Loaded and Rolling: J.B. Hunt’s Q2 freight bottom-cycle blues

J.B. Hunt’s Q2 freight bottom-cycle blues

(Source: J.B. Hunt, chart: FreightWaves)

Truckload and multimodal carrier J.B. Hunt told analysts on an earnings call Tuesday that it’s still too early to tell how the 2023 peak season for freight will turn out. The company noted its Q2 declines across the board in revenue, operating income and an operating ratio that fell from 90.8% in Q2 of 2022 to 91.4% this year against a backdrop of lower volumes and softening freight demand.

FreightWaves’ Todd...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/loaded-and-rolling-jb-hunts-q2-freight-bottom-cycle-blues

Walmart wants to beat Amazon at its own game

Well aware of the storm clouds brewing on the macroeconomic horizon, Walmart is doubling down on its supply chain-led transformation into an omnichannel retailer with an integrated, flexible and intelligent distribution and fulfillment network. For Walmart, leveraging its supply chain to unlock new margin gains is integral to “Everyday Low Cost,” which enables “Everyday Low Prices.” 

Walmart doesn’t expect to grow fast in 2023. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2022, (Walmart’s fiscal year 2023),...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/walmart-wants-to-beat-amazon-at-its-own-game

Is it a threat to national security or just my favorite app?

At the market

(Image: Shutterstock)

What’s going on here?

It seems every week some company is laying off more and more of its staff. Last week, Walmart announced layoffs of 200 people, Amazon said it’s cutting 9,000 jobs and Retail Dive reports more layoffs from Bed Bath & Beyond. FreightWaves’ JP Hampstead gets into the thick of it. Census Bureau numbers on seasonally unadjusted e-commerce retail sales were up 6% year over year as of Q4 2022, but remember that these numbers can benefit from...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/strongis-it-a-threat-to-national-security-or-just-my-favorite-appstrong

Point of Sale: Refreshing beer, $100M for new employees and Tesla on pause

The latest news for every retail supply chain nerd

Attention shoppers and all you retail supply chain nerds. Welcome to Point of Sale: The Newsletter! Here you’ll find all the latest industry deals, tech developments and everything in between regarding shoppers’ interests. I’m Sydney Edwards, the voice in your head and the writer before you. Happy to be here!

At the market

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Stella Artois for brunch, lunch and dinner

Stella Artois is setting sights on a new audience. Adw...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/point-of-sale-refreshing-beer-100m-for-new-employees-and-tesla-on-pause

Target announces massive supply chain investment

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Last March, Target announced its plan for a logistics overhaul in 2022, following through with new...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/target-announces-massive-supply-chain-investment

3 questions logistics leaders should ask to bring down costs

The FreightWaves Global Supply Chain three-day event kicked off Tuesday morning with a keynote on “creating flow and eliminating space” in fulfillment processes delivered by Julian Van Erlach, senior vice president of global supply chain, fulfillment and logistics for lifestyle subscription box company FabFitFun.

The logistics veteran has almost 30 years of experience in supply chain with brands including Vitamin World, Harbor Freight Tools, Radio Shack, Gabe’s and Musicland Group. Van Erlach is...

Resiliency, visibility key themes for retailers in ’22 and beyond

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This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves’ Domestic Supply Chain Summit on Wednesday. 

FIRESIDE...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/resiliency-visibility-key-themes-for-retailers-in-22-and-beyond

Target reimagines store design for e-commerce, same-day services

As being able to fulfill orders anywhere, anyhow has steadily become the expectation for brands, one of the United States’ largest retailers is overhauling its store design to meet it.

Target (NYSE: TGT) on Tuesday unveiled a new, larger model that will emphasize omnichannel fulfillment services, including same-day pickup, digital fulfillment and options like curbside and drive-up. The first new store debuted this week in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas.

The new layout from Target is about...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/target-reimagines-store-design-for-e-commerce-same-day-services

Target earnings fall short as supply chain struggles persist

Target store earnings report 2022

The conventional wisdom among Wall Street analysts was that shoppers would return to stores and drive bounce-back quarters for big box retailers in Q1 2022. But amid continuing supply chain struggles, only the first half of that assumption has held true.

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) reported Q1 2022 earnings before the bell Wednesday that revealed strong sales growth but dwindling profits. The retailer missed sharply on earnings per share, much like competitor Walmart (NYSE: WMT), which reported...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/target-earnings-fall-short-as-supply-chain-struggles-persist

Viewpoint: A resilient supply chain requires a holistic approach to management

supply chain technology

This commentary was written by Ahmed Raza, vice president of PartnerLinQ. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Modern Shipper or its affiliates.

Speed and instant gratification have been the biggest catalysts for evolution in the retail industry. Customers want their goods now, and for the most part, various verticals have been able to pivot to meet these demands. Amazon, for example, introduced Prime two-day delivery in 2015 and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/viewpoint-a-resilient-supply-chain-requires-a-holistic-approach-to-management