The Week of November 28th: 10 things eft’s been reading

Amazon had a big week – not just on the bottom line, but in terms of new ideas they’ve rolled out. Some great reading for you!

1)      We wrote an article a couple weeks back on the back of attending CSCMP’s conference on how Blockchain might impact supply chain. Here are some more examples of how this is a burgeoning area in the industry. Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize the supply chain. [TechCrunch]

2)      The Gap has struggled mightily for years as fast fashion has boomed. Their new CEO is showing the door to design in the name of analytics. Another big gamble by a major brand to stay relevant in the retail space. As Gap Struggles, Its Analytical CEO Prizes Data Over Design. [WSJ]

3)      Buzzword alert à ‘Offline 2.0’ – could it take off if traditional brick and mortar businesses successfully execute omnichannel? In any case, here’s a take on what will happen if Amazon succeeds at its physical retail footprint. Amazon's move to brick-and-mortar could cause a wave of 'Offline 2.0’. [CBC]

4)      Technology isn’t just about replacing workers; it also helps on-board them. This is especially becoming relevant as user experience isn’t just about the customer but about the entire workforce. More and more workers are growing up with technology, and given those experiences, can naturally adapt to well designed and implemented technology. That’s exactly what  Amazon’s doing. How Amazon Gets Its Holiday Hires Up to Speed in Two Days. [WSJ]

5)      [VIDEO] It’s really their week having hit records across eCommerce, Prime subscriptions etc. Here’s an awesome 360 video of an Amazon fulfilment center. See inside an Amazon warehouse in 360 degrees.

6)      Even though sales of mobile devices are stagnating, shopping on them is booming. It’s really underpinning how shocking it is that a number of businesses in the industry haven’t embraced mobile yet! Mobile looms larger with holiday shoppers. [WSJ]

7)      CPG is perhaps one of the unlikely victims of digital and mobile. Kevin O’Marah explores just this in a data-filled piece on how CPG can renew its consumer relationship given ‘Consumer’s love affair with digital shopping’. CPG: The Post-Replenishment Supply Chain Challenge. [Forbes]

8)      Data and logistics are clearly converging. One of Amazon’s branches that we rarely cover here is AWS (Amazon Web Services). In a move  that underpins Amazon’s understanding of the market, they have developed a truck complete with storage capacity of 100 petabytes (100000 terabytes) that will go to you, download your data and physically drive it to an AWS data center to be uploaded to the cloud. Wow. Amazon will truck your massive piles of data to the cloud with an 18-wheeler. [TechCrunch]

9)      The next Transportation Secretary has been named. What could be the impact though on some of the cutting edge logistics technologies set to affect the industry? Trump’s pick for transportation secretary could be good for companies with self-driving ambitions. [Recode]

10)    UK retailer Boohoo bids on bankrupt Nasty Gal. Boohoo, a discount fashion retailer founded a decade ago, is enjoying healthy growth and looking to branch out beyond Europe. [Retail Dive] 

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