Month: February 2015

The Advantage of Adaptation and Flexibility in Order Fulfillment

Order Fulfillment Insights and Supply Chain Analysis

February 26, 2015

Last fall, Capacity was featured by the fine folks at Transportation and Infrastructure magazine, one of the leading media outlets covering the vast spectrum of supply chain 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. Continue reading The Advantage of Adaptation and Flexibility in Order Fulfillment

Delivering Fun at Toy Fair 2015

February 18, 2015

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!

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…

Barbie Princess Power

…and in to see the award-winning range of beautifully designed Playsam toys.

Playsam - client VICI

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!

Brightz

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!
Skip-Hop

We build supply chains, Tegu builds awesome magnetic block models… both are equally cool, right? Right?!
TEGU-Magnetic Building Blocks

And one of the best announcements we saved for last, with Wicked Cool Toys revealing a high-power brand partnership with the Girl Scouts. You can read more about that here (but just know that you can now make those famous cookies around the clock, in your own home!)
Wicked Cool Toys - girl scouts

This captures just a small segment of Toy Fair 2015, but you can catch a lot more on the Instagram or Twitter feeds covering the event. (Just be prepared for a lot of cute little Groots…)

And if you’re a growing toy brand and want to know more about mixing fun with order fulfillment, get in touch with us today!

Disruption & Delay as Winter Storm Octavia Hits the South

Digging car out of snow

February 17, 2015

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 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. Continue reading Disruption & Delay as Winter Storm Octavia Hits the South

A Quick Look at Why Bicoastal is Best for Order Fulfillment

Transit Times from Capacity West Coast Warehouse

February 11, 2015

With the severe congestion on the U.S. west coast, shippers are searching for alternative ways to get their cargo into the country.

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. Continue reading A Quick Look at Why Bicoastal is Best for Order Fulfillment

Supply Chain Lessons from Target’s Calamity in Canada

closing-down-sale-target-canada

February 5, 2015
English: Logo of Target, US-based retail chain
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. Continue reading Supply Chain Lessons from Target’s Calamity in Canada