Damage Control

| Peter A. Buxbaum

Companies that ship products directly to consumers have a problem that conventional retailers don’t necessarily have to consider: Their goods must withstand

Absolut Efficiency

| MCM staff

DESPITE BEING TUCKED AWAY in the tiny Swedish coastal town of hus (pop. 10,000), V&S Absolut Spirits exports like a global giant. The spirits manufacturer

Jumping Ship

| MCM staff

Whether you rightshore, multishore, or just plain offshore your operations, you’re part of a trend that’s accelerating despite or perhaps because of the

SQUEEZE PLAY

| Barbara Arnn

Now that spring is well under way, it’s easier to see the similarities between supply chain management and baseball: Both occupations require their practitioners

Kitchen Sink Included

| D. Douglas Graham

RETAILERS OFTEN PUSH PRODUCT the way disc jockeys promote rock and roll they play the hits. But this hit-focused merchandising tends to underrate the

Training Day

| Rama Ramaswami

Which would you rather do handle a rush job in the DC or spend time in training? The obvious answer may not always be the right one. A report from the

When Five Equals Two

| MCM staff

Distribution center math just became simple. According to Mike Kotecki, senior vice president at Milwaukee-based HK Systems Inc., five technologies have

One of Every SKU

| D. Douglas Graham

Our merchandising strategy is to leave no stone unturned, says co-owner Bart Calame. We are a specialty provider, and we carry all the brands that outdoor

NEW DOT-COM SOFTWARE

| Rama Ramaswami

As multichannel retailing matures, it’s time to jettison early Web apps and replace them with brand-new e-commerce technology platforms. A report from