Bringoz Industry Weekly 7/14

evelopers are reviving aging malls with residential properties. Walmart is expanding automation for perishables distribution. Dollar Tree is growing its rotocart delivery initiative. Read about these stories and more in our weekly industry news roundup.

Many mall owners are working to diversify their properties with entertainment, offices and educational tenants, but a study published by real estate firm JLL found housing was the most popular use in these projects. Residential projects can reenergize retail properties with a new base of customers on site who can boost restaurants, fitness centers and other businesses and also address the nation’s housing shortage. Read more.

Walmart is adding four highly automated perishable distribution centers around the country and adding automated technology to five others. The technology will help build pallets that are engineered to optimize efficiency for merchandising at the store level and minimize product damage. The moves come as Walmart has increasingly focused on the quality of its perishables offering to better compete with traditional grocers. Read more.

Dollar Tree is providing rotacart deliveries to roughly 600 of its Family Dollar stores from its distribution center in Matthews, North Carolina. By the end of the year, Dollar Tree expects more than 3,000 of its stores to receive rotacart deliveries from four Dollar Tree and two Family Dollar distribution centers. Dollar Tree has experienced a significant reduction in unloading times at its stores through its rotacart initiative, as unload times have been reduced to about one hour. Read more.

Technology is modernizing how goods are transported, managed, and delivered. Technologies such as warehouse robots, autonomous vehicles, and digital platforms are enabling increased productivity, faster deliveries, and enhanced decision-making capabilities throughout the supply chain. Here’s a look at some technologies modernizing freight operations. Read more.

From improving efficiency and reducing costs to enhancing safety, autonomous vehicles are transforming freight logistics. These vehicles leverage technologies including advanced sensors, cameras, and radar systems to navigate roads, avoid obstacles, and make real-time decisions without human intervention. Here’s a deeper look at some advancements in autonomous vehicles and their multifaceted impact on the freight industry. Read more.

More distribution operations are implementing automated solutions to improve productivity, optimize their resources, and better serve customers. As businesses continue to navigate challenges such as eCommerce demand and labor constraints, it is crucial to implement innovative and effective automation solutions. Here are three ways automation can help companies transform their distribution operations and adapt to business growth. Read more.