Supply Chain & Merchandising

By 2009, Hayneedle, Inc. was marketing more than 220 niche product category web sites. With so many disparate products, an organized and optimized distribution process became top priority.

Technologically-Advanced Consumers, The Demise of Enterprise IT, Proven Downstream Data Use Cases, The Supply Chain of the Future you name the topic, chances are that the speakers covered it at the 2011 Consumer Goods Business & Technology Leadership Conference. Click here for a recap of the event's many highlights, featuring industry all stars from P&G, Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, Energizer, PepsiCo and many more.

Walmart U.S. has delivered three consecutive months of positive same store sales. That means big plans for growth through 2013 even though operating expenditures will decrease significantly. New stores will add between 45 and 49 million square feet worldwide in the next fiscal year. The company also forecasted sales growth between 5 and 7 percent for fiscal year 2013.

The deal is valued at $680 million in cash, and includes brands such as Thomas & Friends, Barney, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Angelina Ballerina.

Oracle recently praised consumer goods companies for business achievements driving operational excellence and enabling growth using technology, innovative strategies and best practices.

In the consumer goods community, leaders know that keeping your success a secret can be a detriment to your business. Luckily, many are more than open to not only sharing but celebrating the best practices of their peers. Case in point: CGT received more than 50 nominations for its annual Business & Technology Leadership Awards. In the end, only nine companies were named winners. Find out who they are after the jump.