Multichannel Merchant Most Recent

Hershey to Close Direct Unit

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:54:00 EDT

The Hershey Co. said on Thursday it will close its gifts catalog and Web businesses on July 31, eliminating about a dozen jobs.

Sport Supply Group Buys Gus Doerner’s Team Sports Division

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:29:00 EDT

Sports equipment merchant Sport Supply Group announced June 30 it acquired certain assets from Evansville, IN-based Gus Doerner Sports. Terms were not disclosed.

Time to automate your DC?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Most multichannel operations these days are under pressure to reduce labor and improve efficiency and overall accuracy while spending less money. The best way to do this typically involves some automation help in the warehouse. But automation is not a magic bullet. In some cases, results don't meet expectations. Budgets are exceeded, timelines are not met, and expected savings don't materialize. Most

Inside real-life carrier negotiations

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Really? If only I had a dollar for every time a carrier rep fed me that line As a parcel consultant for the past 10 years, I help volume shippers negotiate better incentives with package carriers. I also managed a nine-figure sales division for one of the major carriers for a decade, so I've been on both sides of the negotiating table. And I'm not here to bash the carriers the services they offer

Paper Prices Leveling Off

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

It's been a crazy couple of years in the world of paper pricing. After six straight quarters of increases, paper prices fell during the first half of 2009. And now at the start of the third quarter, it appears that prices have leveled off. Prices for coated groundwood and coated freesheet are now running from $44 to $46/hundredweight (cwt), says Blake Hutchison, director of purchasing for catalog