No Strike, Same Lesson

Since APX's demise, I've asked a number of catalog shippers, logistics providers and consultants how they've gotten through this stunning turn of events. Many catalogers quickly turned to FedEx and the Postal Service to deliver their orders at least temporarily until they could find permanent solutions. But as Jose Li, FedEx's retail industry manager, tells me, it takes a good three to five weeks to set up an account. And although FedEx delivered a number of packages for APX "refugees," Li notes that the carrier's first priority has been to service its existing customers. "We won't sacrifice service to our existing customers for somebody else," he says.