Mastercard released its SpendingPulse report, showing the resurgence of retail sales in the 2021 holiday season. Retail sales rose 8.5% YoY, and online sales grew 11% YoY in the Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 holiday period. More: - The Thanksgiving weekend between Nov. 26-28 was the top spending period of 2021, with total retail sales up 14.1% YoY, driven by in-store sales up 16.5% and e-commerce sales up by 4.9% from the year before.
- E-commerce contributed to 20.9% of total retail sales during the holiday season, continuing the trend from 2020 and 2019 when 20.6% and 14.6% of sales were driven by the online shopping medium.
- In comparison with 2019, e-commerce sales increased 61.4% in 2021, while in-store purchases increased 2.4% in the same period.
- Consumers also shopped earlier than in past years to take advantage of special early promotions and avoid potential supply chain delays.
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Automated storage solutions manufacturer Modula published guidelines on deploying automation in warehouses and distribution centers. The company claims that their Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs) and Horizontal Carousels (HCs) help free up space, requiring 90% less square footage than traditional systems. More: - Modula’s solutions have the potential to offset the warehousing and distribution challenges faced during the ongoing pandemic, especially as e-commerce sales have grown 44% in the last year as compared to 15.8% in 2019.
- Automation provides end-to-end warehousing solutions, from recognizing the order to placing the right goods in the right bags, while also improving warehouse efficiency.
- The solutions can also be customized to handle temperature-controlled storage requirements.
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The Meridian Group, a D.C.-based real estate developer, has forayed into warehouse development, announcing plans to turn its 277-acre land into a logistics park. The developer decided to diversify into the warehousing sector due to the rising demand for storage facilities for E-commerce companies. More: - The developer aims to invest $150M into developing the 2.8 million-square-foot logistics hub along Interstate 81 in Winchester, Virginia.
- The Meridian Group acquired the land for ~$11M from multiple parties, including JGR Three, Hockman Investments, and Governor’s Hill LLC.
- The conceptualized One Logistics Park, being developed in collaboration with Wickshire Industrial, will also include 100,000 square feet of space for gas stations, restaurants, and retail outlets.
- Phase 1 of the facility, which covers 1.4 million square feet of space, is scheduled for handover to customers in the latter half of 2023.
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Purple Dot, a U.K.-based E-commerce startup, raised $4M led by U.S.-based VC firm Unusual Ventures. The E-commerce startup is aiding retailers to reduce inventory and wastage by deploying smart analytics and waitlisting programs. More: - The recent investment saw participation from previous investors Connect Ventures and Moxxie Ventures, including Indeed co-founder Paul Forster’s family office.
- In addition to the current funding, Purple Dot had received $1.7M (1.3M euros) in funding last year.
- Purple Dot claims its pre-ordering and waitlisting process can improve sell-through rates by 40%.
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 Acme Intralog solution Acme Intralog, an automated flexible and modular warehousing solution provider in the UAE, posted 35% growth over the previous year. The automation provider has outlined plans to expand existing production facilities and relocate retail operations to Dubai Investment Park, along with facilitating efficiency improvements through the implementation of SAP systems. More: -
In 2021, the company pioneered a new product sorting system for the region’s largest supermarket and installed fulfillment solutions for the biggest e-commerce providers facility in Saudi Arabia. -
Acme has partnered with Hanwha and OnRobot to develop cobot solutions. -
Acme’s investment into R&D has led to the development of a range of industry-leading solutions, namely, including a high-density pallet storage system, radio shuttle, and pallet quality check stations.
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 Copia CEO Tim Steele Copia, a Kenyan B2C e-commerce firm, plans expansion into Rwanda and Tanzania in 2022. The African e-commerce provider has operations in Kenya and Uganda. More: - Copia’s business strategy model caters to mid- and low-income households and people who do not have access to the internet.
- Customers can place orders either via phone, messages, or the website.
- A group of 30,000 agents, of which 70% are women, including shopkeepers and local grocers, provide their products on the e-commerce network.
- The startup has a customer base of 1.2 million unique clients.
- Copia, founded in 2013, has received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Mastercard Foundation’s Fund for Rural Prosperity, and the Savannah Fund.
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- Walmart faced public outcry in China, its second-largest international market, for not stocking goods from Xinjiang province in its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the nation. There are over 434 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in China, encompassing over 69 million square feet of space.
- Apple stopped in-store shopping in all of its New York outlets over concerns of Omicron surge in the city. Shoppers will only be allowed in stores to collect purchases made online.
- Broadway Angels invested $6.5M in Interos, an AI-based supply chain risk management company.
- Batelco, a Bahrain telecom company, launched Batelco Suite, a B2C E-commerce platform.
- Amazon leased warehouse space in Bridgewater, M.A., their third in the area, to deal with increased online orders.
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 |  | Karan Chafekar is a Management Consultant, Business enthusiast, Formula 1 lover, and a Licensed Pilot. He is also a part-time automobile and aviation fanatic, and a full-time introvert. | | | | Editor | Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 Ford. | |
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