel Tufnel, "This Is Spinal Tap" The classic concept of "turning it up to 11" is immortalized in this cult comedy hit. Watch the clip for the full effect of level 11 deadpan. On a serious note, it's a reminder that what you measure in your supply chain, you can manage. Just because a number is one bigger, doesn't always mean it's better. "What we've got here is failure...
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### Develop Your Supply Chain, Build Your Brand
> An integrated supply chain fosters better understanding between departments and drives supply chain development. What's more, it's brand building gold dust.
- Published: 2014-10-14
- Modified: 2014-10-14
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/develop-supply-chain-build-brand/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, brand reputation, branding, efficiency, integrated supply chains, marketing, Supply chain, supply chain development, waste reduction
Marketing and physical operations may seem worlds apart in terms of function, but when it comes to end objectives they're more closely aligned than you might think. A strong brand is fueled by effective marketing and advertising, but it is built on the reality of how well a company works and the service it delivers. The logistics process is an integral part of delivering that high level service, which makes developing a strong, efficient supply chain a central pillar of brand reputation. When it comes down to it, supply chain development is not something that any brand can ignore without causing cracks to appear further down the line. http://gty. im/186662119 Efficient Stocking, Effective Delivery Business is built on trust. For any brand with a major stake in delivering products and providing a service that feels seamless to customers, bringing more than just operational minds into the supply chain planning process is an ambitious but potentially lucrative way to earn that trust. This happens by driving efficiency and playing to your brand strengths. A supply chain understood and developed, in part, by those outside the daily processes that run it, will help distinct functional activities to become more deeply integrated. When buyers, marketers and sales teams see the complexity of what goes on behind the scenes to get their product to a customer, or how many moving parts a service takes to deliver effectively, they're more likely to make realistic decisions. In addition to fostering greater understanding, a closely knit...
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### Logistics Industry Update: September 2014 in Review
> Will September set the stage for the rest of the logistics industry year, or will economic factors take their toll to limit peak season?
- Published: 2014-10-07
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-september-2014-review/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: industry update, logistics industry, scm, Supply chain, warehousing
September tends to mark a return to business for many industries, and that's exactly what many of us hope for when we see the monthly statistics revealed; boost in product movement and economic reports that sets the scene for the remainder of the year. http://gty. im/85471780 With three busy months of the year left, here's our regular review of what went on in the logistics industry last month: Following a big boom on early holiday shopping last year, mainly driven by earlier ecommerce sales and specials beginning on Thnksgiving Day (stop the madness! ), forecasting for the 2014 peak season shows further growth. Analysts predict a figure just short of 4% growth in this ASAP holiday demand, which adds to an online sales boom of 18. 5% extra last year. Outside of North America, which of course affects the domestic market as well, things look less rosy. Growth of both imports and exports is anemic and the global economic recovery seems to be taking a tiny bit longer than those of us in the States are experiencing. U. S. railroads continued to let the good times - and the cargo wagons - roll with record-breaking weeks toward the end of September. Moving goods has been picking up pace ll year, with the future for intermodal transport solutions seeming particularly positive. The industry in North America may be booming, but costs are also moving up almost as fast as the goods are moving along. Those expenses are expected to be passed on...
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### Unpacking: Skills Needed for Supply Chain Management
> In a field like SCM, choosing the right career path is tough. Thom Campbell explains some of the skills needed for supply chain management.
- Published: 2014-10-02
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-skills/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Jeff Kaiden, Logistics, scm, Supply chain, Supply chain management, technology education, transportation, unpacking, warehouse management, WMS
The supply chain, as its name suggests, is made up of many individual links, so when we talk about how to learn supply chain management, it can be tough to know where to start. Today we're taking our "Unpacking" series of posts to the educational aspect of our industry, and how you can get started on a career in the field. Capacity LLC's co-founder and CSO Thom Campbell has plenty to say on the subject and, with more than a decade at the top of the industry, his insights are valuable to anyone just starting out. What Are the Skills Needed for Supply Chain Management Roles? Thomas Campbell: CSO and co-founder of Capacity LLC"Begin with another question: what area of supply chain management are you interested in? If it is transportation, get a job with one of the well-known shipment/logistics companies. My VP of Logistics Tony Ruiz cut his teeth at UPS and the experience still stands him in good stead to this day. If you are interested in technology, focus on warehouse management systems (WMS), radio frequency hardware, networking and order management systems. "Developing the Skills Of course, not all areas of supply chain management are as hands-on and tech-heavy as the day to day operations. There are administrative, accounting, consultancy and management positions to be filled which, while requiring some understanding of the underlying industry concepts and terminology, can be approached from other fields. With experience from an accounting firm, the opportunity to conduct an inventory audit will...
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### In Photoville, Shipping Containers Get a New Lease of Life
> Photoville NYC is an art-photgraphy exhibit housed entirely in repurposed shipping containers. Curious to see our field drive creativity, we paid a visit.
- Published: 2014-09-29
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/shipping-containers-photoville/
- Categories: News
- Tags: art, best of capacity, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bridge Park, creativity, industry, New York City, Photography, Photoville, Shipping container
It's fun to take a look at the alternative uses a shipping container can take on from time to time. With so many of these versatile boxes moving around the world there are plenty of ideas, but the organizers of Brooklyn's Photoville take it to the next level. The event took to Brooklyn's Pier 5/6 area for its third run this year, ending yesterday with a variety of talks and celebration of its many fine artists. Photoville is an art-photography exhibition housed entirely in repurposed containers, with a dedicated curator and theme assigned to give each one its own unique appeal. We took a stroll around last Friday to take in the creativity and explore the spaces where industry meets art. Our collection of photos probably doesn't do justice to the power and emotion of the artistry on show, but it will give you an idea as to why you should give this event a look when it returns next year (and no, it's not just because they have a hybrid container-bar... although it certainly doesn't hurt! ) It was great to catch the introduction booth below, just as an active container shipment thundered past above, on the way to its delivery destination. Things for a little psychedelic at times... obviously this installation below proved a favorite backdrop for attendees and their potential social media poses. Inside the double-decker entry booth, the rotating gallery above was undergoing a little routine maintenance before setting back to work. Once a shipping container,...
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### Showing Off the Supply Chain: Capacity LLC on Instagram
> Want to take a closer look behind the scenes of the supply chain. The Capacity LLC Instagram is the first feed for you to tune in!
- Published: 2014-09-22
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-instagram/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Instagram, Social Media, Supply chain
Unless you get out there onto the loading bays and into the warehouse, it's not always easy to know what goes on behind the scenes of your supply chain. We're here to change that! Our YouTube channel already offers some insight into the way we work at Capacity, and from this month our Instagram feed will lift the lid on the fun and games that come with being a part of the Capacity family. Catch up with the latest from Capacity on Instagram One of our goals in addition to working hard is to have fun as we do so and we think Instagram is the perfect place to show off some snapshots of this, as well as a closer look at the equipment we use and the the industry we serve. You'll find updates on our events, seasonal outings and pictures showing off our processes. If you're lucky, our CEO Jeff Kaiden may even share some more of his dinner tips! So follow our feed and let us know what you want to see... we'll do our best to educate and entertain in equal measure.
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### How to Evaluate a Provider's Supply Chain Pricing
> There's a lot to consider when it comes to selecting a service provider and comparing supply chain pricing models is always be high on the list.
- Published: 2014-09-16
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/evaluate-supply-chain-pricing/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PLQs, best of capacity, inbound freight, picking a 3PL company, price comparison, price competition, pricing, Supply chain, supply chain pricing, supply chain pricing models, supply chain providers, switching costs, Warehouse
When it comes time to choose a supply chain services provider, you'll find yourself with a number of questions to be answered. From service level agreements to supply chain pricing formulation, you're likely to have a laundry list of criteria for each provider to fulfill before you can create a shortlist. We covered eight of the main questions to ask a 3PL provider earlier this year, but when it comes to the crunch one factor will inevitably rise close to the top of your final few candidates: the price tag. Most competitive price comparisons start with a summary of how each provider will bill for their services, followed by evaluate costs. Supply chain service providers typically follow a few basic models: 1. Cost plus 2. Transaction-based 3. Percentage of sales Let's take a closer look at each of these in order to set the scene for further comparison. Cost Plus Pricing Model In industries like freight forwarding, or the arranging of transportation, the traditional model is to charge the cost of the actual freight plus a markup, usually between 5 and 15%. It's important to note that while easy to understand and compare against other services, this pricing does not always provide the greatest incentive for the forwarder to lower their clients’ shipping costs and may lead you to ask additional questions in this area. Nowadays relatively few warehousing providers with a fully-developed IT offering work this way, but it was a common model in the days of what is...
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### Road Rules at the National Truck Driving Championships
> The National Truck Driving Championships is an annual event that reminds us just how tough it is to be a trucker, whether out on the road or in the arena.
- Published: 2014-09-12
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/national-truck-driving-championships/
- Categories: News
- Tags: American Trucking Associations, ATA, National Truck Driving Championships, NTDC, road freight, Truck driver, trucks
You may not have considered it much, but there's far more to road freight than maintaining a steady speed on the Interstate and finding the most comfortable rest stops. At the National Truck Driving Championships the participants show just how much more there is to getting our goods from A to B and beyond. https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=P-mXpkFho0U National Truck Driving Championships Impress From squeezing into tight spaces to maneuvering big rigs through tricky turns, the skilled drivers on show at the American Trucking Association-sponsored event remind us just how tough it can be out there on the road. From the American Trucking Association's CEO Darren Hawkins: “The National Truck Driving Championships is a highly respected event. Just qualifying for this competition is an exceptional accomplishment. We are very proud of our professional drivers who are safety champions in their respective states. Through dedication, a lot of hard work, and a formidable safety focus, these drivers have established themselves as professionals and some of the very best drivers in the United States. " This championship truck driving event might seem unbelievable at first, but think about those skilled drivers getting to show off their skills in a controlled environment. Better there than on the road with everyday commuters! Think about the huge trucks you see ending up navigating the packed streets of New Jersey or New York City and you'll soon understand. Image Credit: Paul L. DineenOur best wishes go out to all the truck drivers who spend long periods away from family...
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### Next Stop for eCommerce, Social Network Shopping?
> As one-click buying expands to social media sites, ecommerce retailers must convince customers that social network shopping is right for them.
- Published: 2014-09-11
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/social-network-shopping-ecommerce/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: advertising, Amazon, customers, E-commerce, Facebook, marketing, Online shopping, security, Social Media, social media shopping, Twitter
There's a lot of focus on one-click buying in order fulfillment circles, and with good reason. Established online retailers like Amazon and eBay have embraced the impulsive allure of quick click purchases for some time, but it's the more recent roll-outs by social networks, first Facebook and now Twitter, that offer the most promising area for expansion. Retailers already do plenty of work within their own digital walls to upsell and cross-sell existing customers. Outside of their own ecosystem, the focus has been to attract new customers through advertising and optimizing their sites for search engines. Social networks, until now, have been an sandpit in which companies can talk to their customers and perhaps raise awareness of their products, but rarely are they seen as a source of direct sales. Integrating easy-to-use buy buttons within the walls of popular social media sites could change all that, expanding the reach of ecommerce operators exponentially. Challenges of Social Network Shopping One of the main challenges to both retailers and social sites to date has been losing control of the customer. For the retailer, it's a balancing act between showcasing products on a social network without selling too heavily and driving customers away from the brand in general. For the social network, sending users to another site for another activity has to be balanced with the desire to keep them on-site, enjoying the entertainment element that brought them there in the first place. If immediate buy buttons become a common enough element of...
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### Logistics Industry Update: August 2014 in Review
> In case you missed it, all the important news and numbers from the logistics industry in August 2014.
- Published: 2014-09-09
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-august-2014-review
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: august 2014, freight, industry update, intermodal, Logistics, railroad, Supply chain management, Trucking
As quickly as ever, summer has run its course and we're mere weeks away from plunging (fall-ing? ! ) headlong into peak season for most supply chain planners. Whether you've wiled away those balmy summer days on the beach or behind a desk planning for the upcoming rush, you can rely on our bite-sized review of what went on last month, including major announcements and significant statistics. Image Credit: Paul L. Dineen Last Month in Logistics So, here are the reports and trends that made the media during August: The value of U. S. freight across all forms increased more than 10% over the same period in 2013, according to figures released by RITA late last month. The figures from June show NAFTA freight hitting $103 billion, up $9. 5 billion on the same month last year. It wasn't widely heralded, but August marked the 20th anniversary of ecommerce. It was a time before even Amazon or eBay had made it to market, which shows us just how far order fulfillment has come in two decades! In its continuing effort to reinvent itself as a viable delivery option, the U. S. Postal Service slashed prices on various commercial services and confirmed it would not apply dimensional weight pricing, as several major services announced they will adopt earlier this year. U. S. rail freight traffic increased 2. 9% in August, compared to the same period last year. Monthly intermodal volume also strengthened, posting a 4. 3% gain. The country's trucking and railroad industries have...
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### Unpacking Supply Chain Metrics: Managing by Measuring
> Measuring progress towards operational improvement means pulling meaning from the numbers. This starts with developing a set of solid supply chain metrics.
- Published: 2014-09-04
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-supply-chain-metrics/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, Business, Measurement, Procurement, Return on investment, Supply chain, unpacking
Metrics meeting. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Supply chain metrics aren't always high on the list of operations managers or small business owners. After all, there's plenty of pressing real world work to be done on a daily basis, without adding the need to put a number on each and every activity. As long as the product gets where it needs to go and the cogs keep turning, the supply chain is working right, right? Unfortunately that's not always the case (and even if it is now, it won't always be! ) Measuring and drawing meaning from the right numbers is important for anyone seeking to better understand their operations and flag areas for improvement. When we talked about ways to cut supply chain costs earlier this year, measurement was a crucial element. Managing by Measuring Putting numbers to your operational activities provides a tangible way to regularly review performance. But knowing where to begin can be difficult. There are potentially hundreds of valuable numbers to track and limited resources to track them. And then there's the analysis paralysis that often comes with getting too heavily into . Finding a balance between the two is the key, and it follows from measuring only what matters. Even if you have several objectives, try to pick the top two or three and work6 backwards to create suitable measurements for each. Whether the goal is to improve efficiency, reduce delivery time, or a broad range of The next question is what metrics to put in place...
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### No Major (Tea) Party for this Historic NYC Anniversary
> As a historic NYC anniversary passes without note, the noteworthy role of our area's ports and waterways is an enduring influence.
- Published: 2014-08-27
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/major-tea-party-historic-nyc-anniversary/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Dutch, history, hudson river, Logistics, New Amsterdam, New York City, New York Times, nyc, ports, tri state, Verrazano Narrows
If you're celebrating anything and everything before the end of summer this week, we have another for you to throw on the pile: New York City's 350th birthday party! Bird's eye panorama of Manhattan & New York City in 1873 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) What, you didn't buy a gift? Well, you can keep that credit card in your wallet, as very few folks will be celebrating what we might expect to be quite a historic milestone for our area. It turns out that Americans aren't big on breaking out the bubbly to mark the arrival of the British, regardless of how many centuries have passed. As the piece explains, no major events are planned for the city on this particular birthday. Some would argue that 1664 has no business even being recognized as the city's DOB. These folks would instead direct us to 1625, and the settlement of a sleepy little Dutch outpost called New Amsterdam, on the land where now some of the world's most crucial financial players ply their trade. One way or another, there's not a lot of birthday cake being passed around on either occasion. An interesting side-note in this history lesson - and one more closely related to our profession - is just how crucial a role the East coast's ports and waterways played in the ownership and development of our region. If you read all the way through the New York Times article linked earlier, you'll notice that the British takeover of New Amsterdam...
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### Capacity's Culinary Corner: Dining in North Brunswick, NJ
> Our area doesn't receive the same praise as TriBeCa (or even Teaneck!), but dining in North Brunswick can be far more appetizing than you might think!
- Published: 2014-08-22
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacitys-culinary-corner-dining-in-north-brunswick-nj/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: arusuvai, Capacity, Indian cuisine, Jeff Kaiden, New Jersey, North Brunswick, North Brunswick New Jersey, Szechuan Ace
If you missed our monthly newsletter, you also missed an opportunity to discover the unexpected culinary corner that is *drum roll* North Brunswick, New Jersey! Yes, yes, we're aware that dining in North Brunswick doesn't receive the same praise as TriBeCa (or perhaps even Teaneck), but if you know where to look, great food ios everywher. And one man who knows just where to look is Capacity LLC CEO, Jeff Kaiden. JK on Dining in North Brunswick, NJ After more than a decade working in New Jersey's industrial corridor, we've figured a few things out, including where to have lunch. Jeff has made it his mission to explore the surroundings and come up with some choice dining selections, of which the following two unassuming spots will be our first recommendations. Over to you, Jeff: 1. There is excellent Indian on Route 130 in North Brunswick called "Arusuvai" (pictured right). Check out their mouth-watering menu here. 2. There is remarkably good Szechuan (real McCoy fiery) on Route 27 in North Brunswick at "Szechuan Ace. " Read more about their menu here. So there you have it, two outstanding options for a belly-filling dinner on your way home tonight, or perhaps an impromptu business lunch when you're next in our neck of the woods. Bon appetit!
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### Has Finland Found the Future of Transport Planning?
> We're used to organization and technology starting in Scandinavia, so it should come as no surprise that Finland may pioneer future transport planning.
- Published: 2014-08-20
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/finland-found-future-transport-planning/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: Autonomous car, Finland, Google, Helsinki, Logistics, transport planning, transportation, Vehicular automation
The streets of Helsinki will soon see driverless cars mix with other modes of transport. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The last time we looked at automated vehicle delivery, it involved a courier using GPS to locate a car's coordinates for order drop off. So not really that automated at all, except for the location and scheduling part. When it comes to using driverless vehicles for transport planning, however, we're firmly at the automated end of the equation. While still a long way off, we already see the technology ready to roll for driverless vehicles. Google's work in the field has been news for some time, but an ambitious transport project underway in Finland will certainly have the eyes of the world watching, as Helsinki aims to connect up all forms of transport for a seamless, shared transit experience. The project is sublime in its simple objective, yet unimaginably complex in the underlying logistics. Helsinki will attempt to integrate all forms of transport, old and new, manned and unmanned, into a single app, designed to connect origin and destination with the most efficient route. If that involves connecting up an old bus with a new, shared-use driverless car, all the better. The theory underpinning all this is that schedules are known, moving parts can now be tracked thanks to geo-location devices, and our own location can be flagged in the same way. By connecting all three and applying some smart algorithms underneath, the optimum route can be calculated based on speed, expense, or any...
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### Will U.S. Look Inward for Supply Chain Solutions?
> Ports and trucking have dominated American supply chain solutions for decades, but the slow growth of rail and the ruination of U.S. roads may change this.
- Published: 2014-08-15
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/will-u-s-look-inward-supply-chain-solutions/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, Distribution, freight, rail, road, Supply chain management, supply chain solutions, transportation, warehousing
An interesting online article from Area Development magazine takes a look at just how likely it is that we'll see a rapid move to intermodal supply chain solutions by North American companies. North American Class I railroad network from 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) To support this theory the writer points to an impressive 30 new inland port operations that are now functioning or in the works since the turn of the century. Two-thirds of these are also new as of the past five years, showing the increasing vitality of the trend. Where unloading facilities open, storage and distribution centers are sure to follow, and the fact that rail freight volume has quadrupled in the last 25 years makes the resurgence of rail connections a very real phenomenon. The domination of shipping ports and trucking companies has made the coasts the center of attention for as long as most supply chain professionals can remember. Of course goods move all over the country from there, including plenty of internal distribution points, but the promise of rail is that there are towns all along the lines in desperate need of economic regeneration. With development funds being channeled as widely as Ohio and Pennsylvania to Tennessee and New Mexico, a majority of the country stands to compete for the potential new business that new inland facilities bring. Some of the driving factors here are positive, others less so. We wrote last year about the potential to bring back the true appeal of "Made in the USA," which many...
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### Logistics Industry Update: July 2014 in Review
> The logistics industry moves as quickly as goods do through the supply chain, so we come together every month to review the news and catch you up.
- Published: 2014-08-11
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-july-2014-review/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: 2014, industry update, intermodal, Intermodal freight transport, Logistics, news, rail freight, Supply chain, ups
A Freightliner truck heads north on I-95 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Summer is rapidly running its course, which means the edge of peak season is approaching for supply chain professionals. As we explained last month in our June review, we know it's easy to miss out on some of the more salient industry news items as the month rolls by. Our answer to this is to do the work for you and pull together a bite-sized review of the major numbers and announcements. So, here are the reports and trends that made the media during July: Intermodal freight movement continues to be up for the year, with a 5. 9% gain over the same period in 2013. Railroad are also seeing steady gains over the first 30 weeks of the year, with cumulative volume up 3. 6% compared to 2013. Railway Age provides the full figures here. Industry advisers sought additional long-term funding for U. S. infrastructure from lawmakers, beyond the expected relief funds designed to "avert the immediate crisis. " A bipartisan group of 12 current and former transport secretaries made no bones about warning Congress that the temporary funding bill being considered, which allocates almost $11 billion more, won't be enough to fix the country's transportation system. And speaking of emergency funding, UPS will spend some $175 million of its own to shore up its seasonal operations as we head toward the holidays. Last year saw several companies fail to deliver on a busier than...
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### Supply Chain Augmented Reality at Work
> Augmented reality in the supply chain remains at the research stage, but products are expected soon and should have few barriers to entry when they arrive.
- Published: 2014-08-06
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-augmented-reality-work/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: ar, augmented reality, business use ar, Google Glass, Supply chain, Technology, training, Trucking, Warehouse
Rapidly advancing technology and supply chain management go hand in hand. Most of the articles we write here seem to touch on new tech in one way or another, whether directly with warehouse drones, or indirectly in terms of consumer behavior as more and more of us live and buy online. Even so, the idea of futuristic electronic overlays integrating with normal human vision still seems more at home with the Terminator movies than it does with terminating inefficiencies in the supply chain. But early versions of such displays, more commonly referred to as "Augmented Reality (AR)" by those in the field, already live in our smartphones, and it won't be long before they find their place in the supply chain. Supply Chain AR at Work and Play The leisure applications of augmented reality have been first to roll out, as products like Google Glass and even existing smartphone apps work to add contextual information to what we see and hear. When you snap a picture and it prompts contextual information from Wikitude, or you use Shazam to identify the music you're listening to while out shopping, that's early stage AR technology at work. And even at our own work, around the warehouse and out on the road as products move from A to B, supply chain augmented reality is not far from becoming, well, a reality! Fleet Owner last month offered an interesting breakdown of the potential for the technology in the trucking industry, demonstrating just how close some of the applications are....
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### Unpacking: Supply Chain Tech Talk
> Technology is at work throughout your supply chain but understanding the terms can be a barrier. So, let's unpack the jargon of supply chain tech.
- Published: 2014-08-01
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/unpacking-supply-chain-tech-talk/
- Categories: EDI Fulfillment, Technology
- Tags: ASN, data, edi, extranet, inventory, jargon, LDI, networks, RFID, Technology, terminology, unpacking, warehousing, WMS
Continuing our #Unpacking series, today we take the tech out of supply chain terminology. A great deal of technological wizardry goes into getting your goods from A to B (and C and D and etc. ), but it need not be as baffling as some of the acronyms and industry lingo make out. Here to help you bust that jargon is a clarification on some of the terminology you're sure to hear as you liaise with logistics partners. You can also learn more about the types of technology we use at Capacity LLC here. Technology Terminology in Supply Chains Explained in plain English, here are some of the common terms that you'll come across and how they affect your supply chain: EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) - In its simplest form, this is your business system talking to that of your logistics partner(s) to exchange key data. The message format will be standardized to ensure the data communicated is seamlessly received, which is why it can often take some time to design, test and activate a complete EDI agreement before fully rolling it out. The information exchanged will usually form the basis of your personal communication with logistics providers, so it needs to be complete and up to date. LDI (Logistics Data Interchange) - A variation on EDI that may be used to communicate similar systems that transfer logistics data. ASN (Advanced Shipment Notice) - Closely related to EDI, this notification is designed to let all relevant parties know that a shipment is...
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### No Truck Stops as Road Haulage Dominates U.S. Freight
> Rail has an important role to play in moving goods around the U.S. But when it comes the industry leader, it's road haulage that rules.
- Published: 2014-07-29
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/road-haulage-usa-2/
- Categories: Logistics, News
We all know how important the railroads have been to our nation and that rail freight is growing - but anyone who spends time on the interstate system will confirm that the road rules when it comes to moving goods around the country. A new industry forecast from the American Trucking Association confirms this, and expects hauliers to hold that top spot for years to come. Over the next decade, the findings suggest that trucking share of all freight moved in the U. S. could rise as high as 71. 4%, dwarfing rail's projected 13. 8%. Haulage firms also pulled in a record $682 billion in revenue during 2013, says the study, demonstrating the industry's value to the wider economy. Aside from the general ease and flexibility of moving goods by road, the economic upturn in the U. S. and expectations that the country's freight pool One note of caution comes in the form of a more general concern around the country: the safety and integrity of its infrastructure. With public spending a challenge following years of post-crash political gridlock in Washington, the state of bridges, roads and ports is a growing concern. Prominent figures like Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi have recently made moves to focus attention on the challenges ahead, but the road ahead will be as bumpy as some of the tri-state expressways, if past form indicates future performance of U. S. lawmakers. We've written before about the challenges to road freight, from coping with fluctuating demand and gas prices to the potential for...
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### Delivery Drones: Better In Than Out?
> Delivery drones are largely considered - and derided - for external use, but the nearest term use for the technology could actually be inside the warehouse.
- Published: 2014-07-23
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/delivery-drones/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: Amazon, automation, delivery drones, drone technology, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Supply chain, tech, Technology, Warehouse, warehouse management
Image Credit: Gregory Younger It's been a while since we dealt with the potential for delivery drones here, and even when we did it was with tongue firmly in cheek. The phenomenon is rarely far from the headlines, however, and more logistics professionals are beginning to analyze the effect that drone technology could have, from internal warehouse management to external distribution. While the latter has been widely derided as a pipe dream, at least in the near term, due to FAA restrictions and very real concerns over safety, the former may be closer than you think. The use of drones to improve internal storage operations isn't such a leap when we consider the existing automation within warehouses and along assembly lines. In fact Amazon, the pioneer of publicity-seeking drones late last year, already has drones at work within its own warehouse infrastructure. Although we tend to look to the skies when we consider drone technology, that's more media hype than reality. In some cases flying drones will have uses within the warehouse environment, but the most immediate applications will be for ground drones that can connect up routine tasks. Some of the suggested areas for drone use in internal supply chain operations include: Simple A to B product relocation for automated assembly processes, Automatic replenishment of stocked items when an inventory system flags low levels, Integrated hybrid human-drone packaging lines, in which drones fill the repetitive but tedious tasks that have high rates of human rework, Light item lifting to high shelving units typically...
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### Capacity LLC Video: We Know Logistics #4
> Capacity LLC Facilities Manager Adam Wise talks about the North Brunswick, NJ campus as well as about what makes the company a special place to work.
- Published: 2014-07-21
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-video-we-know-logistics-4/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: best of capacity, Capacity LLC, Video, we know logistics
Capacity LLC Facilities Manager Adam Wise talks about how he manages Capacity's east coast warehouse in North Brunswick, NJ. Adam discusses his role at our New Jersey campus, as well as about what makes the company a special place to work.
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### Video: Capacity LLC - We Know Logistics #3
> Capacity LLC's Director of Operations Karim Fofana talks about handling the daily flow of activity at our New Jersey warehouse and campus.
- Published: 2014-07-15
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/video-capacity-llc-know-logistics-3/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: best of capacity, Capacity LLC, New Jersey Warehouse, we know logistics
Capacity LLC's Director of Operations Karim Fofana talks about handling the daily flow of activity at Capacity's New Jersey warehouse and campus.
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### 3PL Questions: What Operational Bottlenecks Should We Plan For?
> When you interview a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, you need to get everything out on the table. Operational bottlenecks should be high on this list.
- Published: 2014-07-14
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-questions-operational-bottlenecks-plan/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, 3PLQs, Distribution and Logistics, Logistics, operations, picking a 3PL company, Supply chain management, Third-party logistics, Transportation and Logistics
Following a full review of what to ask potential 3PL (thid-party logistics) providers, we resume our #3PLQuestions series today with a look at why you should discuss the possibility of operational bottlenecks. Your 3PL needs to know where the bottlenecks are (Photo credit: Xjs-Khaos) Logistics professionals work at the real world intersection of simultaneously avoiding disruptions to established plans and making plans for them. A sound supply chain strategy incorporates not only the most robust, efficient plan to deliver goods and services, but also hires those flexible enough to adjust activities when that plan falls apart. For business owners, the latter quality can be easy to overlook when choosing a 3PL service. Every provider can tell you what they can offer when everything runs perfectly, but often their answer to what happens when things go wrong is more telling of the relationship your business will have with them. What to Ask Your 3PL About Operational Bottlenecks The more specific you get about your own business, the better the answer you'll receive from a prospective 3PL provider. Draw up some scenarios that have occurred in the past (or that your managers live in fear of happening in the future! ) Present the scenario(s) to your provider, then sit back and let them answer. While situations specific to your business are best, these are some more general examples you could include in your questions: A large order needs to be picked and shipped on much shorter notice than our standard agreement (define a time...
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### Future of Supply Chains Interview With Thom Campbell
> Thom Campbell sits down with Dustin Mattison from Future of Supply Chains to discuss his experience and passion for supply chain management.
- Published: 2014-07-13
- Modified: 2021-04-15
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/interview-with-thom-campbell/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
Capacity CSO Thom Campbell recently sat down to talk with Dustin Mattison from The Future of Supply Chains outlet. Dustin's interview with Thom is transcribed below, but you can also watch the video on the importance of experience and passion in supply chain management here. Dustin Mattison (DM): It's nice to speak to you today, Thom, and today I'm looking forward to hearing your views, specifically about passion and having a passion for your clients' business. This is especially important in the service industry, so can you start by providing a little background and maybe a short story about your experience? Thom Campbell (TC): Sure. Thanks, very much, Dustin, and thanks for the opportunity to speak with you. My background prior to going into supply chain and logistics in the past 15 years was in finance. I worked for Morgan Stanley for about 10 years, and I worked on both the investment banking side and the sales-and-marketing aspect of the business, as well as corporate governance. I had a university classmate, Jeff Keaton, who is a civil engineer, and he and his father have designed warehouses—in his father’s case, since the mid-’60s. Jeff went to business school with our CFO and third partner, and they came up with the idea to start a third-party logistics business, which we did, and it’s called Capacity; it’s at CapacityLLC. com. We offer third-party warehousing and order-fulfillment services, shipping orders to e-commerce consumers, EDI retailers, and anybody else the brands we work with wishes...
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### Logistics Industry Update: June 2014 in Review
> The logistics industry is so fast-paced, it can be tough to stay on top of trends and data. As with all things logistics, Capacity LLC has you covered!
- Published: 2014-07-08
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-industry-update-june-2014-review/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, freight, Logistics, logistics industry, Port of Los Angeles, transportation, United States, warehousing
Long Beach container port. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) We like to keep you up to date with what's going on in and around the world of supply chain logistics. As facts and figures start to flow in at the start of the month, we'll be reporting what we see to keep you up to speed with our rapidly-moving industry. Here's what we have for the logistics industry in June, including reports released last month that cover wider periods and trends: From the Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Transportation and warehousing employment increased by 17,000 in June. " This is a significant increase of the 12-month average (11,000 per month) and supports previous data predicting a strong year for wider intermodal activity. The national manufacturing index dropped marginally in June, although the overall level of 55. 1 keeps us firmly in growth territory for the year. A CSCMP report highlights that total U. S. business logistics costs rose to $1. 39 trillion in 2013, a 2. 3% increase on 2012. U. S. freight traffic was up 6. 3% for the final week of June, capping off a strong month that saw gains posted every week. The month ended with concerns over a trucker strike at the Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach over "unfair labor practices," but subsequent reports indicate that the parties are closer to agreement than previously thought. If there are any industry headlines that you'd like us to focus on in more depth this month, don't hesitate to let us know on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter....
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### Happy 4th of July (& Preparations) from Capacity LLC!
> Capacity LLC wishes our clients, colleagues and readers a very Happy 4th of July!
- Published: 2014-07-03
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-4th-july-preparations-capacity-llc/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Fourth of July, Holidays, Independence Day
Like most of the country, we'll be spending time with friends and family tomorrow to celebrate Independence Day. So we wanted to take the opportunity today to thank clients, colleagues, readers, and everyone else who makes it so special to work together all over the country. Appreciate what goes on behind-the-scenes to make that July 4th feast! And as with everything we do, it's important to remember all the work and logistics that goes on behind the scenes to make the parties and food you'll enjoy tomorrow happen. As we were reminded at our company getaway in March, a whole lot has to happen before that feast appears! So appreciate those who work for you and those for whom you work today, then get on with the business of celebrating our freedoms tomorrow. A perfect way to prepare! From all at Capacity LLC: Happy 4th of July... have fun and travel safely!
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### 3 Ways Your Smartphone Influences Your Shopping
> As Amazon is proving, our smartphone influences many things we do, with shopping habits being an increasingly important part of the online experience.
- Published: 2014-07-02
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3-ways-your-smartphone-influences-shopping/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, Apple, ecommerce, Google, mobile phones, Online shopping, play, retail, smartphone, smartphones
What does your smartphone mean for your shopping habits? (Photo credit: mono_spaced) Mobile technology and ecommerce are inextricably linked, so any significant shift in the dynamic of the former can have major implications for the latter. Here at the business end of the industry, where online activity is finally translated to physical delivery, we see and feel these shifts more than most. So when Amazon announced its new Fire Phone last month, those of us in the business of order fulfillment started calculating the likely impact. Amazon Drives Up Shopping on Smartphones The move is the next logical step for Amazon, who moved quickly a few years ago to secure delivery of digital goods through their Kindle Fire tablet. Positioned at the cheapest end of the market -and presumably sold more or less at cost - the device brought a raft of new users to the 7" inch screen. More importantly for Amazon, it brought plenty of new customers into the company's retail ecosystem. With an "always-on" connection, the Fire Phone is likely to have a similar effect, even if competition in the more mature smartphone market limits adoption. At its most fundamental level, Amazon wants you to be able to buy anytime, anywhere, and spend more as you do so. As Marketwatch reports a 55% increase in spend when using an Amazon device, it seems to be working. Or, as credit expert Ben Woolsey puts it in the same article, "Amazon Fire Phone definitely appears to be a mobile wallet first,...
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### The Importance of Passion in Supply Chain Management
> Supply chain management is a fragmented industry that often competes on price & space, but Capacity's Thom Campbell sees another key quality that many miss.
- Published: 2014-06-26
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-passion/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, Dustin Mattison, manufacturing, Supply chain, Supply chain management, Thom Campbell
If you're not passionate about what you do, then chances are you're not going to do it nearly as well as your competitors. As much as anywhere, this idea applies to supply chain management. That's the main takeaway from Thom Campbell's recent interview with The Future of Supply Chains, an excellent industry analysis site written by Dustin Mattison. Here's the video from an insightful eight-minute look at his background and what drives his work at Capacity LLC. Thom Campbell on Supply Chain Management What it comes down to, in Thom's words, is this: "What really distinguishes a great provider from a good one is that passion for a client's business and truly caring about what they do. " Here are some of the main points he raises: Supply chain partners have perhaps more impact on the success of another business than in any other industry. Often you are literally touching every product before it reaches the customer. Where others choose to compete on price and square footage, Capacity LLC is rooted in the belief that service starts with that dedication to your client. Learning about their products, industry, and customers, and aligning your operations to strive for the same business goals. The people and stories behind their success are what inspired Thom to make the move from finance to supply chain management. His 15-year career in the industry is built on great relationships and people, such as George Korres, whom he refers to in the video. If you have a deep...
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### Capacity LLC Case Study #8: Socket Plugs Into Our Client's Services
> The question of core competencies is always at the back of business manager minds. Our neighbors Socket exemplify the answer as to why outsourcing works.
- Published: 2014-06-24
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-case-study-8-socket-plugs-services/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: Business, business management, Capacity LLC, case study, New Jersey, service providers, socket
In our continuing series of case studies spotlighting our services, suppliers and partners, we focus today on Socket. Socket is in the business of building brands, by providing managed back office services, operational, and finance function support for consumer brands big and small. Their expertise is applied to products and services in the personal care, spirits, beverage, baby, home, and sporting goods industries, among others, and they allow business owners and their staff to focus on managing growth, rather than more mundane admin duties. This is how they help the our shared client interests at Capacity LLC. CHALLENGE"Core competencies" is perhaps an overused phrase in management, but the concept highlights one of the key challenges for any business: what tasks have to be done in-house and which can be outsourced? For many businesses the back office functions don't count as a core competency. They are business-critical, of course - your people need to get paid and your customers need to pay you! - but not necessarily mission-critical. While you can always rcruit your own experts with the skills to manage administrative and behind-the-scenes work, this is an ongoing commitment. It comes with all the training, management, and HR requirements a new employees (or perhaps an entire team) demand. Owners of businesses of all shapes and sizes regularly decide against hiring a fully functioning team to manage these back office task, leaving them to fill a gap with third-party expertise. ACTION Aptly named, many businesses will plug right into Socket (Photo credit: idea-saras) The fundamental action of the Socket team and...
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### Capacity LLC Video: We Know Logistics #2
> In the second video in Capacity LLC's series, "We Know Logistics" Claudia Rodriguez talks about the Assembly Department
- Published: 2014-06-20
- Modified: 2021-03-22
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-video-know-logistics-2/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: best of capacity, Capacity LLC, Logistics, Video, we know logistics
Today's we're releasing the second video in Capacity LLC's series, "We Know Logistics. " Manager Claudia Rodriguez talks about what it takes to get the Assembly Department operating smoothly and efficiently.
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### The Future of Retail: Bigger & Better or Smaller & Slicker?
> Walmart's domination was assumed to mean big box stores would work forever, but a number of factors are driving even them to consider the future of retail.
- Published: 2014-06-19
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/future-retail-bigger-better-smaller-slicker/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: big box stores, ecommerce, mcommerce, mobile payments, online ordering, online retailers, Order fulfillment, retail, smarter shopping
The rapid growth of ecommerce and, more recently mcommerce, has forced businesses to question the future of retail. Where for years it was assumed that the Walmart model of big box = better was the way forward, even the behemoth is starting to think smaller is slicker, in some cases. Walmart Big Box store (Photo credit: Wikipedia) With changes to the way consumers search for product information, research, compare and eventually buy, the need to have everything under one physical roof is becoming outdated. And for some product categories, it's just plain old inefficient. From Big Box to Smart Shopping Big box stores developed primarily to serve families who desired a simpler shopping experience. For all of the criticism leveled at the emergence of Walmart, Target, and Kmart for damaging small business, they ushered in a model that made it far more efficient for busy suburban families to do their weekly shop. Drive right up and everything is under one roof? "Yes please! ," said most Americans. Fast forward a few decades and the focus is now very much online. Walmart sees this and plans to open up to 300 "Neighborhood Market" stores, with an average square footage of 38,000. That equates to a store 80% smaller than some of the company's cavernous "Super Centers" As with most industries, the Internet has disrupted the prevailing way of working. It is forcing retailers large and small to consider what new technology means for the future of retail. When customers are doing all the leg work from the...
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### Four Fun Alternative Uses for Shipping Containers
> Containerization revolutionized the transport industry, but is more than just pushing product! Here are four fun alternative uses for shipping containers.
- Published: 2014-06-13
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/alternative-uses-for-shipping-containers/
- Categories: News
Shipping Containers on vessel (Photo credit: Jim Bahn) Even if you're not directly involved in the transport and logistics industry, it's likely that you see shipping containers every day. On the road as you commute to work. Stacked up neatly in the storage area of haulage company or distribution center. Perhaps even on a vessel as it sails into port. What you probably haven't seen - or even considered - is just how versatile these plain old cargo boxes can be. Far from containing only the latest mass-manufactured item from the East, shipping containers have been used in a variety of ways by enterprising minds around the world. In some cases these are simply fun ideas, but in some instances these robust (and ubiquitous) storage solutions can put a roof over the heads of the homeless or form a makeshift learning space to provide children with an education. We'll look at the more serious uses next week, but for some light-hearted Friday fun here are some of the quirkier uses for shipping containers that we've come across. Four Alternative Uses for Shipping Containers 1. A POP UP ART GALLERY The days of browsing a chic SoHo gallery are just sooo 2013, dah-ling. The true art critic knows that the most vibrant space to spot art (or perhaps just be spotted) is in the renovated interior of an old forty foot container. 2. A COSY HOTEL Okay, very few people's idea of luxury is limited to the square footage squeeze of a shipping...
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### Capacity LLC Case Study #7: YRC - The Heat Is On!
> Each client presents a unique challenge. But when the relationship is new and no goods have been moved, custom solutions are key! Enter, YRC.
- Published: 2014-06-09
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-heat-is-on/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
YRC Trailers - Great working releationships are key to quick cargo movement (Photo credit: Wikipedia) With the long hard winter firmly behind us, today's entry into the case study files takes us back to a new client implementation where the heat was on for the Capacity team... literally! Thankfully, we had a partner by the name of YRC in our corner. No two clients are alike, so we rely on a flexible approach and tailored solutions to our service logistics. Even when a client has been with us for just a few days, the team will pull out all the stops come rain or shine. In this case it was a potential deep freeze that threatened the goods, however, presenting a unique and pressing challenge for the team and our transport partners at YRC - Yellow Roadways Consolidated. Challenge: A new client, a supplier to a major retailer, was preparing to make its first shipment to that retail customer. This was even before moving into our New Brunswick, NJ warehouse facilities, so the partnership was new to all involved. A pressing matter arose almost immediately, in which an urgent shipment needed to be collected on a Friday, in order to meet a Monday cancel date for arrival at the retail DC (distribution center. ) The pickup was at the client's garage and required a lift gate pickup. So far, so good, as this is par for the Capacity LLC course and one of many other "white glove" style services - i. e. those with extra attention to safety, often for sensitive...
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### Summer Means Sunshine... and Shipping Surcharges
> Some argue Memorial Day, others June 21st, but for shippers summer officially begins when the peak shipping surcharges are announced.
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/summer-means-shipping-surcharges/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Asia, Business, cargo movements, imports, Logistics, Peak Season Surcharge, shipping, transpacific, us logistics
Sun Setting on the Gulf of Mexico (Photo credit: DonMiller_ToGo) Although many consider Memorial Day to be the unofficial start of summer, pedants will argue that it officially remains spring until June 21st. Either way, most of us go by whether or not the sun is shining! For the shipping industry, another date is the key to seasonality, and this year it's Sunday June 15th. Unfortunately, it doesn't translate to sunshine and time off, only high demand for container space and higher prices to pay. A Look at the Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) Wan Hai 206 At Hong Kong (Photo credit: wirralwater) Per a confirmation from the team atDelmar Cargo: "Transpacific ocean freight carriers have announced their intentions to implement the following Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) from Asia & the Indian Sub-Continent to all Canada and USA destinations at the below-indicated levels. Effective June 15, 2014: usd 8. 00 per cbm or 500kgusd 320 per 20' containerusd 400 per 40' containerusd 450 per 40'HC containerusd 510 per 45' container" The PSS may refer to any cargo surcharge applied during the typical summer/fall peak season, but for American consignees it is most frequently incurred on shipments from Asia, where volume is highest. It's a common enough phenomenon, but one that nonetheless requires pricing adjustments and a little extra effort across the supply chain. Peak season is an annual challenge for everyone involved in the logistics of moving goods around the world. If it all seems a little early, consider that the lead time for a shipment produced in...
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### Assembly Service - Capacity LLC: We Know Logistics #1 -
> Our Director of Assembly Emily Siegert talks about how access to an assembly service can be key to a smoothly functioning logistics system.
- Published: 2014-06-04
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/assembly-service-we-know-logistics/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: assembly, Assembly line, best of capacity, Capacity LLC, inventory, Logistics, Packaging, Packaging and labeling, packing, Supply chain, teamwork, we know logistics
In our latest video, Capacity LLC's Director of Assembly Service, Emily Siegert, talks about how her department and team are a crucial part of a smooth-functioning supply chain and logistics systems for our clients. Inside Capacity's Assembly Service Cello-wrapping system Emily explains how her team's function is "greasing the wheels" of the operation, as well as some of the key elements of maintaining an efficient assembly line. These include: Cello wrapping Shrink wrapping and shrink banding Kitting and gift boxes Component assembly Custom order assembly Inventory coordination Over-labeling and product relabeling Allocating suitable staff resources Implementing employee efficiency suggestions One example of an increasingly popular service option is gift set assembly. When the orders we ship are gifts, consumers expect not only on time delivery but also exceptional packaging. The outside of the box needs to be almost as exciting as what’s inside! When you need something unique created for a gift set, Emily's team is there to create a premium unboxing experience for the recipient. Then there's custom kitting, where we take kit assmebly to the next level. Not every job is as easy as putting product into a box. Some require a more crafted approach and materials that add to your final packaging. This is another way Capacity can help add value to your brand. To learn more about the full spectrum of our company's value-added service and the experience of our wider team, click here.
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### Why Mobile Payments Demand a Robust, Responsive Supply Chain
> As systems develop to make mobile payments for products easy and secure, e-commerce vendors require a highly responsive supply chain to meet rapid demand.
- Published: 2014-06-03
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/responsive-supply-chain-manage-mobile-payments/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: card readers, digital payments, ecommerce, ewallet, Gartner, Mobile payment, PayPal, responsive supply chain, Supply chain, Supply chain management, Twitter
Mobile payment system in action | Credit: Håkan Dahlström Mobile payment systems are on the rise. By now most of us are aware of online payment veteran PayPal and have probably made a couple of "quick click purchases" on a tablet, but the industry is rapidly accelerating away from these standard offerings to a diverse set of services and products, from smartphone card readers to ewallets and loyalty cards. Research from Gartner pegs $721 billion as the potential value of transactions that such systems could process by 2017, making mobile payments a boom industry for anyone watching. And be sure, ecommerce retailers are watching very closely. Where Mobile Sales Meet the Supply Chain As these systems develop to make mobile payments for products easy and secure, ecommerce vendors require a highly responsive supply chain to meet increased demand. Apart from making the purchase process easier, increasing the speed of service at point of sale also raises expectations as to how quickly a product will be provided. Assuming that the goods haven't exchanged hands immediately, the payment is the equivalent of a promise to deliver as soon as possible. The fact that funds have been transferred raises the stakes for both buyer and seller, which is where the supply chain must swing into action to fulfil the pending order before disappointment sets in. Building a Responsive Supply Chain for the "Always On" Generation Having established that mobile payment systems will become commonplace in the near future, and that their rise will place an increased...
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### Six Statistics on Logistics Globalization
> Integrated logistics globalization has been one of the most significant developments in international commerce. These stats show just how far we've come.
- Published: 2014-05-28
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/six-statistics-logistics-globalization-2/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: BBC, best of capacity, Business, China, Economic, global economy, Globalization, Logistics, Port of Shanghai, United States
Yangshan Deep-water Harbour Zone, Port of Shanghai. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Last year we wrote about the logistics of globalization, examining the challenges that 3PL providers face whether goods from the next state over, or a country on the other side of the world. That proved to be one of our more popular posts, so we thought we'd see what things look like almost a year on. Rather than delve into any one topic (which we'll probably end up doing in several future posts anyway! ), though, here's a look at global logistics through the lens of statistics. Six Statistics Reflecting the State of Global Logistics 1. The top five U. S. trading partners in terms of cargo containers in 2009 were all Asian countries, of which China accounted for almost half (48%) of the shipments in question. This means that American trade with China has almost doubled since the turn of the century. A 20-foot long ISO container (1 TEU) | Photo credit: Wikipedia 2. Containerisation was associated with an increase in bilateral trade of 790% over 20 years. A bilateral free-trade agreement, by contrast, boosted trade by just 45% in the same period. Membership of GATT raises it by 285%. In other words, containers have boosted logistics globalization significantly more than trade agreements in the past 50 years. 3. On a typical weekday, U. S. container ports handle around 70,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent unit containers - see right) of freight from all around the world. 4. Container ships seem to get...
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### 3PL Questions: Should Businesses Ask for Custom Logistics Solutions?
> When you decide to outsource some or all of your supply chain, a custom logistics solution can make or break the decision. But what should you ask your 3PL?
- Published: 2014-05-21
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3pl-questions-can-custom-logistics/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, 3PLQs, best of capacity, custom logistics solutions, FAQ, Logistics, Order fulfillment, outsourcing, questions, supply chain solutions
Think of your 3PL like a dovetail joint; the closer the connection, the sturdier the solution! (Talk (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Earlier this month we recommended eight questions to ask a potential 3PL when you decide to outsource some or all of your supply chain operations. As some of those questions warranted a deeper dive, we'll be looking more closely at the considerations to make and what to listen for when you ask them. Today we look at services or processes specifically designed for your business and why it's wise to ask your 3PL for some custom logistics solutions. The Benefits of a Custom Logistics Solution As we said in the previous post, it's vital that your supply chain partners give you the confidence that comes from understanding your industry. More importantly, you need them to have a good handle on your business itself and the inevitable quirks that come with your order fulfillment process. A good logistics partner who knows how you work will be able to make suitable recommendations about supply chain improvements that better serve your customers. This could be anything from consolidating a variety of processes into one unified shipping solution, to improved packaging practices that reduce damage potential and customer complaints. Some of the advantages of probing for these custom logistics solutions include: Cost reduction from driving out supply chain inefficiencies. Open your eyes to new technology solutions which may be commonplace to your 3PL but that you hadn't considered (or even heard of! ) You flag any potential misunderstandings about how...
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### Dimensional Weight Pricing Disrupts the Delivery Industry
> FedEx will adopt a new dimensional weight pricing policy from January 1st, 2015, with the potential to increase business shipping costs across the country.
- Published: 2014-05-15
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/dimensional-weight-pricing-disrupts-delivery-industry/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, News
- Tags: Amazon, ecommerce, fedex, free shipping, online orders, pricing, shipping, shipping prices, ups, Walmart
We've talked before about maintaining an efficient, cost-effective supply chain by reviewing industry shifts, variable costs. and eliminating waste. Well, one such sea change may soon occur for shippers large and small, as FedEx moves forward with a waste elimination measure of its own. The Shift to Dimension Based Shipment Pricing FedEx Truck (Photo credit: myJon) The new Fed Ex pricing model is intended to cut costs that arise from light but bulky packages. Often these are everyday, low price items like toilet paper and kitchen roll, which take up more than their fair share of space on the delivery vehicle. Essentially the announcement means that FedEx will now calculate shipping rates by size, should the dimensional weight of such packages be greater than their actual weight. There are clear implications for online retailers if the move goes industry-wide, as the likes of Amazon and Walmart rely upon the current price model in order to offer free shipping to consumers. These companies are making great strides towards same-day delivery thanks to this growth, but dimensional weight pricing poses a threat to some items on its shopping list. This pricing will take effect on January 1st, 2015. This means there is still some time to plan and adjust for additional costs, perhaps even switching services if other providers choose to compete with FedEx on this criteria. FedEx Freight is also bumping up its fuel surcharge by 3% from June 2nd, 2014. Although fuel costs are a more recognized variable cost for shippers (and all of us,...
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### Capacity LLC Case Study #6: Corporate Collateral with ADP
> When Capacity LLC first met our clients at ADP, the world’s largest provider of payroll services, they were not happy.
- Published: 2014-05-13
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-corporate-collateral/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: ADP, Capacity LLC, Order fulfillment, Supply chain, Transportation and Logistics
When Capacity LLC first met our clients at ADP, the world’s largest provider of payroll services, they were not happy. The company was then using several warehousing and manufacturing facilities to ship and store all of its products. This included a wide variety of items, from time clocks and hand scanners to ID badges and software. Some of the logistics providers were also processing returns and handling collateral materials. Challenge: In addition to the inefficiencies inherent in the process desribed above, the ADP inventory fulfillment system was also being handled manually. Errors abounded. When you consider that capturing a unique serial number on each time clock for both outbound shipping and returns management is one of ADP’s critical requirements, and that it was being processed by hand, there was a great deal of room for improvement. This is where our team entered the equation for ADP's inventory challenge. Solution: Capacity was well-positioned to solve ADP’s logistics dilemma. Through our work with pharmaceutical companies, we had already developed the capability to electronically capture lot, batch, and serial numbers throughout the supply chain for selected Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) by scanning serial numbers. Daily reports of shipments and returns include this information, critical to the proper tracking of any and all products. This works well for shipments as well as for returns. By consolidating all shipments and returns within a single warehouse, Capacity LLC helped ADP to achieve a robust, integrated, and highly accurate solution for serial number asset tracking. ADP’s two...
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### Capacity LLC Case Study #5: Glo Science
> With a flexible attitude and experience in the field, Capacity LLC helped our client Glo Science pivot to shipping medical equipment.
- Published: 2014-05-05
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-glo-science-2/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: Food and Drug Administration, Glo Science, Home Shopping Network
Our case studies present a supply chain challenge and serve up a solution, as crafted by Capacity's team of fulfillment experts. This entry examines Glo Science, whose business involves more advanced items in the field of medical services and cosmetic treatment. Challenge: Glo Science Medical Devices Capacity LLC has long worked on order fulfillment for pharmaceutical companies. As an FDA holding site and certified contract packager, we are well placed to meet the standards and challenges of this complex industry. Things got more complicated, however, when one of our existing clients, Glo Science, moved into the business of medical devices and their needs changed overnight. The logistics, warehousing, and inventory fulfillment requirements of moving medical devices demanded a new approach and flexible attitude. The company required a fulfillment partner with the ability to quickly add new capabilities, including meeting new government regulatory packing requirements, adding a repackaging element to this supply chain challenge. Solution: Capacity LLC swung into action immediately, working with regulatory consultants to add the capabilities needed to support Glo Science’s e-commerce and major EDI shipping integration needs through new channels, including the Home Shopping Network and Sephora. Glo Science’s new initiative required an extensive expansion of our assembly efforts and implementation of all the required compliance procedures. Somewhat inevitably, there was a tight deadline but the Capacity team came together to keep these items moving to the targeted levels. We made it happen and everything was executed in accordance with Glo Science’s rigorous timeline for a successful launch.
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### 5 Supply Chain Funnies for Friday
> What do you mean supply chain management isn't amusing? Check out our selection of Friday supply chain funnies!
- Published: 2014-05-02
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/5-supply-chain-funnies-friday-2/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: funny, miscellaneous, planning, supply and demand, transportation
We'll have another deep read for you next week, but for now put your feet up and enjoy your lunch over these five supply chain funnies. (We hear you questioning, "supply chains can be fun? " Of course they can! Haven't you ever dropped anything off your roof? ) Five Examples of Supply Chain Funnies 1. Transportation Sometimes you're going to need more horsepower... Photo Credit: Scientopia 2. Suppliers As a supplier, do you often feel like no-one ever remembers you're around? Try missing a couple of delivery dates. (Just for the record, we do the opposite! ) 3. Planners In a planning meeting, an analyst asks his Demand Manager, “Which do you like best, my detailed forecasts or my improved inventory projections? ” The manager looks over his Excel spreadsheets at length, before finally replying, “I like your sense of humor. ” 4. Ordering Contrary to popular belief, the best way to locate missing inventory is NOT to place a new Purchase Order! 5. Loading No matter how efficient your loading, sometimes it's worth making a second trip... Photo Credit: B. Medi Have a great weekend, we'll see you next week!
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### Capacity LLC Case Study #4: Origin BioMed
> Capacity LLC worked Origin BioMed to reach the next stage of the pharmaceutical company's development.
- Published: 2014-04-30
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-case-study-4-origin-biomed-2/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Order fulfillment, Origin BioMed
When Capacity LLC first met Origin BioMed, it was a young manufacturer of an Over-the-Counter (OTC) neuropathic topical treatment. Origin had met with success in Canada, its home market, and was looking toward the US to expand into the lucrative American OTC pharmaceutical market. Challenge: The company was looking for a distribution partner to help with direct-to-consumer shipments and a planned expansion into the US retail market. Its products required lot code tracking to individual consumers. An outbound serial number and lot code scanning were required in every case. In short, Origin BioMed needed help in boosting its distribution in order to reach the next stage of the company's development. Solution: Capacity had worked with other smaller companies, working toward the next stage of their development. We quickly modified our order management system to capture every lot/serial number for Origin. This process extremely important in managing order fulfillment and inventory control. If a number is not captured, the packing list and shipping label cannot be created and the order cannot settle. We have now used this technology for many clients over a period of many years. At the time, we were the only provider ready, willing and able to accommodate Origin BioMed’s needs.
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### Kraft Foods Outsourcing Epitomizes a Key Supply Chain Question
> Even a multi-billion dollar business needs to review the right supply chain solutions. Kraft Foods outsourcing its transportation is a case in point.
- Published: 2014-04-29
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/kraft-foods-outsourcing-transportation-supply-chain/
- Categories: Logistics, Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, kraft foods, outsourcing, outsourcing questions, SMB, Supply chain management, supply chain operations, supply chain partner, Third-party logistics, warehousing
Kraft Foods office (Photo credit: Wikipedia) From the smallest solopreneur to the biggest billion-dollar brand, the same supply chain question crops up again and again: what can we do ourselves and what operations should we contract out? Kraft Foods outsourcing its transportation operations shows that even company's that you might assume can do it all sometimes see greater value in getting an outside expert in to handle key operations. The nationwide company will divest its private fleet before the year is out, passing on those key distribution tasks to commercial and contract carriers. As a Kraft spokesperson succinctly put it, the move is designed as "part of our broader integrated supply chain focus on supplier integration. " Even more simply? Some of our logistics partners do this better and more cost-effectively than us. Questions to Consider When Outsourcing For Kraft Foods outsourcing is just one of many options available. But what about the small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) that make up most of the country's economy? A good supply chain partner is the equivalent of a help button for your business. (Photo credit: gruntzooki) SMB budgets are obviously smaller and need to be stretched further to compete effectively. While experimentation and improvement is important to every supply chain, SMB owners must be even more certain that the logistics decisions they make are going to reduce costs and/or improve productivity. If you're in that position and wondering whether certain portions of your supply chain activities would be better off in the hands of...
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### Leaders in Logistics: 6 Classic Quotes With Supply Chain Relevance
> In tough times people look to the wisdom of leaders to guide decisions. These six fine minds would also make great leaders in logistics.
- Published: 2014-04-25
- Modified: 2021-06-21
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/6-classic-quotes-leaders-in-logistics/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Logistics, planning, plans, preparation, quotes, strategy, Supply chain, Supply chain management, tactics
In tough times people often look to the wisdom of leaders - whether political, cultural, or even leaders in logistics - to guide their decisions. We thought it would be fun to run some classic quotes through the lens of the logistics professional... it turns out there are plenty of lessons to be learned about the supply chain from these wise voices from the past. (On the other hand, if you're looking for a supply chain quote of the 3PL kind, contact us to start that conversation! )Classic Quotes from Leaders in Logistics Our clients and partners know that we draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, not the least of which are iconic leaders and entrepreneurs. Here are six timeless quotes from well-known leaders, all of which hold value for supply chain management and logistics: "Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning. " ~Winston Churchill Worrying solves nothing, of course, but we take this British bulldog's words in terms of recognizing potential kinks in the supply chain before they occur. As a logistics professional it's important to run "what if" scenarios and dig into any areas that give you pause for thought. That's where you'll find those advance worries turn into advance planning! "Planning is everything. The plan is nothing. " ~Dwight D. Eisenhower With rigorous military planning running through his veins, Eisenhower still understood that the majority of plans become useless not long after they're rolled out. The value of planning is high, however, as defining objectives drives long term...
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### How Will 3D Printing Impact the Supply Chain?
> The technology is developing rapidly but still has significant limitations. So just how - and when - will 3D printing impact the supply chain?
- Published: 2014-04-22
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3d-printing-impact-on-supply-chain-management/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy, Technology
- Tags: 3D printers, 3D printing, 3D Systems, disruption, International CES, Makerbot, makers, manufacturing, scm, Supply chain, warehouses
My beautiful picture 3D printing holds a lot of promise and is heavily backed by investors, but only really came to wider media attention this year. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, pioneering companies like Makerbot and 3D Systems, Inc. showed off the vast potential for the technology. The 3D Printing Impact on Supply Chain Management What hasn't been discussed quite as widely is just how 3D printing impacts the supply chain, not to mention the managers who must predict and adjust to such changes. At first glance, 3D printing could easily be seen as a damaging development for existing warehouse and supply chain solutions. The linear make, move, store and distribute model of the supply chain is clearly disrupted when the means of production can be purchased by anyone, for uses personal or professional. So doesn't this technology bypass almost all of the traditional process? The Current Limitations of 3D Printing Not exactly. There are a number of limitations to consider before a game-changing technological breakthrough hits your supply chain. These include: Early stage technology - For all the attention being paid to 3D printing, the products themselves are still limited and in the early adopter stage. The hallmarks of this stage are high cost and limited products, which prevent mass adoption. Realistically we have several years before this begins to change, so you have some time to ponder your company's response! Regulations - New technology is always (eventually) subject to new regulations that govern its use. Home manufacturing...
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### How to Review Your Supply Chain Data Solutions
> With 'Big Data' taking up so much media attention, you may soon be asked to review your supply chain data solutions. Here's what managers need to know.
- Published: 2014-04-17
- Modified: 2023-11-02
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/review-your-supply-chain-data-solutions/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, Big Data, data solutions, edi, logistics data management, Supply chain management, Technology
Logistics professionals rely heavily on supply chain data, both in real-time and after the fact reporting. Supply chain data solutions can be tough to manage, however, particularly as the trend towards 'Nate Silver. Businesses seeking enterprise-wide levels of improvement through data will certainly need a team of these experts, but smaller firms may find that existing team members with a good head for numbers and analysis can do the job. Whatever the size of your business, ensure that you have the right people crunching the numbers, and someone well versed in your industry requirements to check and put them information into context. The Bottom Line Specific areas of the logistics, warehouse management and order fulfillment processes will see clear benefits from time invested to improve supply chain data solutions. Digging out the right data and using it to define and solve existing challenges is the objective, rather than reporting vast amounts of information just because it's there. We already see major benefits for our clients in the technology we use to manage orders, particularly when customized to fit a previously identified supply chain need. Getting into the nuts and bolts of data is certainly tricky and comes back to having the right resources at your disposal and the right people to manage them. Grasping the moving parts of a supply chain will stand managers in good stead to confidently decide where practices can be made more efficient. Big Data, however we choose to define it, clearly has a role to...
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### Intermodal Transport Volume Points Again to a Strong Year Ahead
> Following promising signs at the turn of the year, intermodal transport volumes made good in Q1, with U.S. railroads in particular taking the strain.
- Published: 2014-04-14
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/intermodal-transport-volume-points-strong-year-ahead/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Association of American Railroads, Economic growth, Intermodal freight transport, Rail transport, scm, Supply chain, Supply chain management, Transportation and Logistics
Despite adverse weather, railroads started 2014 in strong fashion (Photo credit: Wikipedia) We talked about the resurgent U. S. railroads at the turn of the year, and their role in fueling wider economic growth, so it's exciting to see that volumes are on the rise again. During the first quarter of this year, railroads moved 3. 8% more than the corresponding period in 2013. “U. S. rail traffic rebounded strongly in March 2014 following a subpar February,” reports John Gray, the SVP of the Association of American Railroads. He added in a statement that last month's performance shows there is “every reason to be optimistic that 2014 will break 2013’s intermodal volume record. ” The encouraging data comes in the wake of a long and difficult winter for much of the country. Despite this adverse weather, intermodal transport solutions rose to the challenge and set 2014 off on a fine footing for the rest of the year. Railroads took the strain even as trucks found it slow going on the country's highways and interstates, demonstrating that having a variety of freight options available is a must for managers running extensive supply chains. And for businesses interested in eliminating waste from supply chain costs, understanding the many options for getting goods from point A to point B (and C, D, etc! ) is a pre-requisite. With so many complex variables at work, knowing your way around the world of transport helps both to plan more effectively in advance and respond to supply...
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### Case Study #3: Korres Compliance Challenge J&J
> Korres has grown from a small, niche player into a national brand. Capacity LLC has been supporting them since early days.
- Published: 2014-04-10
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/case-study-3-korres/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Home Shopping Network, Johnson & Johnson, Korres Natural Products, Transportation and Logistics
Korres Natural Products had worked with Capacity LLC for almost a decade, growing from a very small niche player into a national brand. Today, its products are known around the world. When the company was purchased by a major multinational corporation, however, the playing field changed overnight and Capacity was required to change with it. ChallengeWhen Johnson & Johnson acquired the manufacturing and licensing rights to the brand, it needed a third-party warehousing and logistics provider that knew the existing business and could also support the growth it was expecting to drive. J&J also needed a logistics provider that could comply with its strict Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and other requirements. Without adherence to such compliance stipulations, no 3PL could expect to do business with a corporation of this size. Anyone who has grown up in the medical device or pharmaceutical sector knows just how crucial this is. Solution: We quickly rose to the challenge presented by J&J, enhancing our existing warehousing and fulfillment capabilities to meet J&J’s complex requirements. We took the logistics burden off of our client's team, enabling its management to focus on sales & marketing, as well as other core competencies. As J&J radically ramped up the Korres business and began shipping for the Home Shopping Network, the company required a multi-tiered integration to its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). This required an extensive expansion of Capacity LLC’s assembly efforts and the implementation of all of J&J’s compliance requirements. Every area of our business has been...
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### More Than Machinery: Developing the Human Side of Manufacturing
> Let's not rid ourselves of robots, but news that the skilled human side of manufacturing is making a comeback is grease to our assembly line!
- Published: 2014-04-08
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/human-side-of-manufacturing-makes-a-comeback/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: artisans, automation, drones, HR, human manufacturing, manufacturing, robots, Technology, toyota, Warehouse
Will the future of manufacturing be about more than just machinery? | Image Credit (Wikipedia) Is it time to replace robots with humans? No, that's not a typing error, it's a question that more and more companies seem to be asking, as the human side of manufacturing fights for focus in a world of automation. It's not just small-scale local artisans, either; mass-produced vehicle maker Toyota is also now considering the efficiency advantages of a larger skilled human workforce. Man vs. Machine? Although it's tempting to pit one against the other (even if only for sci-fi fantasy reasons), the future is likely to be one that blends both the robotic and human side of manufacturing. We wrote last month about it being only a matter of time before the limitations on commercial drones are lifted. Combined with the promise of 3D printing technologies and the general trend towards automation for many decades, there are plenty of arguments for a machine-heavy future. But the reality, as Toyota points out, is that efficient manufacturing requires the best of both worlds; human and machine working in sync. There are two main reasons to return to a more balanced production process. For one, an over-reliance on automation drags human workers down to the level of the robotic parts of production, removing common sense and an ability to improvise. At the moment - and probably the forseeable future - even the most advanced production systems can't replicate the complex human reasoning that adjusts to assembly issues, fluctuating...
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### Case Study #2: AP Deauville
> When men’s care product manufacturer and marketer AP Deauville purchased the license to manufacture PowerStick™, Capacity LLC got the call.
- Published: 2014-04-01
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/case-study-2-ap-deauville-powerstick/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: A.P Deauville, Capacity LLC, Electronic data interchange, International Air Transport Association, Power Stick
Challenge:When men’s care product manufacturer and marketer AP Deauville purchased the license to manufacture the top value deodorant PowerStick™ the company wanted to keep the manufacturing in-house at its New Brunswick, NJ facility. It also wanted to contain costs by continuing to run its business on a Just-in-Time (JIT) basis. Warehousing, however, proved to be a major obstacle to building and scaling the business. A lack of coordination between manufacturing and distribution and inventory management posed a serious impediment to growth. The Capacity Solution: AP Deauville contacted Capacity LLC to provide third party processing of its Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) orders to retailers as well as warehousing, fulfillment and assembly. That was just the beginning. Over time, the company’s business needs grew in complexity and size to include International Air Transport Association (IATA) mandated processing of aerosol products, a task requiring caged storage and specialized handling capabilities. We took on the challenge, making capital investments to handle these new specifications and training key members of Capacity LLC’s management team to ensure that all IATA requirements were met. As our client took on additional EDI trading partners, Capacity LLC developed increasingly sophisticated and scalable EDI and product fulfillment capabilities. When the company needed help with a complex returns processing job in California, our West Coast warehouse made it possible and cost-effective. Over the last decade, AP Deauville has enjoyed exponential growth without ever investing in or modifying additional warehouse space of its own. The company has never had to expand...
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### Tesla Battles Back to Redefine Its Industry Supply Chain
> Despite staunch opposition in New Jersey and beyond, Elon Musk's Tesla intends to redefine the automobile industry supply chain.
- Published: 2014-03-31
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/elon-musk-tesla-automobile-industry-supply-chain/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: auto industry, Automotive industry, car dealerships, cars, electric cars, Elon Musk, lithium ion car batteries, New Jersey, Supply chain, Tesla, Tesla Motors, texas
Tesla S, close-up on the rear (Photo Credit: Wikipedia) If you don't know about electric car maker Tesla and its visionary owner Elon Musk, it's not for his lack of trying. Musk is currently doing battle with lawmakers around the country to get Tesla's game-changing industry supply chain to compete with existing vehicle dealerships. Nowhere has this proved more difficult than right here in New Jersey, which recently banned Tesla direct sales from showrooms in the state, only to offer a temporary reprieve as state lawmakers allow time to comply with existing dealership laws. Similar restrictions on the innovative automaker are being fought around the country. For now the product is available only to high-end buyers, with prices at $70,000 and up given the limited production and Tesla's fledgling status as a startup. The company is little more than ten years old but has done enough in its short life to have the entire auto industry galvanizing to compete on the eco-friendly playing field that looms large in its future. Slow and steady progress is being made by traditional car makers, offering hybrid vehicles and squeezing greater MPG out of even their most gas-guzzling models. Tesla's take on the industry threatens to upend their current business model much more quickly, though, and redefining the supply chain is a big part of that. Tesla Redefines the Automotive Supply Chain Starting at the end, the purchase process for a Tesla is considerably different to that of a standard vehicle. The manufacturer and...
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### Case Study #1: Skin and Haircare - Weleda
> Capacity helped beauty company Weleda to consolidate its operations while expanding its business. A one-stop shop for haircare fulfillment.
- Published: 2014-03-28
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/case-study-1-skin-haircare-weleda/
- Categories: Case Study, Inside Capacity
- Tags: Distribution, Order fulfillment, Weleda
With today's post, we start an occasional series of case studies focusing on the industries and companies with which we've been especially active. In each case like this one with Weleda, we've been given a challenge and have developed a unique solution. We hope that the samples provide a sense of how we approach challenges and devise solutions. The Challenge: Skin and Haircare Fulfillment Beauty care company Weleda NA wanted to consolidate its six sprawling warehouses under a single roof. Sounds simple enough, right? Not so fast! That one, rather large location had to offer full-service logistics, multi-channel distribution, e-commerce order fulfillment, sales brokers, distributors like United Natural Food, Inc. (UNFI), and retailers like Target and Whole Foods Market. Critically, the company needed a logistics company that could develop methods for handling short-dated product and First Expiration, First Out (FEFO) inventory, while also repackaging 100% of its product inbound from Germany. Solution: Capacity methodically went to work, replacing each element of Weleda’s complex US distribution network. Our experienced team handling everything from point of entry into the country and repackaging items for the US market through to multi-channel shipping. We also developed FEFO inventory management techniques, and separate silos for pick and pack, case pick and short-dated inventory. The resulting solution offered Weleda significant economies of scale and fewer logistics-induced headaches. Six haircare fulfillment locations into one with additional services added? Not a problem.
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### Are the Skies Open for Commercial Drones?
> Drones have become a topic in any conversation about the future of retail and e-commerce. As a result of a court action, there are no regs against them.
- Published: 2014-03-27
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/skies-open-commercial-drones/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: drones, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Raphael Pirker
Raphael Pirker, drone activist? (Photo credit: LeWeb13) Drones have become a topic in any conversation about the future of retail and e-commerce. Sure there are all of those pesky practical considerations about drones hitting people, houses, electric wires, etc. But the biggest obstacle, until earlier this month, appeared to be the federal government. The FAA was master of the skies - at least it was until earlier this month when an Austrian entrepreneur challenged the agency and won. Raphael Pirker was hit with a $10,000 fine by the FAA in 2011 for flying a five pound styrofoam drone above the University of Virginia to film the campus for a promotional video. The FAA charged that he had operated without a license and flown recklessly close to buildings, cars in a tunnel and pedestrians. In throwing Pirker's case out, the NTSB administrative judge also threw out the FAA regulation banning drones. Saying that there was no "enforceable" rule against Pirker's drone, and that the government's claim amounted to a claim of jurisdiction over everything in the sky, including, "a paper aircraft, or a toy balsa wood glider. " Pirker's company TBS Avionics operates out of Hong Kong. Where does this leave us? At present, there are no laws against commercial drones. That's likely to change soon as we confront safety issues. Even Pirker contends that there do need to be safety regulations in place. There is a difference after all between a five pound styrofoam drone flying around the Virginia countryside and...
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### Lose the 'E': Connected Order Fulfillment Eliminates E-Commerce
> With a $300 million investment in connected order fulfillment, Home Depot aims to knock the 'e' out of e-commerce.
- Published: 2014-03-25
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/connected-order-fulfillment-eliminates-ecommerce/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: brands, Brick and mortar, delivery, Distribution, E-commerce, Home Depot, Logistics, online ordering, Order fulfillment, store pick up
The Home Depot in Knightdale, North Carolina. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) With a $300 million investment this year in connected order fulfillment channels, Home Depot has posed a question that cuts to the core of transactions in the digital era: do we really need the 'e'? The nationally recognized brand is investing to synchronize its web, mobile and bricks and mortar shopping experience by developing enhanced distribution centers. These improvements aim to offer customers a seamless experience no matter how they decide to buy, which in turn lessens the focus on traditional e-commerce solutions. With a significant proportion of its online orderers opting for physical store pick-ups, Home Depot has come to the conclusion that e-commerce is really just plain old commerce via new channels, and perhaps too much focus on the online aspect blinkers it to opportunities to connect the dots of its order fulfillment. So far from e-commerce killing the shopping mall, it seems that physical stores will in fact play a role in killing e-commerce. The trend towards buying online is going nowhere, of course, but the term itself could soon become as outmoded as "personal computer" and "surfing the web. " The important element for supply chain managers is to note the underlying alignment of technology that will drive this trend to connected order fulfillment. Consumers now carry an array of devices, from laptops and smartphones to tablets and "phablets" in between. While there remains a gap in the user experience on each of these, it is narrowing...
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### 8 Ways to Eliminate Waste from Your Supply Chain
> Waste can creep in to any area of the business supply chain. Set up systems to eliminate waste and drive efficiency throughout your organization.
- Published: 2014-03-20
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/8-ways-to-eliminate-waste-supply-chain/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, Logistics, scm, Supply chain management
Is your business sufficiently efficient? (Photo credit: Participatory Learning) There's never a bad time to look for ways to eliminate waste from your business supply chain. The economic turbulence of the past five years undoubtedly prompted businesses big and small to tighten their belts and look for leaner ways of working, but the truth is that every business can benefit from a regular supply chain review. Commitment to continuous improvement yields even greater rewards. By building checks and efficiency reporting into the core of your business processes, you can: Eliminate waste and unnecessary rework. Establish ongoing cost savings. Ensure that no potential problem is overlooked for longer than it should be. Empower employees to take greater responsibility and ownership of their job. While the benefits are attractive, there's a lot of work to be done to get to a fully functional system that removes waste and continues to add incremental changes that make your supply chain more efficient. Channeling our extensive experience in the field, we've compiled eight places that you can begin an efficiency drive for your business. Before You Start... First and foremost, you'll need to decide whether this will be a one-off review to eliminate waste or a holistic commitment to end-to-end development of supply chain efficiency. We recommend the latter as it reduces cost and resource investment in the long-term. Some business simply won't be able to allocate the resources for a full scale overhaul, however. If this is true for your organization, a single review...
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### One-Click Retail in the Cloud
> One-click retail is a dream come true for consumers. You click and the next thing you know, it's on your doorstep
- Published: 2014-03-17
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/one-click-retail-cloud/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: eBay, Ingram Micro, Netsuite, Newell Rubbermaid, One-Click Retail, Shipwire
(Photo credit: Wikipedia) One-click retail is a dream come true for consumers. You click and the next thing you know, it's on your doorstep. The process is considerably more complex for vendors, requiring behind the scenes logistics magic. At Capacity LLC we work with the latest in tech to make this happen for our clients. Cloud based computing technology enables retailers to coordinate and simplify the distribution process. Using the cloud, sellers can determine the precise location of the items they're selling in order to determine the most cost effective way to move it to consumers. This was undoubtedly the logic behind the recent acquisition of Shipwire, the cloud based logistics and supply chain management SaaS provider by Ingram Micro. An indication of the value seen in Shipwire is in the identity of two of its early stage funders, eBay and Newell Rubbermaid, the company behind the Calphalon, Rubbermaid and Goody brands. Using Shipwire customers offering one-click retail will have 0n-demand access to warehouses across the United States, Canada and Europe. The cloud logistics and SaaS supply chain market is a hot one. It's a market that Amazon dominates, and Shipstation, Trade Gecko and Netsuite, also play major roles.
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### Video: Capacity at Natirar
> The Capacity LLC team met at Richard Branson's Natirar culinary center earlier this month to engage in some team building, cooking and eating.
- Published: 2014-03-17
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/video-capacity-natirar/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Natirar
The Capacity LLC team met at Richard Branson's Natirar culinary center earlier this month to engage in some team building, cooking and eating. Did we mention the eating part?
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### Click and Collect Ordering Drives Changes in the Warehouse
> Order fulfillment lead times are getting shorter as a result of "click and collect" consumption, leading to rapid changes in the way warehouses are run.
- Published: 2014-03-13
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/click-and-collect-ordering-challenges-warehouse-management/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: best of capacity, click and collect, Distribution, next day delivery, Order fulfillment, order processing, ordering, same day delivery, Supply chain, Transportation and Logistics, Vocollect, Warehouse
Order fulfillment must now happen in a flash (Photo credit: Wikipedia) We've already covered the ways in which technology drives e-commerce changes and promises same-day delivery. Less visible are the challenges that are faced behind the scenes in the warehouse, and how technology holds promise to help there as well. Take same-day delivery, for example. Back down the order fulfillment process lies the placement of the order, which is happening more and more via mobile devices, on the move. As consumers are increasingly able to place orders anywhere, at any time, they place extra strains on the warehouses in the supply chain that are tasked with fulfilling those orders. The Challenges of the "Click & Collect" Consumer Fulfillment lead times are getting shorter as a result of "click and collect" consumption. This is true whether the collection point is in store or some other location, but especially challenging in the latter scenario. Richard Adams of Vocollect hints at the level of expectation in this recent article for Supply Chain Digital. He goes so far as to say: Click and collect, combined with expectations of next-day or same-day delivery, means warehouse operations must be faultless. Faultless means seamless, which requires an obsessive focus on process efficiency. Technology plays a bit part in this and is often the answer to the question "how can we improve order fulfillment? " Some of the tech that we see driving change in warehouse management includes: Voice-activated technology for labor intensive tasks, like those covered in the...
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### Capacity Meets Richard Branson (sort of)
> Capacity LLC spent last Friday meeting, team building, cooking... and eating at Richard Branson's Natirar estate in Peapack, Jersey.
- Published: 2014-03-10
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-meets-richard-branson-sort/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity, Jeff Kaiden, Natirar, Richard Branson
VLUU L200 / Samsung L200 Capacity spent last Friday in the presence of Virgin CEO Richard Branson. Sort of. We took a day to gather 30 members of the staff for a retreat at the Branson owned 90 acre Natirar culinary center in bucolic Peapack, New Jersey. Driving up a long, twisting driveway (by long, it's about a mile), dodging deer, we arrived at the former carriage house turned restaurant and culinary center. We nibbled on mini pizzas that we made (sort of) and sat down to a few inspirational and aspirational remarks from CEO Jeff Kaiden. Then, it was on to the main course... . We split into groups to prepare a gourmet repast that included roast pork loin, with a delicious mango salsa, lemon and pesto chicken and other treats. More photos of our retreat are here. The Capacity staff getting down to business An afternoon away from the office accomplished several things. The Capacity staff was able to talk and interact away from the pressures of the office (always a good thing) and the splitting up of the staff into different cooking teams enabled people from different departments to get to know each other a little bit better. It was a great afternoon, a terrific team building exercise. And the food was great. A great end (we hope) to a deep New Jersey winter. Enjoying the fruits of our labors!
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### Inspired by HUVr, 10 Movie Technologies Still Awaiting Delivery
> Despite the claims of HUVr, hoverboards still aren't here. Nor are these 10 other movie inventions, but we hope to see delivery soon.
- Published: 2014-03-06
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/huvr-10-movie-technologies-awaiting-delivery/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: back to the future, delivery, fun, future technology, HUVr, list, Technology
Movies are great at promising a lot, but tend to deliver much less. The fun (and fictitious) folks at HUVr Tech know this and have been playing on our Back to the Future-inspired dreams this week with a promotional video (see below) proposing that hoverboards are finally here. Unfortunately, even with the backing of Doc Brown himself, this is a technology that's still awaiting delivery. Rumored to be a fake cooked up by a comedy website, we still want to believe that some of the technologies that the movies promise will be delivered in the near future. 10 Movie Technologies Still Awaiting Delivery With that hope still burning bright, here's our HUVr inspired list of 10 technologies we'd love to see delivered soon: 1. Holo-messaging Everyone in Star Wars, Star Trek, and any other Star something can project a 3D holographic version of themselves to communicate important info ("Be home late"/"Pick up milk"). Why are we still stuck with Skype? ! 2. Jet Packs Really, we'd forgive HUVr hoverboard fail if jet packs became a reality. Zipping around the Capacity warehouse would never be the same again. Not quite what we had in mind... (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 3. Service Robots Any sci-fi film worth its salt has an android or six, but it seems the reality of robotics is still stuck in making machines dance. Is no-one working on a droid that does dinner? 4. X-Ray Specs Despite the promise of almost every comic book ever, the only association we have...
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### Losers Win Big! Pick & Pack for the Oscars 2014 Swag Bags
> Losers at Oscars 2014 can still come out big winners, as Acure Organics and other luxury brands pick and pack a high-value gift bag of consolation swag.
- Published: 2014-02-27
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/losers-win-big-with-oscars-2014-swag-bags/
- Categories: News
Photo Credit: BDS2006 When it comes to the Academy Awards, even the losers end up big winners. We know this, because our friends and clients at the excellent Acure Organics gave us the inside scoop on the Oscars 2014. In particular, they let us know about the high-value gift bags that those nominees who miss out in five of the biggest categories will receive. These consolation prizes contain around $80,000 worth of goodies, including cutting-edge items from the Acure range of organic, fair-trade skin care products. The gift bag value is a 45% increase on the one picked and packed for the Oscars in 2013, and also includes vacations, spa days, products for celebrity pets and, bizarrely, a his and hers set of Mace guns. For those awkward interviews on the red carpet, perhaps? The goal is, of course, to have some of the biggest names in show business discover and delight in the products that go into these glamorous gift bags. For a more organic look at the feedback on Acure products, however, we thought a scan of the company's Twitter feed would be more representative. Living and loving pick and pack operations as we do at Capacity, it's great to see so many happy customers discovering Acure Organics products in monthly subscription gift packages, like Birchbox, which are becoming more and more popular. It's amazing just how good it feels to receive a delivery of great new products, whether you're in Hollywood or Hudson County... perhaps not as good as...
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### Self-Driving, Self-Parking... Will Your Next Smart Car Pick Up Your Packages?
> Volvo is testing a "Roam Delivery" feature to allow smart car pick up of packages on-the-go. Smart idea, but not the only alternative delivery game in town.
- Published: 2014-02-25
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/smart-car-pick-up-delivery-volvo/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: alternative delivery, Amazon, delivery, eBay, Order fulfillment, smart car, volvo
Our automobiles seem to be right on the edge of making the "auto" the most important part. Smart car pick up, anyone? The newest cars can already do the self-parking thing and take over your braking, but Volvo wants to make them mobile mailboxes as well. Is your car's trunk about to go hi-tech? | Photo Credit: Wikipedia The new "Roam Delivery" feature, currently in development by the Swedish vehicle manufacturer, would hook up your smart car to the delivery company via GPS and schedule an optimum time for delivery when you park up. The secure delivery key would allow access only to the delivery person (we hope! ) and add a new option to the often inefficient fixed address delivery system, which as most of us know regularly requires costly re-delivery. The tracking concern is present, as always, but feels almost inevitable at this point. Our mobile devices hook up GPS services to far more than we can imagine unless users remain vigilant to deny access 24/7, and the convenience factor tends to trump privacy in the "always on-the-move" digital era. This isn't the only game in town when it comes to alternative delivery, of course. Amazon is at the forefront of many innovation attempts, from the critic-baiting drones to more realistic ideas such as delivering to lockers in nearby subway stations. eBay rolled out its "Click & Collect" option with UK retailer Argos, allowing in-store pick up, and many other retailers already offer some form of online order/physical pick...
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### Driving E-commerce: The Advantages of Automated Billing and Single Click Buying
> Automated billing and 1-click payment systems are driving efficiency through the order fulfillment process, changing the way we buy and how we do business.
- Published: 2014-02-18
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/ecommerce-automated-billing-single-click-buying/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, automated billing, ecommerce, Facebook, invoicing, mobile payments, Supply chain
Online commerce, global dollars | Image Credit: donkeyhotey It's no secret that e-commerce is booming, with ease and efficiency being the driving force behind growing consumption online. When you consider the advantages of automated billing and one-click buying to customers it becomes clear just how important it is for businesses to adapt to this way of working. What's more, these savings are being passed all the way back down the supply chain. Automatic billing of the customer proves to be far more efficient, whether the transaction is B2C or B2B. Reducing time taken at both the initial invoice creation stage and subsequent rework is streamlining a process that has traditionally required an entire department. Cash flow is another area that can benefit, as customers enrolled in scheduled billing tend to be more reliable, especially if the payments themselves can be automated. Every day that an invoice runs past its due date is cash that isn't on the books of the creditor earning interest. Offering a "fire and forget" payment option can help to overcome this, not to mention the resources saved in not having to chase overdue accounts. Back with the end customer, and efficiency is again the name of the game, but this time the focus is on making the transaction itself seamless. One-click purchasing, pioneered by Amazon but subsequently released to the wider retail environment by court order in Europe, remains a primary reason for the company's ongoing online dominance in the U. S. Here Amazon has so...
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### Capacity LLC - We Know Logistics
> Capacity LLC's co-founders Jeff Kaiden (CEO), Arlen Fish (CFO) and Thom Campbell (Chief Strategy Officer) recently got together to talk about Capacity.
- Published: 2014-02-16
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-logistics/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Arlen Fish, best of capacity, Capacity, Jeff Kaiden, Thom Campbell
Capacity LLC's co-founders Jeff Kaiden (CEO), Arlen Fish (CFO), and Thom Campbell (Chief Strategy Officer) recently got together to talk about how Capacity is uniquely positioned to work with clients and customers of all sizes. Capacity is able to work with companies of all sizes due to its customized approach and implementation of the newest technologies in the field. Capacity LLC - We Know Logistics Capacity defines quality in terms of the results achieved when people collaborate. We are the last people to touch our clients' products before their customers see it. While most of our work occurs behind-the-scenes, the Capacity team knows that the role they play in delivering on brand promises is critical to our clients’ success. We know from our own experience how hard it is to forge lasting relationships, and it is our goal to give our clients and their customers the best possible experience with our services. Quality originates in our people, our culture, and our technology. With that, Capacity seeks to provide a quality fulfillment service to our clients and their customers.
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### Valentine's Day Flower Deliveries Scuppered by Storm
> Demand for Valentine's Day flower deliveries is as high as ever, but the ability to supply is under threat from snowstorm. Meanwhile, on the West coast...
- Published: 2014-02-14
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/valentines-day-flower-deliveries/
- Categories: News, Order Fulfillment
- Tags: deliveries, east coast, flowers, online ordering, Order fulfillment, snow, valentine's day, valentine's order, weather, west coast
Continuing where we left off yesterday, the inability to provide Valentine's Day flower deliveries snowballed into quite a media storm over the last 24 hours. And as the big day dawns, opinions seem to be varied as to just how well florists will be able to meet delivery demand today. Over at CNN's Fortune, the impact of snowstorm Pax is thought to be limited because the flowers have already arrived in the country and been cut, ready to order. Everyone knew that the storm was coming and most have made alternative delivery arrangements, whether before or at some point over the hastily adjusted "Valentine's Weekend. " The adverse weather is a mere inconvenience at this point, they suggest. The Washington Post, however, sees a much more difficult day ahead for florists desperate to make the most of the biggest day for their business. Their report tells of owners desperately making deliveries themselves, seeing every one as an opportunity to offset some of the inevitable lost sales. Online orders also seem to be a mixed bag... bouquet. Proflowers is sticking to the message that we reported yesterday, accepting no new delivery orders because of the storm. But main rival 1-800 Flowers seems to be sticking to business-as-usual, with Valentine's Day delivery orders being accepted up to noon in each time zone. And amid all of this weather confusion in the East, it's perhaps comforting to know that the discussion on the West coast sticks to a good old-fashioned moan about exploitative...
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### Consumers Give Retailers the Cold Shoulder as Hard Weather Hits
> As hard weather conditions hit our area again, the country as a whole is seeing a slump in retail sales. Even Valentine's Day isn't safe!
- Published: 2014-02-13
- Modified: 2021-04-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/hard-weather-hits-retail-sales-2/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, News
- Tags: bad weather, Cosco, east coast, eBay, ecommerce, economy, Logistics, retail, sales, Walmart, weather
Digging out on our doorstep at Capacity LLC in New JerseyU. S. retailers didn't get any respite from a tough holiday season in January, as cold weather further deterred consumers, already low on confidence, from getting out of the house and into the stores. The first month of the year can be a tough sell for shopping at the best of times, following the excesses of the holiday season and the belt-tightening resolutions that often accompany a New Year. Even so, some retailers are reporting sales figures significantly lower than expected, as storm after storm batters the country and keeps consumers focused on only the essentials. For a limited number of companies, like Costco or Walmart, bad weather can boost sales. People like to stock up before a storm and big box stores tend to be the most efficient way to do so. But for the wider retail environment snow means a slump, with travel either inadvisable or simply impossible. And if you're thinking that e-commerce is the answer around all of this disruption to bricks and mortar sales, think again. Although the first part of the transaction can be completed online, the weather has been so bad that disruption to standard delivery services will also deter people from purchasing online. The general expectation that shipments won't make it through in the current conditions is backed up by the likes of eBay issuing weather warnings. Even Cupid can't commit to his arrows hitting home, as flower delivery services admit defeat...
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### Panama Canal Strike Threatens Global Trade (and a Local Legend)
> Further delays on expansion of the waterway, as a Panama Canal strike over $1.6 billion threatens global trade routes and the memory of a tri-state legend.
- Published: 2014-02-11
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/panama-canal-strike-threatens-global-trade-local-legend/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: engineering, george washington goethals, goethals, labor dispute, New Jersey, Panama Canal, Panama Canal expansion project, shipping, strike, Supply chain, supply chain disruption
The Panama Canal | Image Credit: Wikipedia We wrote last year about the important ongoing expansion work being done on the Panama Canal. Well it goes on no longer, for the moment at least, as a labor dispute worth a mammoth $1. 6 billion halts operations. The disagreement centers on costs that appear to have run over-budget and the associated bills that are outstanding. A Spanish-led group of engineers tasked with completing the expansion work is becoming increasingly frustrated at what is sees as underpayment and a lack of commitment, while the Panama Canal Authority is reportedly saying that the claims "amounted to blackmail. " As with most labor disputes the truth behind the latest Panama Canal strike probably lies somewhere in the middle, but that's of no comfort to the many global businesses counting on a project that is running over on many counts. Checking the other box true of most projects, the expansion is already expected to run over its previous deadline of August this year. This would have seen the Panama Canal celebrate its centenary - the first navigation of the waterway was on August 15th, 1914 - in fine style, but work isn't now expected to be completed until some time in 2015. Any extended delay now risks pushing the project into a second year of delay, not something acceptable for a channel that the ASCE describes as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Though happening thousand miles away, the disruption isn't something...
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### Amazon's Predictive Delivery Prompt More Dismissal than Delight
> Predictive delivery is another step on the road to same-day delivery, but not at the point of the delivery process that you might expect.
- Published: 2014-02-07
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/amazons-predictive-delivery-prompt-dismissal-delight-2/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment, Technology
- Tags: Amazon, Amazon.com, Big Data, Customer, Delivery (commerce), Supply chain
Amazon logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Whether it's delivery drones or drop-off at the nearest subway station, no-one can accuse Amazon of lacking imagination when it comes to getting your package to you. A patent for predictive delivery, however, has supply chain analysts doubting the chance that the innovative retailer can deliver the goods this time, conceptually-speaking. The focus is on predicting the needs of a specific end-customer, which should always be the goal of improved order fulfillment but in this case is probably a step too far down the supply chain. Forecasting is more of an odds game, playing the likelihood of the general need for a product in one area, rather than punting on a specific order to an exact town. Image via U. S. Patent & Trade Office The real application is likely to be in the mid-to-late stages of the delivery chain. Using predictive delivery to anticipate a customer's needs and complete part of the delivery in advance cuts the time it takes to get products to our doorstep. Given the obsession of major retailers with achieving same-day delivery, this patent from Amazon is likely to be aimed in that direction. The supply chain can be more flexible on standard or expedited shipping methods for the final leg of a delivery, as the plan filed with the U. S. Patent Office suggests. Even with this adjusted use of predictive delivery techniques, the potential is clear. As we move from the mass gathering of the Big >
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### Capacity to the Rescue
> When bad weather hits, it's Capacity to the rescue! Our troops rushed to get the orders out during a recent snow storm here in New Jersey.
- Published: 2014-02-04
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-to-the-rescue/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Newark, Newark Liberty International Airport, Winter storm
We'd like to think that every day has an element of Capacity to the rescue, but this one more than most! Our dedicated team made a rush trip to Newark airport in the midst of yesterday's snow storm. The storm buried us in New Jersey (and we're preparing for more tomorrow). VP Logistics Tony Ruiz and Facilities Manager Adam Wise went that extra mile... or 20. Capacity to the Rescue! Tony and Adam delivered some critical overnight shipments to Newark Airport for GloScience and Becca Cosmetics after our local pickups were moved forward or cancelled. Unlike many of the fans at this weekend's Superbowl who found themselves stuck in the Garden State, our packages made it out!
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### Capacity Digs Out!
> Capacity HQ in North Brunswick, New Jersey was right in the middle of it as the Northeast was battered by another snow storm today.
- Published: 2014-02-03
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-digs/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, New Jersey, Northeast, Winter storm
Capacity's Adam helps a semi dig out this afternoon. Capacity HQ in North Brunswick, New Jersey was right in the middle of it as the Northeast was battered by another snow storm today. Despite the weather, deliveries and pickups continued to and from our facilities. In one of the shots below Adam helps a semi dig out. As we dig out we're gearing up for the possibility of some more snow on Wednesday. Bring it! We're ready. Although a trip to our Los Angeles facility may be in order.
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### Destination: New Jersey - The Logistics of a Tri-State Super Bowl
> As Super Bowl XLVIII heads to the tri-state area, opinions on the location range from supportive to scathing. In the end it will all come down to logistics.
- Published: 2014-01-29
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-of-a-tri-state-superbowl
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: football, Logistics, New Jersey, new york, NFL, superbowl, traffic, tri state
As Super Bowl XLVIII descends on New Jersey this weekend, much has been made of the decision to host the world's largest individual sporting event in the tri-state area. The heavy traffic and colder weather conditions have some predicting a less enjoyable big game experience than previous years. Meanwhile, others in similarly 'tough winter' states are rooting for NY/NJ to put on a spectacle that will pave the way for cities like Boston, Washington D. C. and Pittsburgh to host future Super Bowls. Much of the outcome will depend on how well the logistics of the event have been planned in advance and are managed on the day. . Traffic Trouble One of the biggest concerns for attendees is how to get to the stadium. For all of its big game pedigree, being home to two well-supported NFL teams and hosting numerous events by international artists throughout the year, the Meadowlands complex can be a tough location to access. Roads wind around the stadium in every direction, but the tight nature and numerous choke points make it difficult to imagine fans, officials and the national media descending upon the location without severe jams. To expedite (or, more accurately, to execute) the automobile concern, the NFL implemented a controversial mandate of only two options for fans to gain access to the stadium area: either ride NJ transit at the usual rates or pay a $51 premium to take the 'Fan Express' shuttle service, approved by the NFL. Rather than see this...
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### 7 Surprising U.S. Logistics Statistics
> Logistics is an extraordinary business that's touches us all, but is often overlooked. These surprising logistics statistics show just how much it matters.
- Published: 2014-01-24
- Modified: 2024-12-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/7-surprising-logistics-statistics
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: best of capacity, economy, GDP, infrastructure, Logistics, rail, road, scm, statistics, Supply chain, transportation
Logistics is an extraordinary business. It touches almost every element of our personal and professional lives, yet often remains in the background for all except those of us who work in the field. Each part of the supply chain contributes in some way to bringing products into homes and businesses around the country, with a massive contribution to employment and the wider economy. A Container of Logistics Statistics To understand just how much this is true - and what goes into making everything run smoothly - consider these 7 surprising logistics statistics: Expenditure on U. S. logistics was $1. 1 trillion in 2009, which is larger than the national GDP of every country in the world, except for the top 12. America's roads generated total revenues of $791. 3 billion for the country's economy in 2012. The U. S. transport infrastructure includes: 47,000 miles of Interstate roads, 94,313 miles of Class I freight railroads, 25,320 miles of navigable sailing channels. U. S. rail freight grew by 4. 6% in 2013, with the value of the sector up to more than $60 billion. The average container vessel calling along the Pacific Coast, which is the busiest port area of the U. S. , is 4,345 TEU. This is equivalent to a maximum potential weight of more than 100,000 tonnes, or in excess of 230 million lbs! Transportation and warehouse employment alone represents 3. 2% of the total US workforce, more than 4 million people. Companies that use sophisticated supply chain methods have been...
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### Ecommerce Breaks Up, Out and Across Borders
> Online order fulfillment will grow five-fold by 2020 to a $130 billion sector. Businesses will need to be ready for the ongoing ecommerce boom.
- Published: 2014-01-21
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/global-ecommerce-growth/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Business, Customer service, E-commerce, Google, online ordering, Online shopping, Order fulfillment, study, United States
Shopping cart full icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia - iSimple System Icons) If there was any uncertainty over the importance of ecommerce to retailers and the wider world economy, the sheer speed of its breakout growth is quickly dismissing that doubt. A study conducted by OC&C and Google set the six-year growth of online retail at the $130 billion mark by 2020, taking into account major Western markets including Germany, Britain, and the U. S. The figure may not surprise those of us who see first-hand the amount of physical goods flowing through the supply chain thanks to orders originating online, but there are many retailers whose ecommerce platforms need some fine-tuning at best, or a complete overhaul at worst. The order fulfillment process lies at the heart of this improvement, but there are also implications for the customer service, sales and marketing functions right behind getting the order correct and in the hands of the customer. Interestingly, despite the vast consumer base and the fact that many technology solutions originate here, the U. S. is not the world's most advanced ecommerce market. That distinction goes to the considerably smaller U. K. , which nonetheless has an online trade surplus of more than $1 billion. The U. S. still has a healthy $180 million by the same measure, but will be expected to catch up with its European counterparts as more of the population owns one-click consumption devices like tablets and smartphones. North American businesses need to be ready to transition to...
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### How Will 3D Printing Impact Order Fulfillment?
> With the launch of new products, home & professional, 3D printing has arrived. It's early days, but the technology is set to impact order fulfillment.
- Published: 2014-01-17
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/3d-printing-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: 3D printing, 3D Systems Inc, Logistics, Makerbot, Order fulfillment, scm, Supply chain, Technology
A working 3D printer (Photo credit: 3dilla) The prophecies and predictions for supply chain management in 2014 have all been published by now, giving professionals in our industry a good idea of where we're going in the next twelve months. But an influential new technology was notable by its absence, that of 3D printing. Right now the idea of 3D printers in every home is still a very futuristic notion. Although the products exist - in fact, some were just unveiled last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas - the high price will limit early purchases to technology enthusiasts and affluent hobbyists. The potential is there, however, to significantly disrupt the way physical products are made and delivered. This will impact order fulfillment and logistics, if not this year then almost certainly in the few that follow. Order Fulfillment in the Age of 3D Printing Much depends not only on how the technology develops, but how consumers choose to adopt it. Where people spend dollars will influence the companies that make 3D printers to focus on certain priority areas. Some of the questions that arise are: Will home 3D printing be popular? Do people want to cut out all of the steps in between and print their own products, or will a professional, heavy duty printing device be required to produce items of a suitable quality? What are the limitations of 3D printers? Is there a point at which consumers will prefer a product that is made...
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### All Aboard! Rail Freight Rises in Importance for U.S. Logistics
> With rail freight rises of 12.8 million containers & trailers last year, a jump of 4.6% on the previous year, 2013 proved to be a record-breaker.
- Published: 2014-01-13
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/us-rail-freight-rises-in-importance/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Association of American Railroads, Business, economy, Logistics, rail freight, Rail freight transport, Supply chain, transportation
An eastbound BNSF train in Wisconsin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) At more than $60 billion in annual revenues, the U. S. freight rail network is a high-value and rapidly changing part of the supply chain. Early reports on railroad performance during 2013 and announcements of proposed infrastructure investment each demonstrate why logistics managers are focusing more attention on rail as a part of their intermodal transportation solutions. Record Rail Growth With 12. 8 million containers and trailers riding the rails last year, a rise of 4. 6% (Association of American Railroads) on the previous year, 2013 proved to be a record-breaker. 2006 was the previous high and the notable growth following a period of extended economic trouble is further evidence that the year ahead could be a boom year for U. S. business. The rail freight rises have put the efficient integration of rail and road solutions high on the list of logistics priorities this year, as huge names like Home Depot move closer to rail freight facilities. Fully one-third of U. S. distribution center developments currently underway will factor in some form of railroad connection. For supply chain planners hoping to take advantage of this rail rush, the biggest challenge may be finding space, not only on the rails with moving cargo, but also next to them to unload and move it onward. As the country's dependence on rail freight grows, lawmakers are moving to ensure that supply keeps up with that demand. Investing in Infrastructure Looking to the future, U. S....
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### Protective Packaging: Tips and Techniques from Assembly Experts
> Protective packaging and assembly are two vital elements of order fulfillment. These tips will ensure your products arrive safely (and looking good!)
- Published: 2014-01-08
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/protective-packaging-and-assembly-tips/
- Categories: Order Fulfillment
- Tags: assembly, Assembly line, order fulfilmment, Packaging, Packaging and labeling, Products, shipping, wrapping
Packaging is one of the most important areas of the order fulfillment and shipping process. No matter how efficiently an order is processed or how quickly it's delivered to the customer, if the product arrives damaged then the system has failed. Expensive returns and rework follow, creating waste that can be eliminated by ensuring that protective packaging is in place from the beginning. Techniques to Ensure Protective Packaging There are many options when it comes time to pack products up and ship them out, some more effective than others. We use some of the following techniques to make sure that the products we ship are well protected in transit: Overwrapping - a fully enclosed wrap, using heat-sealed film or paper around one or more products. You may be more familiar with this technique as ‘gift wrapping'. It can also be called 'tuck and fold' or 'diamond-end fold' wrapping. Stretch Banding - the application of various different heat-sealed materials, banded around one or many products to create a bundle. By using printed film, product information can also be shown on the package, offering improved handling and verification for different orders. Casepacking - places multiple products or bundles in a shipping carton that is then closed with hot-melt or adhesive tape. Green Packing - using environmentally friendly materials such as new recycled corrugated boxes, crumpled craft paper, and post-consumer recycled plastic products (air bags, etc. ) as default packing materials. For smaller packaging jobs that you want to handle one at a time, we...
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### Strength of Last Year's Logistics Confidence Index Bodes Well for 2014
> With almost a 10 point jump in the Logistics Confidence Index and stronger global economies, the outlook for 2014 is much more positive than a year ago.
- Published: 2014-01-06
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/logistics-confidence-index-2013-2/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Business, Cargo, economy, Logistics, Logistics Confidence Index, new year, Supply chain, Transportation and Logistics
union pacific freight train (Photo credit: jefzila) The Logistics Confidence Index was up not only for December 2013, but for the year as a whole. Rising to 57. 5 last month, the year-on-year comparison with this point in 2013 marks almost a 10 point increase in 12 months for air and sea freight combined. With the indicative index having jumped above the psychological barrier of 50 early in 2013, the trend has been steadily upwards despite economic headwinds and political uncertainty across the globe. Stronger outlooks in both the U. S. and Europe towards the latter half of the year produced a particularly notable spike. That momentum looks to be carried into the New Year and bodes well for businesses across the board, indicating a healthy supply chain outlook with swelling consumer demand to fuel it further still. Digging down into various forms of freight, container shipments are merely steady but the increased adoption of regional warehousing and multi-modal transport options demonstrates the adaptive nature of supply chains in the current economic climate. Organizations are embracing the variety on offer from both international and local sourcing, - as we examined in our 'Made in the USA' feature last month - partially for cost reasons but also to shield their supply chain from disruption in any one area. Overall there is sufficient data to suggest that the outlook remains cautiously bullish for the year ahead. We look forward to taking up the challenges and opportunities of 2014 to better serve the...
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### Looking Forward to Supply Chain Management in 2014
> Technology, compliance, and data solutions and security are all likely to be at the forefront of supply chain management in 2014.
- Published: 2013-12-31
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-management-in-2014/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 2014 predictions, Logistics, new year, scm, Supply chain, Supply chain management, supply chain trends
Image Credit: Daniel Moyle It's been a busy twelve months in logistics and SCM, and the year to come seems set to be no less progressive. Technology, compliance, and data solutions are all likely to be at the forefront of supply chain practices as we move through the year. To close out 2013, we've collected some of the predictions that the industry expects to see for supply chain management in 2014. Logistics Industry Expectations for Supply Chain Management in 2014 DC Velocity focuses greatly on the tech supporting logistics practices, from smartphone apps to manage back-end systems to more secure solutions for shipment and delivery data. Freightgate also makes mention of increasingly connected management systems, particularly in the areas of analytics and efficiency, but also makes mention of the need for robust compliance with standards and tighter security. The Dallas News specifically tunes into the holiday delivery issues faced by some organizations over this festive season, predicting significant changes to delivery guarantees for the holidays in 2014. Handfield leans heavily towards globalization as providing the biggest challenges for supply chain managers in 2014, including the potential for disruption in emerging markets and diverse regulatory requirements. Compliance is raised again, showing a repetition that will warrant attention from logistics professionals. Business News Daily sees upheaval in the retail sector, with all the implications that will bring to the supply chains that feed it. Ecommerce and mobile technology feature heavily again, increasing the potential for order taking and fulfillment but also placing increased...
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### Holiday Horror Show For Failed Deliveries
> Holiday frustration for seasonal shoppers as some big name brands experience failed deliveries on their Christmas shipping guarantees.
- Published: 2013-12-27
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/christmas-2013-failed-deliveries/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Amazon, brands, Christmas, delivery, fed ed, Holidays, kohls, shipping, ups
The holidays are a stressful time for everyone, but spare a thought for the poor delivery folks at UPS and Fed Ex. They go back to work this week following a number of missed Christmas delivery deadlines. The over-burdened system saw failed deliveries impact retailers as large as Amazon, Kohl's, and 1-800-Flowers. All of these major names needed to offer refunds and apologies for failing to meet their order arrival guarantees. The impact of failed deliveries is especially strong at this time of year, when consumers have stricter deadlines and a busy schedule. The report Failed Deliveries Frustrate Christmas Shoppers It all comes down to the old adage that even the best-laid plans can go wrong. Preparedness is a given in our business, but at a time of year when orders spike and seasonal conditions tax even the most experienced carriers, it's natural to expect some disruption. Nonetheless, the service troubles and failed deliveries of the major players are something that every organization can learn from. Failed deliveries mean even more when the holidays are in full swing. Prepare for as many supply chain planning eventualities as you can foresee, but always build in some extra slack for the inevitable surprises that arise.
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### How Capacity LLC Handles the Holidays
> Happy Holidays from Capacity LLC! To celebrate, we dropped eggnog, decorations & an entire gingerbread house off our roof. Here for your viewing pleasure.
- Published: 2013-12-23
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-holidays-capacity-llc/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Christmas, Dropping Stuff Off The Roof, Holidays, videos, YouTube
Happy Holidays! We do things differently at Capacity LLC, including the employment of best practice packaging in everything we ship. Achieving this requires rigorous testing and improvement. How do we do this? By dropping stuff off the roof, of course! Not only that, we filmed the dropping for your holiday delight, complete with plummeting eggnog, decorations, and even the destruction of an entire gingerbread house. 'Dropping Stuff Off the Roof': Holiday Edition Below we've gathered all of the holiday edition videos for your Christmas viewing pleasure. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep track of everything we drop off the roof in 2014! .
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### Last Minute Gifts? The Time Is NOW for Holiday Shipping!
> Now is the time for last-minute U.S. holiday shipping deadlines, but don't skimp on the packing process as you make that last dash to the Post Office.
- Published: 2013-12-19
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/2013-holiday-shipping-deadlines-and-packaging-2/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: ecommerce, holiday shipping deadlines 2013, Holidays, Packaging and labeling, packing, shipping
Christmas gifts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) If you have last-minute holiday shopping to be done, your last-minute holiday shipping also needs to be factored in... which means the time is now! Even though festive shopping appears to have prompted less stress this holiday season, even the most seasoned shoppers can feel the pinch as Christmas nears and the deadlines begin to bite. Here's what you need to know to complete a successful last dash to the gifting finish line. Domestic Deadlines for Holiday Shipping First and foremost, remember that we're talking about the continental U. S. here. Although specific providers may have last-minute shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and perhaps Canada, you should check in with them to confirm those deadlines. For packages mailed within the U. S. , your final day for letters and cards is tomorrow, December 20th, although you could also pop them into your bigger priority mail package to delay the deadline until Saturday 21st Dec. For the latest of the late shoppers, USPS Express Mail packages can be shipped as late as Monday 23rd December, giving you a whole weekend to search for that final perfect present for your dearest who aren't nearest. If you're gifting outside of U. S. borders, however, most of the deadlines will have passed. Other than paying a hefty premium for your urgent international gift, looking at digital gifts or a provider who can still deliver in your destination country is likely to be the best bet. And if you wake up...
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### Exploring the Reality of Reshoring
> There's pride in that "Made in the USA" sign and reshoring is making U.S. businesses realize that there are advantages to sourcing products closer to home.
- Published: 2013-12-18
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/reshoring-means-made-in-usa/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, made in the usa, Made in USA, manufacturing, reshoring, scm, supplier sourcing, Supply chain, Supply chain management, us manufacturing
Image Credit: Phil Roeder There's pride in that "Made in the U. S. A. " sign, and the reshoring trend is making U. S. businesses realize that there are advantages to sourcing products closer to home. After decades of sending more and more manufacturing work to Asia - and particularly China - research on both sides of the Atlantic suggests that companies are reevaluating those decisions. 'Reshoring', the process of returning some previously offshored production to a company's home country, is beginning to take hold in not only the business world, but also the wider media. Bringing Manufacturing Back Home The stats support this notion, somewhat. Across the pond in the United Kingdom, the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) found that one in six U. K. manufacturers is bringing a proportion of its production home in 2013. Although quality and supply chain complexities factored into these decisions, the primary driver is, as always, cost. The massive expansion of the manufacturing business in popular Asian locations has permitted many suppliers to continuously nudge up their rates, helping to make domestic suppliers attractive again. Back home on this side of the Atlantic, popular news segments such as ABC's 'Made in America' mix with good old fashioned patriotism to encourage business owners big and small to think global but buy local. Domestic production has not widely reached a cost at which it can compete outright with countries like China and India, but reports suggest that the U. S. has already reached parity with neighbor Mexico,...
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### Dropping Stuff Off The Roof (Fruitcake)
> At Capacity LLC, we have always wondered what would happen if we dropped a Holiday fruitcake off of our warehouse roof. That question is now answered.
- Published: 2013-12-16
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-dropping-stuff-roof-fruitcake/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Fruitcake, Warehouse
At Capacity LLC, we have always wondered what would happen if we dropped a Holiday fruitcake off of our warehouse roof. That question is now answered.
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### Counting the Cost of Supply Chain Disruption
> A new survey says 75% of managers don't have a complete handle on supply chain disruption and only 25% address the issue at the organizational level.
- Published: 2013-12-09
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/counting-cost-supply-chain-disruption/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: best of capacity, data, Logistics, scm, supply chain disruption, Supply chain management, supply chain planning, survey
Truck stuck in the snow (Photo credit: OregonDOT) The latest in a series of yearly logistics surveys finds supply chain disruption a common challenge that many organizations are failing to remedy. The fifth annual Zurich survey found that fully three quarters of managers don't believe that they have a complete handle on levels of disruption to their supply chain, while only 25% actually coordinate across their business to understand disturbances that do occur. The latter only compounds the former, as individual or departmental preparedness can only go so far in dealing with an interruption that affects the entire organization. Counting the Costs The report goes on to put a price tag on the individual instances of supply chain disruption, with 70% costing less than 250,000 Euros (around $343,000). The worrying statistic comes in the 15% of interruptions that cost more than 1 million Euros (around $1. 35 million), demonstrating the maximum potential risk that organizations open themselves up to in failing to review and address persistent disruption. In some cases, such as natural disasters or civil unrest, it can be almost impossible to build in sufficient protection to mitigate such costs. Others, however, including telecoms outages or breaches of data, fall into a category in which it is much less acceptable to be caught unprepared. A lack of back-up systems or an emergency plan are issues that can be remedied ahead of time and result directly from the aforementioned 75% of organizations who are failing to review the potential for...
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### Dropping Things Off The Roof - Egg Nog
> We see what happens when egg nog is dropped from the roof at Capacity LLC
- Published: 2013-12-06
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-dropping-things-roof-egg-nog/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Dropping Things Off the Roof, Egg Nog
Eggnog is today's experiment in dropping things off of the roof. As the count down to the holidays continues we see what happens when you drop cartons of egg nog off of a 35 foot warehouse. Let's just say that the results aren't pretty. Do not try this at home! We are packaging professionals.
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### Dropping Stuff Off The Roof - Holiday Edition #1
> Please join us at Capacity LLC as we host a special holiday edition of Dropping Stuff Off The Roof.
- Published: 2013-12-04
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/dropping-stuff-roof-holiday-edition-1/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Christmas, Dropping Stuff Off The Roof
Please join us at Capacity LLC as we host a special holiday edition of Dropping Stuff Off The Roof. Today we drop glass Christmas tree ornaments off of the roof of our North Brunswick, NJ warehouse. We show what happens when the ornaments are packed correctly and when they're not.
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### Five Fantastic Alternatives to Amazon's Delivery Drones
> Amazon delivery drones have hit the headlines this week, but we're not so impressed. Here instead are five alternative applications for unmanned automatons.
- Published: 2013-12-03
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/alternatives-for-delivery-drones/
- Categories: Technology
- Tags: 60 Minutes, Amazon, Amazon.com, Cyber Monday, delivery, delivery drones, dominoes, drones, Jeff Bezos, Order fulfillment, tacocopter
Rarely a company to fly far from the news, Amazon hit the headlines again over the weekend, this time with the revelation of Prime Air delivery drones to CBS's '60 Minutes'. Setting aside the (purely coincidental, of course) publicity received just in time for a competitive Cyber Monday and the sheer weight of regulatory/privacy/Skynet concerns, the story has set the social web alight with alternative ideas for delivery drones. 5 Alternative Uses for Delivery Drones Look to the skies! Here are five of our favorite alternative takes on the best uses of drones for delivery purposes: 1. Beating that Pizza Delivery Deadline 2. Keeping an Eye on the Skies... Purely for Artistic Purposes, Of Course (Image Credit: Flying Eye) 3. Beating the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Crowds... Literally Drone Stabbings Mar Cyber Monday (2017 headline) — Mike Shields (@digitalshields) December 2, 2013 4. Guided Tours 5. Tacos: Anytime, Anywhere http://tacocopter. com/
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### Happy Thanksgiving!
> Capacity LLC wishes all of our clients, friends and family a safe, happy and filling Thanksgiving!
- Published: 2013-11-27
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/happy-thanksgiving/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: thanksgiving
We wish all of our clients, friends and family a safe, happy and filling Thanksgiving! Original image Credit: Jelene
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### Plan Ahead for the Supply Chain Challenges of 2014
> Many common supply chain challenges occur due to last-minute planning, so it's crucial to keep one eye on your plans for 2014, even at this busy time.
- Published: 2013-11-26
- Modified: 2013-11-26
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/supply-chain-challenges-2014/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: 3PL, business growth, economy, Logistics, new year, scm, Supply chain management
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. ” ~Abraham Lincoln Is your supply chain ready to ring in the New Year? For logistics providers, preparation is always at the forefront of our minds. As much as we understand the need to be flexible to cope with unexpected strikes and transport bottlenecks, the very nature of the business is to find the most efficient supply chain solutions and stick to the plan that moves goods through in the quickest, most cost effective manner. We find that many common logistical hitches occur due to last-minute planning, highlighting further the importance of taking time to look at what lies on the road ahead for your business. For that reason, we offer a timely reminder to keep one eye on your preparations for next year, even as the busiest time of this one is upon us! Plan for 2014 Growth Now The economy stabilized somewhat during 2013 and forecasts for 2014 are looking promising for growth. U. S. Chief Economist Doug Handler says of November's 'flash forecast', "Third-quarter real GDP grew at a 2. 8% annual rate—well above consensus expectations. " Along with other economic factors such as manufacturing and employment indices, many signs point to supply chain managers needing to build in extra capacity to fulfill orders at a higher level in the year to come. While it's all too easy to become focused on the hectic holiday season and putting out...
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### Capacity LLC - Dropping Stuff Off The Roof #2
> In Capacity LLC's continuing pursuit of packaging excellence, we drop more stuff off of the roof. This time we drop off glass bottles and scented candles (in bottles).
- Published: 2013-11-25
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-dropping-stuff-roof-2/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Arlen Fish, Capacity LLC, Jeff Kaiden, Thom Campbell
In Capacity LLC's continuing pursuit of packaging excellence, we drop more stuff off of the roof. This time we drop off glass bottles and scented candles (in bottles). Take a look at how it all works out. Chief Strategy Officer Thom Campbell serves as MC, joined by CEO Jeff Kaiden as the dropper and CFO Arlen Fish as official witness. What would you like us to drop next?
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### Jeff Kaiden on Assembly Services and Packing
> Capacity's Co-founder/CEO Jeff Kaiden leads a "tour of the floor", from kitting and assembly services to the packing process and technology.
- Published: 2013-11-22
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/jeff-kaiden-capacity-assembly-services/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: assembly services, Capacity LLC, gift sets, Jeff Kaiden, leadership, Packaging, pick and pack fulfillment, Warehouse
Our services section features all you need to know about the range of fulfillment tasks we can take on, but sometimes it's better to go behind the curtain and see what's happening on the shop floor. From pick and pack to assembly services, that's where you're going to see what we do! (Go to Genba, as some like to see it! ) We pulled the camera out from time to time so that you can do just that, and today's example features Capacity's co-founder and CEO, Jeff Kaiden, leading a tour of the company's assembly and packing process. Watch the video below for an informative look at why assembly services and packaging are crucial to the final mile of your order fulfillment. Jeff Kaiden Talks Assembly Services Capacity's packaging, design and assembly services are wide-ranging, falling under the broader category of value-added activities. This is because they make the most of your product, bringing its quality in line with your brand values and making the customer feel excited to receive and unwrap every delivery. Our value-added services include, but are not limited to: Kitting Gift set creation and assembly Shrink/cello wrapping and overwrapping Serialization and lot numbering Packaging design Point of Sale (POS) display assembly and shipping Repackaging Special and custom brand projects Contact us today to find out how your logistics system could benefit from our custom touch, from packaging and kitting to gift set creation and assembly services.
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### Santa's Real Workshop
> Santa has commissioned Capacity LLC to help with the Holidays.
- Published: 2013-11-21
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/santas-real-workshop/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Christmas, Holidays, North Pole, Santa, Santa Claus
Christmas postcard, 1911 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Santa has commissioned Capacity LLC to help with the holidays... We've been hard at work for weeks making sure that our clients' products make it to retailers' shelves for the holidays. There are lots of moving pieces as we pick and pack, wrap and pull out all the stops. Just don't tell the kids. We're not at the North Pole. We're in New Jersey.
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### The Impact of Booming mCommerce on Retail Supply Chains
> mCommerce is booming and the figures are exciting retailers. In just one year, mobile shopping has surged 68.2%. But the supply chain impact?
- Published: 2013-11-19
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/mcommerce-and-the-retail-supply-chain/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: 3PL, ecommerce, Logistics, mcommerce, mobile shopping, retail, retail supply chain, Supply chain management, tablet shopping
Mobile commerce - mCommerce, for brevity- is the latest technology-driven boom to impact the way we shop. Anything that affects this area of our lives inevitably has implications all the way down the supply chain. The figures are exciting for the retail sector, especially any retailer already investing in online and mobile platforms to connect with consumers. In just one year the value of mCommerce to the overall online commerce picture has surged 68. 2%, now representing almost $42 billion of the total $262. 3 billion ecommerce sales predicted for this year (eMarketer, 2013). Driving Change By DisruptionConsumers are increasingly moving to laptop and mobile devices for their seasonal shopping. Technology is relentless in its march to improve, test and advance. This has been particularly true of the digital era, where the move to mobile - and, most importantly, to smartphones - has been even more rapid than the move to the web. Retailers may have been caught off guard by this pace initially, but they are rapidly catching up with the huge potential to increase sales and brand awareness. At the same time, competitive online start-ups are cropping up all over the place, rolling out smartphone apps and shopping sites to suit every type of product and consumer. Once a customer finds the right app or site for them, one-click purchases are an alluring - and dangerous! - tap of the finger away. In turn, larger and established retailers have rapidly adapted to meet the challenge posed by the...
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### Amazon Hits Sunday Delivery
> Amazon announced this week that it would begin making Sunday deliveries. If you think this is a half-baked scheme, think again.
- Published: 2013-11-13
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/amazon-hits-sunday-delivery/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Amazon, Amazon.com, E-taiiling, Jeff Bezos, United States Postal Service
(Photo credit: Wikipedia) Amazon announced this week that it would begin making Sunday deliveries. The rollout begins this weekend in New York and LA. In 2011 it will cover much of the U. S. , including Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Phoenix. In an ironic twist of fate, the failing U. S. Postal Service will handle deliveries. Here are the details: The service will be available to Amazon Prime members who pay $79 per year for expedited, delivery as well as video services. That means that Prime members will be able to place an order on Friday and should be able to have it in hand on Sunday. The service is also available to non-Prime purchasers who spend more than $35 on purchases (recently up from $25) for free 5-8 day delivery. Where's the value in all of this for Amazon? It looks like they're giving away stuff for free. It's likely a case of CEO and Founder Jeff Bezos looking at the long term. Right now online retail accounts for just 10 percent of all retail in the U. S. Bezos is trying to make significant inroads there, making Amazon the future retail go-to for all of America's (and the world's) needs. Toward that end, Amazon has been building more distribution centers and even experimenting with same-day delivery. It's all about building for the future. When you break it down, it's probably not even costing Amazon all that much. Amazon is presumably banking on more purchasers becoming Prime members and...
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### Dropping Stuff Off The Roof #1
> At Capacity LLC our pursuit of packaging perfection knows no bounds. Please join us as we go back to the good old days of "Dropping Stuff Off The Roof."
- Published: 2013-11-12
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/dropping-stuff-roof-1/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Video
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Dropping Stuff Off The Roof
(Photo credit: Wikipedia) At Capacity, our pursuit of packaging perfection knows no bounds. When we first moved into our New Jersey location in 1999 we dropped grocery items off of the roof to experiment with packaging techniques. Doritos and Tide detergent were early subjects... Now, in a nostalgic nod to those good old days, we are once again dropping things off of the roof. Only this time, we've raised the bar as we try to avoid scrambling eggs. Join us, won't you?
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### Capacity LLC's Pick and Pack for the 21st Century
> Capacity LLC has installed a new pick and pack technology system which expands our 21st Century capabilities.
- Published: 2013-11-11
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llcs-pick-pack-21st-century/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Lightning Pick Technologies, Pick and Pack
Dateline: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This summer found us in the land of cheese, brats and beer. Capacity was there to acquire order processing technology to help cost-effectively process large pick-and-pack distributions. Capacity ships weekly replenishment orders to thousands of WalMart stores on behalf of its Client under what is known as a DSDC ("Direct Store Delivery Consolidation") program, and invested in this technology to ensure that the short processing window and tight financial constraints were met. A pick-to-light system at work. Known in the industry as a "Put-to-Light" or "Pack-to-Light" system, this technology allows Capacity to pick bulk goods from reserve rack locations for a large group of orders and use lighted LED modules to quickly and accurately fill orders for individual stores. Capacity purchased the system from Lightning Pick Technologies of Germantown, Wisconsin. Before shipping our configured system to California, Lightning Pick hosted a "conference room pilot" for our team to test and finalize functionality. Let's go! The system installed in our LA warehouse Here's a video about how our new system works. Lightning Pick - Pick to Light Rohan Bhobe, master developer at NJ HQ, worked together with colleague Sasmitha Kalathur to build and test the data interface in a remarkably short period of time. He flew in from Newark for the conference room pilot. The rest of our team flew in from around the country to take in a (surprise! ) baseball game at Milwaukee's stunning Miller Park. OK, so it was the last-place...
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### Capacity LLC - All Hands on Deck
> Recently Capacity LLC performed a very high-volume, short-turnaround job for a prospective client. The executive suite showed its stuff.
- Published: 2013-11-06
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-llc-hands-deck/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: Capacity LLC, delivery, Order fulfillment, transportation
When a massive project comes in, it's all hands on deck at Capacity. That was the case this month, as you can see from the video below. Never wanting to let a client down, we took on the job, but it was then further compressed into about half the time originally indicated by delays in inbound products. We took it in stride, and when CEO Jeff Kaiden mentioned it would be helpful if the office staff worked the balance of the day (and the next day) at the C2 facility, all hands quickly jumped on deck. Folks from Finance, led by self-proclaimed champion picker and CFO Arlen Fish, clearly made a huge dent in this major job, as well as folks from Client Service, IT and facilities management. It was the first time in several years we’ve had to mobilize a lot of the office team out on the floor, and we had a great time working side-by-side. Some of the warehouse associates clearly thought it a bit unusual to be teamed with the c-level team, but they handled it in style and we quickly moved five full truckloads out the door in a span of about 5 days, all while servicing our clients.
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### Put-To-Light in Milwaukee
> This summer Capacity LLC acquired a state of the art pick-to-light system in Milwaukee. The technology simplifies the packing process.
- Published: 2013-10-29
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/put-light-milwaukee/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Technology
- Tags: Milwaukee, Pick-to-Light, Wisconsin
This post appeared originally in our October newsletter. If you'd like to subscribe, and we hope you will, please drop a line to info@capacityllc. com Dateline: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This summer found us in the land of cheese, brats and beer. Capacity LLC was there to acquire order processing technology to help cost-effectively process large pick-and-pack distributions. Capacity LLC ships weekly replenishment orders to thousands of WalMart stores on behalf of its Client under what is known as a DSDC ("Direct Store Delivery Consolidation") program, and invested in this technology to ensure that the short processing window and tight financial constraints were met. Known in the industry as a "Put-to-Light" or "Pack-to-Light" system, this technology allows Capacity LLC to pick bulk goods from reserve rack locations for a large group of orders and use lighted LED modules to quickly and accurately fill orders for individual stores. Capacity LLC purchased the system from Lightning Pick Technologies of Germantown, Wisconsin. Before shipping our configured system to California, Lightning Pick hosted a "conference room pilot" for our team to test and finalize functionality. Let's go! Here's a video about how our new system works. Lightning Pick - Pick to Light Rohan Bhobe, master developer at NJ HQ, worked together with colleague Sasmitha Kalathur to build and test the data interface in a remarkably short period of time. He flew in from Newark for the conference room pilot. The rest of our team flew in from around the country to take in...
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### Trucking Scams Hurt Everyone (But You Get What You Pay For)
> Trucking scams may seem like a common problem after recent reports, but the quality of security must be examined before labeling it an industry wide issue.
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/trucking-scams-reports-vs-reality-2/
- Categories: News
- Tags: customer protection, Haulage, scams, security, shipment theft, tracking, Trucking
Last month we wrote about the resurgent U. S. trucking industry, as well as the challenges facing hauliers as their services experience increased demand. One challenge that we didn't mention is that of identity fraud, and it's catching attention outside of the industry this week. Haulage in action (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Reports across mainstream news outlets suggest that a simple but highly damaging scam is costing the sector millions of dollars every year. These articles detail the way in which con artists scour the web for desirable shipments, posing as truckers, then simply hooking up to a load and hauling it away. Often, the first the supplier hears about such thefts is when a customer calls to complain about a missed delivery, by which time the thieves are long gone with goods valued in the six figure range. This for a ruse that can cost them as little as $300 for a carrier ID and some time at the wheel of a big rig. But are these trucking scams as simple and widespread as the articles suggest? Haulage Theft: Reports vs. Reality What may seem like a common problem after reading the reports, in actual fact comes down to that old adage, "you get what you pay for. " Trucking scams undoubtedly do occur, just as do thefts in our personal lives, but the quality of security must be examined whenever covering these cases. A close up of a high security seal on a shipping container. (Image Credit: Wikipedia) More often...
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### Same-Day Order Fullfillment Proves Alluring Yet Elusive for Retailers
> The promise of satisfying consumers with same-day order fulfillment is tantalizingly close, yet far from widespread and still fraught with difficulty.
- Published: 2013-10-21
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/same-day-order-fulfillment-challenges/
- Categories: News
Same-day order fulfillment has been the Holy Grail for retailers for some time now. The promise of satisfying consumer urges within hours of a purchase being made is tantalizingly close, yet far from widespread and still fraught with potential pitfalls. Will stopping in for groceries soon be a choice, rather than a requirement? (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The marketplace is also incredibly competitive. The ascent of ecommerce has attracted both traditional and tech-reliant businesses to the lucrative field, eager to pioneer fulfillment models that will gain traction among online shoppers. Factor in a further layer of disruption from 'mcommerce' - purchases made on smartphones or tablets - and there are a number of moving parts to complicate matters. Arguably the biggest race being run is between big-box behemoth Walmart and the ubiquitous online retailer Amazon. Representing a more traditional, bricks-and-mortar approach to satisfying consumer needs, Walmart has seen its dominance chipped away at by its online-only peer over the last decade. After racing back with the establishment of its own web ordering platform, Walmart saw value in maintaining that momentum and began limited experiments with same day order fulfillment. Its 'Walmart To Go' service currently offers same-day delivery options, including groceries, in San Jose and San Francisco, and tests have been conducted in markets around the country for other product types. Last week it announced that its latest expansion would see the service introduced in the Denver area, at a cost of $5 - $10 for same-day delivery. Meanwhile, Amazon has...
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### Seasonal Supply Chain Planning Recommendations for Online Retailers
> Seasonal supply chain planning tips for retailers seeking to manage the online shopping surge of the 2013 holiday season.
- Published: 2013-10-18
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/seasonal-supply-chain-planning-tips/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
Seasonality in the supply chain is top of mind for most retailers, particularly at this time of year in the run up to the holidays. Your seasonal supply chain planning can help customers to have 'Happy Holidays! ' Although the familiar images of Black Friday store stampedes and sold-out star toys will be shown as much this holiday season as any other, more U. S. consumers than ever will do a majority of their shopping online this year. The National Retail Federation confirms this, assigning an $82 billion value to its projected 13-15% growth in online holiday sales. This ecommerce boom makes managing the surge in seasonal demand on your supply chain more important than ever. Managing Supply Chain Seasonality There are several extra considerations to take into account as you deploy your seasonal supply chain planning. Keep the following in mind as you make decisions that will affect how quickly your end customer receives that all-important gift: Analyze and Forecast Purchase Trends Review the previous season's buying activity and compare it to more recent trends. Make note of which products seem set to spike in your industry, as well as those that are lagging, and factor this into your ordering. Close coordination with suppliers and industry purchasing experts can help you to prioritize and plan for the season's hot items. Maintain Daily Monitoring Keep an eye on the most important products you'll be bringing in, to identify any potentially industry-wide delays as early as possible. Review the key points...
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### What are the Strategic Advantages of Outsourcing Order Fulfillment?
> A closer look at the strategic reasons that explain why more and more companies are outsourcing order fulfillment.
- Published: 2013-10-09
- Modified: 2021-04-08
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/outsourcing-order-fulfillment/
- Categories: Supply Chain Strategy
- Tags: Amazon.com, best of capacity, Capacity LLC, New Jersey, Order fulfillment, Wal-Mart, Walmart
Everywhere you look around the East coast, vast fulfillment centers are under construction. America's largest retailers are looking to satisfy revitalized demand, meaning new facilities and expanded operations. Outsourcing order fulfillment is also proving a popular option for smaller retailers, who often lack the ability to scale without third-party expertise. Not Everything is Amazon Last month we mentioned Amazon's latest facility right here in New Jersey. This month, USA Today reports on another center with a footprint of more than 1 million square feet. This one will be located in neighboring Pennsylvania to serve the equally huge Wal-Mart. It will handle a mind-boggling 5 million SKUs, which is 40 times as many as you'll find in your average Wal-Mart Super Center! The media has a tendency to focus on the biggest household names in U. S. retail, of course, but there are plenty of other significant retailers managing intricate fulfillment operations around the country. Once we move into the realm of handling many thousands of different SKUs, though still far from the Wal-Marts of the world, complexity reaches a level that often requires outside assistance to handle. Even those business owners who strive to keep order fulfillment in-house acknowledge the specific skills required, from building custom software that tracks inventory movement, to rigorous paperwork checks to identify anomalies. The Advantages of Outsourcing Order Fulfillment So although it may be realistic for some operations to continue to manage their own fulfillment, for many others any kind of scale brings with it...
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### New Jersey Proves Itself a Prime Location for Capacity LLC and Logistics
> New Jersey is proving itself to be a prime location for Capacity LLC and the logistics industry. It's home to s one of the nation'a largest ports.
- Published: 2013-09-25
- Modified: 2023-11-03
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/new-jersey-proves-itself-a-prime-location-for-capacity-llc-and-logistics/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: 3PL, Bayonne Bridge, Logistics. Warehousing, New Jersey, Panama Canal, Panama Canal expansion project
New Jersey's Bayonne Bridge at sunset At Capacity LLC we're proud to call New Jersey home (not forgetting our crucial California warehousing operation! ). We already know that the area is a vital distribution hub, of course, but it's always welcome to have that viewpoint validated by a third party, as this feature on DC Velocity explains. The Port of New York/New Jersey is one of the largest entry points for goods coming into the U. S. , behind only its West coast peers in Los Angeles and Long Beach. The port district itself is 25 miles long and handles in excess of 75 million metric tons (RITA, 2009) every year. That's a lot of cargo to sort, store, and redistribute to final destinations! Whether moving further into the U. S. via intermodal transport solutions or finding a consumer closer to the New Jersey-area, goods must move quickly through the port and make use of solid infrastructure to travel to a distribution center (DC) to await the next phase of their journey. New Jersey - and particularly central NJ - provides "easy access to all the major modes of transportation: road, rail, air, and ocean. " With a high concentration of the population in the Northeast, New Jersey doubles as a core base of operations for warehousing and logistics. We see time and again that major retailers find their sweet spot in this state, whether that means creating their own facility, as exemplified by Amazon's massive facility under construction in Robbinsville,...
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### Warehouse Management Embraces Mobile Tech
> Warehouse management is seeing significant benefits thanks to advances in mobile technology. We've implemented a lot of it at Capacity LLC
- Published: 2013-09-20
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/warehouse-management-embracing-mobile-tech/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Technology
- Tags: Capacity LLC, Data integration, Electronic data interchange, Foxfire Technologies, Warehouse, Warehouse management system
Warehouse #HDR #photog (Photo credit: mescon) Warehouse management is set to see significant benefits in the near future thanks to advances in mobile technology. As strong advocates for improving order management through the application of new technologies, Capacity LLC has embraced developing systems including custom online order management and EDI-controlled fulfillment. These may be just the tip of the iceberg, however, as mobile data integration begins to permeate what is an increasingly tech-driven profession. A recent survey by Motorola confirms this, finding that 66% of respondents plan to better equip staff with new technology in the near future, and identifying new areas of business growth driven by smarter warehousing. Perhaps surprisingly, much of the technology at the heart of moving warehouse management forward is already at work, in our own pockets. Our mobile devices can monitor where we are, where we end up, many of the points in between and how long it took to get to each. When applied to the moving parts of the warehouse environment - fork lift trucks, tagged pallets of stock, communications devices on staff, and much more - a potential treasure trove of real-time and archival data is unearthed. The pressing questions for solutions providers then become where to utilize it and how to effectively integrate the systems reliant on these data? Thankfully there are plenty of excellent data analysis experts out there to do that legwork for warehouse management, not to mention software that can be employed to manage much of the process. This...
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### Bloomingdales Seeks an End to Wardrobing
> Bloomingdales is seeking to end wardrobing by placing plastic tags in conspicuous places on clothing. If the tag is removed the item may not be returned.
- Published: 2013-09-19
- Modified: 2023-12-12
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/bloomingdales-seeks-an-end-to-wardrobing/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment
- Tags: National Retail Federation, Return fraud, Wardrobing
You might not have heard the term, but you can bet your bottom dollar that Bloomingdale's has. Furthermore, they've had quite enough of it. "Wardrobing" is the practice of buying an expensive clothing item, wearing it once, and then returning it for full credit the next day. It's essentially borrowing an outfit for a day at no cost. It's typically the type of clothing that you might wear to a wedding or prom. Though unethical, it might seem innocent enough. But it adds up. According to the National Retail Federation, the practice costs retailers upwards of $9BN each year. Yes, you read it right, that's nine billion dollars in a single year. Bloomingdale's is one retailer that believes it has the answer to wardrobing. Store are attaching three-inch removable plastic tags to noticeable places on clothing most likely to be used for wardrobing. Consumers can remove the tags once they get home, but the items cannot be removed from the store once they're gone. Bloomingdales in advertising its new policy in stores and online: "Please note that this dress will be delivered with a black b-tag attached, with instructions for removal included. If the b-tag is removed, the dress cannot be returned. " Bloomingdales' wardrobing policy is the most direct. Other retailers have taken more discrete action like placing the names of frequent wardrobers on their sales records. A return pops a red flag and a return may be denied. That's just one more aspect of retail fulfillment to worry about...
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### Affluent Millennials Purchase Online Daily
> Affluent millennials who refer to themselves as "influencers" are making online purchases on a daily basis
- Published: 2013-09-18
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/affluent-millennials-purchase-online-daily/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
Affluent millennials who refer to themselves as "influencers" are making online purchases on a daily basis, according to a report from the research firm iProspect, to be released tomorrow. Generation Xers purchase weekly and Baby Boomers purchase monthly, according to the "Affluent Influences" report. The results indicate that retail trends are shifting rapidly along generational lines. It's certainly an important message to online and other retailers who seek to target these groups. It's also indicative of an opportunity for those in the allied logistics fields. The report also found that millennials are much more receptive to mobile advertising than are the older affluent groups. Gen Xers are receptive to online leisure activity ads and Baby Boomers are not likely to engage with ads, according to the study. Researchers also found differences in how the three groups consume media. For example, most affluent millennial consumers will pay for access to news online, while Generation X and Baby Boomers will not. Fourty-four percent of affluent millennials and 46 percent of Gen Xers watch broadcast TV, compared to 62 percent of Baby Boomers. There are also differences in the types of devices used by the different groups: tablets and mobile by affluent millennials and Gen Xers. Baby Boomers most often use laptops and desktop computers.
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### Is the New Gmail Bad for Retail?
> Google's latest tweak to Gmail is for consumers but brands say this new Gmail is bad for retail and different folders discourage buyers.
- Published: 2013-09-17
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/is-the-new-gmail-bad-for-retail/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Facebook, Gmail, Google, Groupon, Instagram, MailChimp, Twitter
Google's latest tweak to Gmail may not be good for business. Retailers are getting the word out on any number of platforms these days, including Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter, but email remains the workhouse of online retail. Google has over the last few months rolled out a new framework for Gmail, creating several different folders within users' inboxes. How is the New Gmail Bad for Retail? The "Primary" folder is intended for personal and priority emails. The other folders include "Social," "Promotions," "Updates" and "Forums. " The names are fairly self-explanatory. Google says simply that it wants to address email overload. Brands say this makes this new Gmail bad for retail and harder to do business via the inbox. The organization may be useful for users, separating and perhaps prioritizing Gmail. The effect is less certain for retailers. The risk is that e-commerce emails will be shunted into an "email ghetto," according to the New York Times. The open rate for promotional emails has decreased by about 1 percent since the introduction of the feature according to three sites that manage e-mail mailings, Yesmail Interactive, MailChimp, and 3DCart. It is possible for users to change the folders in which emails appear. Gmail from retailers may be dragged and dropped into the "Primary" folder. Once that's done, future emails will also appear in that folder. The Gap and Groupon have urged recipients of their emails to do just that. How long the idea that Gmail is bad for retail in...
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### Panama Canal Expansion Expected to Boost U.S. East Coast Businesses
> The expansion of the Panama canal, due to be finished in the next year, is expected to lead to a growth in the logistics business in the United States.
- Published: 2013-09-10
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/panama-canal-expansion-expected-to-boost-u-s-east-coast-businesses/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Bayonne Bridge, Panama Canal, Supply chain
The Panama Canal has long been a crucial route for U. S. supply chains, with around 70% of all cargo moving in and out of the country passing through it every year. Next year sees the waterway's centennial and some significant events will mark the occasion, not least of which is the targeted completion of its expanded capacity. The improvement, which has been ongoing since its approval in 2006, will double the capacity of the route and allow three times as much cargo to pass through it every year. In reality the project is likely to go into overtime, perhaps into early 2015, but the ramifications of the work are already the subject of much speculation. Logistics analysts are assessing how this is likely to change the logistics business in the U. S. For over 60 years the Pacific coast ports have seen greater growth than their Atlantic coast peers, boosted primarily by the vast volume of imports utilizing the North America-Asia trade routes. The combination of relatively unrestricted transit conditions and efficient intermodal transport solutions from the west coast inland have proved to be a winning formula. As the Panama Canal expands to allow for increasingly large container vessels, and North America's imports are sourced from more diverse locations around the world, growth is beginning to swing in favor of the Eastern seaboard. Rather than pit this as a good old fashioned East vs. West grudge match, however, logistics professionals around the country are likely to embrace these developments....
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### Trucking Companies Face Challenges as Economy Rebounds
> As the U.S. economy begins to haul itself back into the black, American trucking companies companies are facing up to a series of challenges
- Published: 2013-09-06
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/trucking-companies-face-challenge-as-economy-rebounds/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: American Trucking Association, Anthony Foxx, Haulage, Trucking
As the U. S. economy begins to haul itself back into the black, American trucking companies are facing up to a series of challenges. Some are positive, such as racing to meet the increased transportation demands of a resurgent North American energy sector. Other challenges, though, are proving to be more of a burden, like a lack of qualified drivers or the burden of ongoing changes to safety regulations. Expanding into new areas and taking on more routes for clients is of course welcome by trucking companies after several lean years, brought on by the financial crisis in 2008. But this expansion becomes a frustratingly missed opportunity if insufficient driving talent exists to take advantage of it. Reports of increased competition and a massive employment churn of 97 percent (American Trucking Association figures) are not uncommon, making it difficult for owners to stick to a plan in an industry that literally runs on reliable scheduling. The life of a trucker is well known to be a difficult one, away from family for weeks at a time and peppered with all the dangers of the road. It can also be very rewarding, with experienced drivers in the right field able to make upwards of $80,000 per year. If you can handle the time alone as well as you can a heavy load vehicle, now is the time to apply! That said, truckers and trucking companies are quick to point out that not all of the job's barriers are personal ones. Some...
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### Warby Parker and the Future of Retail
> When hip e-commerce glasses store Warby Parker launched three years ago is was said to represent the future of retail. No its approach is "omni-channel."
- Published: 2013-09-03
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/warby-parker-and-the-future-of-retail/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: e-tailers, Glasses, Neil Blumenthal, Online shopping, Warby Parker
When hip e-commerce glasses site Warby Parker launched three years ago is was said to represent the future of retail. Stores it was said would soon be a thing of the past. The glasses were inexpensive, stylish and could be purchased from the comfort of your laptop. Well, the future of retail is beginning to look a little bit more like its past. Warby Parker now has 4 stores and 12 “store in stores” around which offer on-site eye exams and sell glasses. Last week, Neil Blumenthal, the co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker said last week that the future of retail is "omni-channel. " That means the best way to distribute its products is to make them available everywhere. I've never been a huge fan of buying exclusively online. Let's be honest, buying online can be a hassle. Warby Parker will send you five frames. That's a good start but many shoppers (like me) often try on many more. Then there's the hassle of returning them. Just this afternoon my wife was on the phone with another e-tailer trying to figure out what went wrong and arranging for a return. Warby Parker has figured out that sometimes it's just easier to go to the store. Neil Blumenthal also said that research shows that buyers who make purchases across multiple channels are more valuable in the long run. They key is to lock them into the brand. The logistics behind making good available across multiple channels can be complicated. No longer are wholesalers...
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### Good News Department: Consumer Confidence in Logistics Grows
> Consumer confidence in logistics continues to grow - 15 percent in the first half of 2013 according to the good news team at LCI.
- Published: 2013-08-29
- Modified: 2021-07-13
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/consumer-confidence-logistics-economy/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Consumer confidence, Logistics, United States Department of Commerce
Consumer confidence in logistics continues to grow - 15 percent in the first half of 2013. That's great news as the U. S. economy continues to show signs that it's bouncing back. That's a great shot in the arm for all businesses. That's on top of today's news that the Commerce Department has sharply revised - upwards - 2nd Quarter GDP figures. The Logistics Index & Consumer confidence The Logistics Confidence Index, commissioned by business and financial advisers Grant Thornton and Barclays found that 71 per cent of executives in the logistics sector forecast revenue growth over the next 12 months and over 52 per cent anticipate an increase in profitability within the year. With peak season and the holiday shopping rush on the horizon, the news has shippers hoping that the economic good times will continue to roll. The study also found that 43 percent of those interviewed expect to add to their payrolls in the next 6 months. What's the greatest challenge? Margins, according to those polled. As the logistics business looks straight down the barrel at the holiday season, let's hope that consumer confidence continues to rise across the board. As always, we're here to help. Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on logistics news and supply chain analysis.
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### Twitter Enters E-Commerce Fray
> Twitter has appointed its first head of commerce to start retail partnerships. But so far social media has been a disappointment for retailers.
- Published: 2013-08-28
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/twitter-enters-e-commerce-fray/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Facebook, GameStop, Nathan Hubbard, Social Media, Ticketmaster, Tory Burch, Twitter
Twitter has appointed its first head of commerce, Nathan Hubbard, as it begins an e-commerce initiative. Details are sparse on how Twitter will facilitate retail in 140 characters or less. Hubbard, the former president of Ticketmaster, said only that “We’re going to go to people who have stuff to sell and help them use Twitter to sell it more effectively," in an statement to Business of Fashion. The article goes on to say that Hubbard will seek partnerships with retailers and payment services companies, rather than entering head-to-head competition. The move is intended to raise additional revenue as Twitter looks to an IPO in the months ahead. How's Social Media Working Out for Retail? Twitter's foray into social media comes at a time when social media is not working as well hoped for retailers. Although some business sectors are taking a second look at Twitter for business marketing, a study of prestige retailers the digital consultancy L2 found that over the past four years, less than 0. 25% of new customers have been acquired through Facebook and less than . 01% from Twitter. In addition, the research disclosed that customers gained via social media spend less than other customers. A number of retailers opened up Facebook stores to great fanfare in 2011. With the exception of Tory Burch, most are now closed, including: Oscar de la Renta. the Gap, J. C. Penney, Nordstrom, GameStop. It would appear that the strategy that works best on social media is word of mouth. When someone...
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### China's Alibaba is Bullish on E-Commerce
> Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is on an investment spree. It's confidence in the sector is an indication that the Chinese are bullish on e-commerce.
- Published: 2013-08-19
- Modified: 2021-04-05
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/chinas-alibaba-is-bullish-on-e-commerce/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is on an investment spree. The latest is a $75 million minority investment in premium shipping site ShopRunner. Shoprunner offers services similar to those provided by Amazon Prime. The deal follows a similar investment in Fanatics, a US sports merchandise e-commerce company. What does this mean for those of us in the shipping and and logistics field? The obvious message is that the Chinese and Alibaba, specifically, are clearly bullish on e-commerce. It is indeed the Chinese market that holds the key to extraordinary growth in retail. Anyone who is able to tap even a part of that market is laying claim to a golden goose. Alibaba's U. S. acquisitions are also indicative of its desire to learn some of the finer points of e-commerce as practiced in the U. S. as well as the importance it places on e-commerce in the run up to its expected IPO later this year or early next. E-commerce continues to grow at a rapid clip in the U. S. , enjoying double digit growth as warehouse availability is at a premium. This trend has been in evidence the last couple of years as Capacity LLC has worked with a number of its retail clients to develop processes and systems that enable them to handle consumer orders directly.
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### E-Commerce Wave Pushes Warehouse Demand
> Warehouse demand is increasing as e-commerce becomes an ever more important part of the economy.
- Published: 2013-08-16
- Modified: 2021-08-06
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-wave-pushes-warehouse-demand/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: E-commerce, Warehouse
Warehouse demand is increasing as e-commerce becomes an ever more important part of the economy. The economic recovery and continued improvements in technology have enabled the warehouse sector to grow and emerge from the turbulence of past years, according to the Financial Times. Prologis, the world's largest industrial landlord, has noted that this has caused rental rates to rise after falling by more than 25 percent during the Great Recession. We're wondering the growth noted by Prologis has been in part a result of the increased diversity of services offered by warehousing companies. As the economy expands beyond brick and mortar stores into a more diverse economy, retailers and consumers are asking for an array of services ranging from custom packaging to same or next-day delivery services. Prologis, whose clients include Amazon, FedEx, Unilever, and Home Depot reports that vacancies in its buildings greater than 250,000 sq ft stand at only 1 percent while there's not room at those more than 500,000 sq ft. In the Financial Times article, Prologis also commented on the difficulty of modifying existing warehouse space for the demands of e-commerce. Those of you who know Capacity LLC are aware that this is a development that has occupied many of our waking hours. We're obsessed with applying cutting-edge technologies and offering the latest services to both our traditional and e-commerce clients. As the economy, thankfully, begins to grow once again, we're excited about working with our clients to expand their businesses.
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### Port of New York Congestion Causes Indigestion
> Shipping delays at the Port of New York are now causing concern among shippers and retailers before the start of the pre-holiday peak shipping season.
- Published: 2013-08-07
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/port-of-new-york-congestion-causes-indigestion/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: best of capacity, Maher Terminals, National Retail Federation, Port Authority New York New Jersey
Shipping delays at the Port of New York are now causing concern among shippers and retailers before the start of the pre-holiday peak shipping season. The National Retail Foundation (NRF) recently sent a letter to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York Shipping Association expressing concern about the two month hold up. The initial cause of the congestion was the integration of new software by Maher Terminals, which handles a third of the port's volume. Delays spread throughout the port as ships were diverted to other terminals, including Bayonne, NJ which itself is undergoing major construction. The Port of New York is the largest container shipping port on the U. S. East Coast. Maher responded that service had now returned to acceptable levels during the past several weeks, albeit at reduced volume. " Maher had scaled back some of its software installation to effect delays. Ironically, the delay was caused by software intended to improve port efficiency. Instead, the software sometimes closed down terminals, sometimes for hours at a time. Some retailers may turn risk averse at the thought of empty shelves during the Holidays while the nation is undergoing a slow economic recovery. The congestion at the Port of New York has led some retailers to consider using other ports, such as Baltimore and Norfolk, VA.
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### TJ Maxx and Other Low-Price Retailers Get Into E-commerce
> Low-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Off Fifth have a difficult time with e-commerce. But the dollar signs are now too big to ignore.
- Published: 2013-08-05
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/tj-maxx-and-other-low-price-retailers-get-into-e-commerce/
- Categories: B2B Retail Fulfillment, eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: E-commerce, Hudson's Bay Company, Online shopping, Saks Fifth Avenue, T.J. Maxx, Technology
Low-price retailer T. J. Maxx is taking another stab at e-commerce. Low-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Off Fifth, owned by Saks, Inc. , have a difficult time with e-commerce. Since they're dealing with odd-lots and sometimes limited quantities the online retail process can be complex and expensive. E-commerce is not for the weak of heart and not the weak of wallet, if you're doing it on your own. TJ Maxx is one of a number of low-price retailers are now weighing the costs against potential profits and deciding it's time to make the investment. Analysts at Avondale Partners believe that T. J. Maxx can quickly reach annual sales of $1 billion. That's a lot of odd lots. The computer upgrades are not cheap. Last year, TJ Maxx spent $200 million to acquire online Sierra Trading for its tech and experience in e-commerce. Saks is spending $95 million over three years to upgrade Off Fifth's retail capabilities. Hudson's Bay Co. saw the potential e-commerce value in Off Fifth last year when it bought the larger company for $2. 9. That's a serious investment. TJ Maxx hopes that the market is more mature and that the technology is better this time around. It gave up its last attempt in e-commerce in 2005 having lost $15 million in the process. With the market more mature now and mobile devices beginning to expand access to online shopping almost anywhere, retailers across North America and the globe are weighing up their e-commerce options. If...
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### E-Commerce and Customer Engagement
> Customer engagement is the name of the game in e-commerce. There are several easy steps you can take to enhance customer engagement.
- Published: 2013-07-31
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/e-commerce-and-customer-engagement/
- Categories: Customer Experience
- Tags: Apple, Customer engagement, Design, E-commerce, iPhone, Online shopping, Packaging and labeling
Customer engagement is the name of the game in e-commerce. At a minimum customers expect that their orders will be fulfilled correctly and on time. We spend a lot of time making sure that that happens at Capacity LLC, and that's really what it takes to stay in the game. There are a few things that retailers can do to engage their customers and to make sure that they keep coming back again and again via e-commerce channels. The iPhone's packaging is intended to build customer engagement. Rule number one is that it's got to be a memorable experience, in a good way. The question to ask is what you can do to distinguish yourself from the competition. What's the extra service or feature that not only going to keep customers coming back but also recommending your brand to their friends. That's true customer engagement. Packaging is a good place to start. How can you make it stand out and make it an integral and pleasurable part of the shopping experience. I had once read about how Apple had designed its packaging to unfold just so. If you've ever opened an iPhone box you know how it just slides off, not too slow, not too fast. It's part of the design. It's all part of the experience. You don't need to spend years designing your packaging to succeed. Offering distinctive packaging, however, is one way to stand apart from the crowd. It gets people talking. Another way to enhance the...
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### Asia is Boon for Booming E-Commerce
> Asia is the next frontier for e-commerce. The continent's growth in online retail has soared by nearly 140 percent in the last three years.
- Published: 2013-07-23
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/asia-is-boon-for-booming-e-commerce/
- Categories: eCommerce Fulfillment
- Tags: Asia, China, E-commerce, Electronic commerce, ExportNow, NFL, Online shopping
Asia is the next frontier for e-commerce. The continent's growth in online retail has soared by nearly 140 percent in the last three years. By 2020 analysts predict that Asia will account for 23 percent of the online sales market, according to the J. Safra Sarasin Group. That would be a tremendous jump from the 3. 8 percent of worldwide online sales attributed to Asia just last year. Global e-commerce sales are expected to hit $1 trillion this year. Much of the growth is expected to come from China, which by the end of the decade, is expected to edge past the United States as the world's largest online retail market. For the last several years e-commerce in China has grown by more than 60 percent annually. Retailers world wide are positioning themselves to enter the lucrative Chinese market. The NFL announced last week that it would be opening up an online store for the Chinese market. The store, which will be opened with ExportNow, will sell apparel, equipment and accessories branded with the logos of the NFL and its 32 teams over an e-commerce platform on China's Tmall. com and is expected to open in September. What's truly extraordinary is that the growth of Chinese e-commerce is taking place with Internet penetration of just 42 percent. Driving the Chinese is increasing Internet penetration combined with the rapid growth of the Chinese middle class.
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### Recession in the Rearview?
> The effects of the Great Recession may finally be coming to an end. That's if consumer sentiment aligns with the 2013 Retail Outlook Survey by KPMG.
- Published: 2013-07-19
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/recession-in-the-rearview/
- Categories: News
- Tags: Consumer Confidence Index, KPMG, Online shopping, Recession
The effects of the Great Recession may finally be coming to an end. That's if consumer sentiment aligns with the 2013 Retail Outlook Survey by KPMG. Eighty-five percent of the 101 senior retail execs responding to the survey expect capital expenditures to increase or remain the same over the next year. The results of the survey indicate that execs expect increase spending on geographic expansion (61%), information technology (40 %) and advertising and marketing/branding (24%). Technology will drive a great deal of the increased growth expected post Recession. Seventy-one percent of the executives are using social media to explore new ways of doing business and to reach their customers. That's up from 58 percent a year ago. Mobile is also becoming a huge factor. Fifty-two percent of the respondents are making use of mobile and online shopping techniques. Fifty one percent are using mobile and online promotions and coupons. They also expect analytics to play a major role going forward. Seventy-two percent believe that data and analytics offer insights that help them to make strategic decisions. The results represent good news for retailers. The positive response comes despite a pervasive sense that consumer sentiment remains volatile and unemployment remains high.
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### The Logistics of Globalization
> Globalization is a challenge for logistics providers. Consumers now expect to be to access goods and services from around the world at a moments notice.
- Published: 2013-07-16
- Modified: 2021-04-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/the-logistics-of-globalization/
- Categories: Logistics, News
- Tags: Globalization, Logistics, Supply chain, Supply chain management, Third-party logistics
Globalization is a challenge for logistics providers. The growth of the global economy has meant that consumers now expect to access goods and services from around the world, often at a moment's notice. The challenge for a 3PL company is to provide outstanding, easy-to-understand service in an increasingly commoditized world. According to a 2013 PWC Global Supply Study of 500 supply chain executives around the globe, the most pressing challenges include profitability, cost management, meeting customer requirements and supply chain flexibility. Our clients and their customers also expect the same, seamless service whether a package is coming from across the street or halfway around the world. Shipping and transportation are core components of what we do; getting cargo from international origins to domestic destinations, before embarking upon the final mile to the customer. Into the mix, add an increasingly volatile world market, uncertain weather conditions, not to mention disruptive and diverse political conditions around the many areas we ship from, and you have additional challenges thrown up by the logistics of globalizations. As a result, supply chains must be tailored and responsive to customers' needs and increasingly flexible. The challenges for logistics providers are not negligible. But there are also opportunities and rewards. The same factors that have made globalization a reality have also increased what's possible on the part of logistics providers. Technology has made it possible to offer services and customization that would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago. As logistics providers, we also have an opportunity to become...
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### Energy Efficient - Capacity LLC's Carpool Data
> According to our carpool data and employee logs, the Capacity team saves over 35,000 gallons of gas a year by carpooling, biking and walking
- Published: 2012-05-16
- Modified: 2023-11-01
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/capacity-commuting-carpool-data/
- Categories: Inside Capacity
- Tags: capacityllc.com, Carpool, Jeff Kaiden
We live in an era of Big Data. For any of you who are like us, >New Jersey campus through carpooling, public transportation, biking and the most environmentally-friendly mode of transport going, walking! We're carpooling from New Brunswick, where many of our employees live, to our corporate campus in North Brunswick. It's only around six miles each way, but it really does add up over the weeks and workdays. Taking a car or two off the road also eases congestion, which can be a daily challenge here in the Garden State. Naturally, as we are engineering and Excel geeks, we've collated the carpool data and are using it to track performance. It's how we know where we are and what to improve next, not entirely unlike the huge amount of data we generate, log, and analyze for our clients on a daily basis. If you'd like to see the original Excel file, just send an email to information@capacityllc. com, and thanks for the support.
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### North Brunswick Sentinel Business Influx
> "North Brunswick offers a combination of great personnel, good value per square foot & a relationship with the township," says Thom Campbell.
- Published: 2011-03-13
- Modified: 2021-04-20
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/north-brunswick-sentinel-business-influx/
- Categories: Press Releases
BUSINESS INFLUX STRENGTHENS ECONOMY IN NORTH BRUNSWICKWith the relocation of Church & Dwight Co. out of the state of New Jersey and the closing of Pathmark and A. J. Wright due to corporate reasons, there are quite a few vacant buildings and "for lease" signs throughout the town of North Brunswick, NJ in 2011. However, Michael Hritz, director of the North Brunswick Department of Community Development, said that in many cases, those landlords are still collecting rent from the previous owner, which he said maintains tax ratables until a new tenant can be secured. "We are certainly not immune to today's economic challenges and can't control the commercial real estate environment. Everyone is disappointed when a store like Pathmark closes, but you understand itís part of a larger issue and not unique to its North Brunswick location. But we are competing and fairing very well with our neighbors. All of this recent activity demonstrates that North Brunswick remains a great and successful place to do business," he said. Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack believes that North Brunswick is a viable territory for businesses because of its geographic location. "I think we've got to try and find industries that will fit in town in a way that they fit with our expanding residential population," Womack said. "We have to ask ourselves how development, or redevelopment, in a way, encourages the right kind of new business to move here and complements the surrounding residential neighborhoods rather than place a burden. " And then...
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### Silly String Is Shipped Off To Iraq
> As Marcelle Shriver ran into red tape trying to ship Silly String to troops in Iraq Capacity's experienced fulfillment team got goods moving.
- Published: 2007-10-13
- Modified: 2021-05-04
- URL: https://www.capacityllc.com/silly-string-is-shipped-off-to-iraq/
- Categories: Inside Capacity, Press Releases
DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP, N. J. , Oct. 15 (AP) - Marcelle Shriver already had the party favors - about 80,000 cans of Silly String. Now, she finally has cause to celebrate. After months of frustration, Ms. Shriver has found someone who will ship her Silly String to Iraq, where troops use it to detect trip wires on bombs. They spray it 10 to 12 feet out and see if the string lands on the ground or hangs on the wires. "I am so happy right now, I am shaking," Ms. Shriver, 58, said as boxes were loaded into a truck on Monday afternoon. "I'm thrilled. " After an initial shipment went to Iraq in January without a hitch, Ms. Shriver - whose son Todd is a soldier there - struggled to find a way to send thousands of cans she was still collecting. One problem was that Silly String, sold in aerosol cans, is considered a hazardous material, meaning that only certain companies can ship it. Thom Campbell, a founder of Capacity L. L. C. , a shipping company based in New Jersey that has experience in handling hazardous materials, heard about Ms. Shriver's struggles and decided to help out. Shriver and Campbell communicated for weeks over various channels to coordinate the requirements for moving the Silly String from Ms. Shriver's hands to the troops she so eagerly desired to reach. Over the course of many phone calls and emails, the experience of Capacity handling such products and the company's status...
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