Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Walmart Extends Training to Distribution Centers
Walmart is extending its training program beyond its in-store employees to supervisors in its distribution centers. The retailer plans to set up 10 different academies that will train employees in 15 distribution centers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Training will cover leadership, safety and supply chain, and eventually add other subject matters, including technology.
Supermarket Expands Automated Inventory Tracking Program
Wakefern, a supermarket company, is expanding the automated inventory tracking pilot program from four stores to 50. The technology system from Focal Systems generates hourly data and identifies out-of-stock products via shelf computer vision, improving operational efficiency.
Demand for Cold Storage Heats Up
Demand is rising for new cold storage facilities, but supply is struggling to keep up. A lack of contractors, high costs, rising food sales, and slow timelines are all posing a challenge to new construction, but cold storage projects are expected to grow regardless.
Blackstone Purchases 60M Square Feet Across 465 Warehouses
Blackstone Group Inc. purchased its second warehouse network this year from Colony Capital Inc. for $5.9 billion. The network includes 60 million square feet across 465 warehouses in 26 different U.S. markets, “furthering the company’s bet on the continued growth of e-commerce.”