THELASTMILE Logistics Outside the Box
2024Holiday Season—Unwrapped Season—Unwrapped Holiday Season—Unwrapped Was it profits aplenty or coals galore for retailers during this crucial sales period? Here are the projected winners and losers:
Grinches Lurking • Mounting returns • Declining brand loyalty from consumers • Shorter shopping period (by 5 days) between Thanksgiving and Dec. 25 Gifts that Keep Giving • Multiple shipping options • Last-mile delivery optimization • Cost-effective inventory management • Reliable logistics partners • Shipping status updates • • • Gifts • • • “ This is going to be a better holiday season than people expect, but it’s not evenly applied. ” NIKKI BAIRD , vice president of strategy at Aptos, a retail technology company
ALASKA
Brimming with Presents Amazon BJ’s Costco Gap Marshalls T.J. Maxx Walmart Williams-Sonoma Maxx
Brimming Coal in their
Coal in their Stockings Best Buy Home Depot Kohl’s
Santa Sighting? Alaska’s second-largest airport, Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), reported a dramatic increase in annual weight of incoming freight: 150%. Freight deplaned at FAI jumped from 7.5 million pounds in 2019 to more than 18 million pounds in 2023, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation. THE REAL ST. NICK: Amazon, which started its own air carrier service to the region.
Lowe’s Macy’s Target
IN CONSUMERS’ CARTS: Lower-cost items CONSUMERS’ items
SAVE FOR LATER: • Discretionary or big-ticket purchases • Home furnishings and home improvement products LATER:
FINAL UNBOXING: Bah, humbug [ ] Merry [ ] Jubilant [ ] U.S. holiday sales are expected to grow by as much as 3.5% in 2024, more restrained than in recent years but in line with pre-pandemic averages, the National Retail Federation estimates. That equates to between $979.5 billion and $989 billion in total holiday spending in November and December 2024.
Sources: National Retail Federation, The New York Times, Alaska’s News Source
48 Inbound Logistics • December 2024
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