Amber Road Customers Closing High Performance Gap with Digital

Despite store closures, sluggish sales, and demanding consumers, at least 50 of the most profitable  retailers still managed to keep growth going. Their success is in large part related to the technology they use to keep their supply chains running at optimal performance and beat the competition in a tough marketplace. Industry resource Apparel magazine has released its annual “Top 50 Report,” not just listing the most profitable US apparel companies, but shedding light onto how they came out swinging in 2018, despite the industry challenges they faced.

In order to hold a position on this list, retail companies need to exceed $100 million in sales, even though most reach into the billions. As publicly traded US companies, these organizations have demonstrated profit margin increases over the last year, grading them in order of these strides in revenue gains.

Amber Road is proud to congratulate 10 of the Top 50 companies who we also have the honor to serve as customers. These are the companies on this year’s Apparel Top 50 list that are customers leveraging Amber Road’s software solutions for supply chain collaboration and execution:

• Tapestry (Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman)
• Nike
• Cintas
• PVH
• VF Corp
• Chico’s
• Ralph Lauren
• Vera Bradley
• TJX
• L Brands

“Some of these notable names have been long-time customers. The year-over-year performance of these winners is impressive, and we believe software solutions do play a hand in their achievements,” said Cheryl Layne, Customer Success Director for Amber Road. “We have always maintained a customer base of growing apparel and footwear companies and we congratulation them for their hard work.”

When asked about challenges, Robert Wallstrom, CEO of Vera Bradley replied: “Over the last few years, retail has been going through a very disruptive cycle, and the industry has changed forever. Technology has revolutionized retail: the e-commerce channel has become the primary growth engine; marketing has transformed to a ‘digital-first’ strategy; the physical store has moved from a place of purchase to a place of brand experience; and artificial intelligence is becoming the core engine to drive change faster than anyone could have previously imagined.” You can read the entire Apparel article here.

It’s apparent these companies understand the business value of automating and optimizing their supply chain execution operations for greater visibility, agility and lowered risk, while reducing sourcing costs across the board. To do it right, organizations need to take a holistic, integrated approach that encompasses every phase in the lifecycle. Amber Road offers companies solutions across the entire supply chain. To learn more about today’s global trade management solutions, click on the download below from Aberdeen Group.

source https://blog.amberroad.com/blog/apparel-magazines-top-50-closing-high-performance-gap-with-digital

The New NAFTA Takes Shape as USMCA

After months of discussion and to-and-fro activity, the US and Canada reached a late hour agreement on a framework for a renewed trilateral trade agreement that will replace NAFTA. The “US-Mexico-Canada Agreement” or USMCA is a “new, modernized trade agreement”, according to the joint statement released on Sunday evening by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland — the two top negotiators on USMCA.

source https://blog.amberroad.com/blog/the-new-nafta-takes-shape-as-usmca

Duty Drawback Simplification: Your Questions Answered!

Drawback Simplification regulations are finally here, and they’re a game-changer for importers and exporters looking to recover duties and fees. Companies can now go back five years for duty drawback claims, but you need a plan. Earlier this month, Amber Road’s Global Trade Academy hosted a webinar with Drawback Specialist Brenda Sweetman to cover these important updates.

source https://blog.amberroad.com/blog/duty-drawback-simplification-your-questions-answered

The Importance of the EEA Agreement for Global Business

Amber Road recently participated in a seminar on the European Economic Area (EEA) in Brussels and is providing this report on the main outcomes. The seminar allowed Amber Road’s staff of in-house trade specialists who provide up-to-date content to its Global Knowledge® database, to obtain a thorough, first-hand understanding of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) and how it integrates Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway into the EU’s Internal Market.

The Global Knowledge database consists of regulatory controls, restricted party screening lists, product classification data, landed cost data and trade documentation required for global shipments for 160+ countries. Amber Road’s trade specialists gather, translate, interpret and update country-specific trade regulations on a daily basis to maintain the most comprehensive and robust database of global trade content, government regulations, and international business rules available today. A deep understanding of the functioning of the EEA Agreement and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) are fundamental for the success of Global Knowledge® in Europe.

Here are the key takeaways from the presentations by the EFTA Secretariat, the EEA and Norway Grants, the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court on the day-to-day operation and management of the EEA Agreement, including recent developments and challenges.

source https://blog.amberroad.com/blog/the-importance-of-the-eea-agreement-for-global-business

Global Trade Management: The Past, Present, and Future

Global Trade Management (GTM) has evolved from a collection of standalone supply chain and enterprise applications into an integrated, robust solution that ties them all together on a common platform. Just as supply chains have changed dramatically in the past decade to adapt to new global sourcing and production trends, companies that seek to stay on the forefront of GTM and supply chain management are embracing advances that give them an edge over the competition. But where should you start? And what does the future hold in store?

source https://blog.amberroad.com/blog/global-trade-management-the-past-present-and-future

Game-Changing Duty Drawback Simplification is Here – Are You Ready?

Duty Drawback Simplification regulations are finally here, and they’re a game-changer for importers and exporters looking to recover duties and fees. Companies can now go back five years for duty drawback claims, but you need a plan.

Join Amber Road’s Global Trade Academy for a complimentary webinar this Thursday, September 13, at 2PM EST, with Drawback Specialist Brenda Sweetman.

Brenda, along with Global Trade Academy’s Suzanne Richer, will walk you through the key points in the proposed regulations:

• The items the CBP has settled – and what they still have to negotiate
• A timeline: how and when to apply
• The eligibility of brand new tariffs for drawback

source https://blog.amberroad.com/blog/game-changing-duty-drawback-simplification-is-here-are-you-ready

UK Aims to Prep Businesses in Case of No-Deal Brexit

With just over six months to go before the ongoing divorce saga of Brexit is finalized, the UK government is preparing businesses for the possibility of a ‘no-deal Brexit’. In this scenario—which they insist is really, really unlikely—the UK and the EU will split on March 29, 2019 without an agreement in place outlining their new relationship. This would affect every business in the EU and UK that conducts cross-border trade, along with companies that currently export to the UK under EU rules.

source https://blog.amberroad.com/blog/uk-aims-to-prep-businesses-in-case-of-no-deal-brexit