Thanksgiving Retail Sets Records

Retailers are pleased with consumer shopping so far this holiday season, with many achieving record breaking numbers for sales and order quantities.  The strong start strengthens predictions that this holiday season will generate over $6.6 billion in sales on Cyber Monday and e-commerce sales will rise by 16.6 percent.

Plus, many retailers are extending their traditional “Black Friday” discounts to other times than the Friday after Thanksgiving. Many retailers started discounting products earlier in November.

Some other interesting stats from the Thanksgiving retail spree:

• Orders exceeded 10,000 a minute on Black Friday—far surpassing the 2,800 orders per minute during the Thanksgiving holiday at its peak, according to Shopify. Shoppers purchased more than 600,000 apparel items, 360,000 accessories and 210,000 houseware products from Shopify merchants in a single day.
• Consumers spent more than $5 billion on Black Friday, 16.9% more than on that day in 2016, and a new record, according to Adobe Analytics.
• ICSC reported that retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence captured 75% of all spending over the Thanksgiving retail holiday.
• Thanksgiving Day online sales reached $2.87 billion.
• 42% of Black Friday orders were placed via mobile devices.
• Brick-and-mortar stores were visited by 145 million adults spending an average of $377.50.
• Big box retailers are impacting sales of niche, vertical retailers as consumers choose one-stop shopping over visiting multiple stores.
• Many retailers have pared down inventory levels for the holiday season resulting in less of a need to discount items.

With the rise in retail sales, warehouses have had to increase staff and streamline processes to keep up with orders. As more and more consumers order online, seasonal workers have been part of a hiring frenzy at warehouses around the country. Amazon said it would hire 120,000 seasonal workers in over 30 states this year.

To improve efficiencies and speed fulfillment, warehouse management should focus on improving order picking operations with carton flow and pallet flow solutions from UNEX Manufacturing. UNEX picking solutions come in a variety of configurations – from slanted shelves to roller racks – speeding the picking operation exponentially so that orders can be fulfilled on time. UNEX solutions are customizable, easy-to-build, movable and sturdy enough to support heavy weights.R

Need help keeping up with the holiday order fulfillment pace? Call your Pickability experts today – UNEX Manufacturing – and we’ll help you get orders from the warehouse to the doorstep.

The post Thanksgiving Retail Sets Records appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/thanksgiving-retail-sets-records/

UNEX President Named to Board of Directors for MHEFI

UNEX Manufacturing, Inc., the trusted industry leader in providing innovative order picking solutions, announces that company president, Brian Neuwirth, has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI). Brian has been elected to serve as Vice President of the Board.

“UNEX has been very active in workforce development because there is a growing need for talent in the material handling industry,” said Brian Neuwirth, President of UNEX Manufacturing. “We have been supporting MHEFI, the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) and other organizations with academic scholarships and equipment donations for years. I am honored to take this position on the Board to help promote this beneficial organization and to continue promoting the material handling industry to the leaders of tomorrow.”

The Material Handling Education Foundation offers scholarship award opportunities to students committed to studying material handling, supply chain and logistics during the 2017/2018 academic year. Scholarship awards range from $1,500 to $9,000.

Brian Neuwirth and the others elected with start their term on January 1, 2018. UNEX Manufacturing is a family owned business and trusted industry leader in innovative order picking solutions that maximize space usage, increase pick rates and improve ergonomics at the point of pick.

The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. is an independent charitable organization that was established in 1976 with a mission to promote the study of material handling, logistics and supply chains by exposing students and educators to the industry through financial support. Since 1976, more than $2.5 million in scholarships and grants have been awarded to students at colleges and universities located in the United States and Canada.

The post UNEX President Named to Board of Directors for MHEFI appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/brian-neuwirth-board-directors-mhefi/

Top 10 Warehouse Hazards

Hazards exist in any workplace.  Warehouse hazards, though, create more accidents because of the massive quantities of products of all different sizes, shapes and weights stored on shelves, floors and anyplace else someone can find a place to put a box, pallet or carton. Per the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the biggest warehouse hazards include:

• Overexertion Injuries – these occur when workers lift items that are big and heavy for a long period of time resulting in excessive physical effort. Injuries can occur to joints and ligaments. Also, in the warehouse, workers walk to pick orders. The trip length between picks can be quite long, especially if the warehouse is not organized properly. Properly planned pick paths, SKU rationalization and appropriate slotting of SKUs can help to cut down the length the worker must travel to fill orders.
• Lifting and Handling Materials – Improper handling of boxes, pallets, cartons and items can cause strain and injury to different parts of the body, especially the back. Heavy, big objects should be placed in the “golden zone,” where workers do not have to bend, reach or lift above their shoulders or below their waists.
• Slips, Trips and Falls – Each year, more than 8 million Americans will be treated in emergency rooms due to an accidental fall. If items are store haphazardly within the distribution center, such as sticking out too far from a shelf, or placed in the middle of an aisle, workers can easily injure themselves by tripping over or running into these items. Making sure floors are dry and slip resistant can prevent slips, trips and falls.
• Falling Objects – Items not stored properly can fall and inure someone. If the storage racks do not have end-caps, items can just slide right out onto the floor causing injury. For example, UNEX Keg Flow features side rails to help steady heavy beer kegs, a custom hanger to provide fractional pitch and a high roller stop so that kegs don’t topple off the end.
• Forklifts – Most accidents occur in a warehouse at/with the docks, forklifts, conveyors, storage units and manual lifting/handling. Forklifts can overturn or they can be overloaded, subjecting materials to falling off. Accidents between forklifts of between a forklift and another surface can cause serious injury. Statistics show that 1 in 10 forklifts are involved in an accident each year. Operators need to check hydraulic levels, tire pressure, engines, controls, steering and brakes each day to make sure all are working properly.
• Loud Noise – Tools, equipment and machinery that makes loud noises can cause hearing loss. Ear protection should be work by workers in this environment. The single biggest source of noise and threat to workers’ hearing is often the radio they carry. In order to be heard above the din around them, the radio must be at least three decibels louder. But dB Blockers are designed to integrate with all modes of communication, so workers can communicate and hear clearly at all times while staying protected.
• Unstable Packaging – Packaging is being made more flimsy in an effort to reduce cost and waste. As a result, things like cardboard boxes are being replaced by cardboard slats covered in plastic, which are more unstable when loaded. Workers need to pay particular attention to avoid dropping contents or injuring themselves by lifting flimsy packaging.
• Don’t Overload Carts – Carts help carry products or cartons during picking operations. Make sure that the cart can handle the load and that the items stacked on the cart are not above the picker’s level of vision so you won’t bump into any items, causing the cart to spill.

Ergonomics is important in the warehouse for safety as well as productivity. Products need to be handled correctly in picking and packing operations to reduce the risk of injury from improper handling. That’s why UNEX emphasizes ergonomics in all of its solutions- whether it’s picking from the Golden Zone or keeping tools within easy reach at a packing station, our solutions take into account these warehouse hazards and minimizes them for a safer, healthier, and happier workforce.

The post Top 10 Warehouse Hazards appeared first on Carton Flow and Order Picking Solutions from UNEX.

source http://www.unex.com/top-10-warehouse-hazards/

No-Shave November

For the past few years, UNEX has participated in Movember in order to raise awareness around men’s health issues and to raise money for preventative and educational programs. One of these health issues is cancer, a disease that kills 22,000 people worldwide every day- half of which are preventable. While we’re proud of the money we raise (and the mustaches we grow) for Movember, we recognize that there is far more work to do. That’s why UNEX Manufacturing and its employees have decided to take part in No-Shave November.

The goal of No-Shave November is a simple one- to raise awareness and money for cancer research and treatment by embracing our hair and allowing it to grow wild and free. Instead of spending money at the barber shop, stylist, or waxing studio, participants instead donate to No-Shave November to support its funded programs, which include the Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. These organizations are solely focused on the prevention and early detection of cancer and the development of a cure.

Many- if not all- of our lives at UNEX have been impacted by cancer in one way or another. We have learned from our experiences that no one should be left to take on the disease alone, and that rallying our community around friends and family dealing with the realities of cancer gives more than just financial assistance- it provides hope, strength, and camaraderie. We want to do everything within our power as individuals, as a company, and as a family, to provide that hope and strength to as many as possible.

That’s why UNEX Manufacturing is donating $1,000 through our No-Shave November team page and matching individual donations up to another $1,000!

 

Our fundraising goal for No-Shave November is $2,500, but we hope that our company match (along with your help) will allow us to smash through that goal and make as big an impact as possible. We encourage you all to join us on our No-Shave November journey. Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Head over to the UNEX team page.
2. Click “Make a Donation” on the right hand side of the page- or just follow the link.
3. Donate what you can.
4. Click “Share this Page” on the right hand side, and let your friends and family know how they can participate!

Of course, you can always sign up, start your own team or organization, and begin raising money on your own. But remember- donations through the UNEX team page will be matched!

We’re also encouraging our team members to share their stories about how cancer has impacted their lives. The most important thing we can do this month is show survivors and family and friends of lost loved ones that they are not alone, that we share their struggles, and that we are there for them, ready to provide assistance in any way possible. We will be sharing those stories on one of our social media pages as they come.

We hope that you will join us in this fight.

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source http://www.unex.com/no-shave-november/