Order Fulfillment

The retail world was rocked this past year with pandemic-led surges in demand for e-commerce and at-home delivery. While many retailers were successful in making the pivot or ramping up their delivery cycles to meet capacity, it certainly didn't come without its challenges. The interesting aspect to the surge in e-commerce we experienced this past…

Local retailers serve a critical role in our lives, as places that feed and nurture us, supply our basic needs, and contribute to the local and national economy. I’m excited to kick off the first of a three-part interview series with my friend and mentor Jocelyn Mangan, CEO and founder of Him For Her, a…

Walmart is lifting the $35 minimum order required to use its Express Delivery service, which brings items to customers in less than two hours. Express Delivery allows customers to order items from Walmart’s food, consumables and general merchandise assortment such as produce, pantry staples, everyday essentials, toys and electronics, and is currently offered in 3,000 Walmart stores. Express orders are…

Recent changes to Amazon.com's Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program has sent sellers and the entire e-commerce industry scrambling. Merchants must quickly adapt to the new norm of nationwide one-day delivery or risk losing sales on Amazon. Offers from third-party sellers which include free Prime shipping can no longer be offered just regionally; they must now…

With COVID-19 restrictions driving a shift to online shopping, shipping and logistics were a nightmare this past holiday shopping season. However, for some retailers, “dark stores” have proven to be a key tactic for combatting the madness. Dark stores are physical store locations that have been turned into fulfillment centers, taking pressure off the supply…

Amazon.com's new Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) requirements went into effect on Feb. 1, 2021. Third-party SFP sellers must now show a nationwide one calendar-day or two calendar-day delivery promise on their Amazon product detail pages. Also, they must meet the strict delivery speed metrics on all such orders. For more details on the new SFP…

In part one of this three-part series, I will decode Amazon.com's latest and most radical changes to its Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program. I will share what merchants can do to adapt and thrive in the new one-day e-commerce delivery world. On August 20, 2020, in a post titled Important Updates to Seller Fulfilled Prime…

GNC and Shipt announced a new partnership that will for the first time bring same-day delivery of GNC health and wellness products to consumers across the country, according to a company press release. Shipt customers can select GNC in the user-friendly app and on Shipt.com to add any products to their order, including vitamins and supplements,…

The COVID-19 pandemic created a major spike in outsourced delivery services as restaurants, grocery stores and retailers rushed to adapt to an overnight shift in consumer behavior. Months later it has become clear that the home delivery shift is here to stay, and the high fees and unpredictability of outsourced services are no longer tenable.…

Many companies are now wondering about the long-term impact of coronavirus on the retail and e-commerce industry, and what lasting changes it may leave. Despite the doom mongering, many brick-and-mortar stores are doing very nicely online, and so are smaller e-commerce players, with average e-commerce businesses reporting a 15 percent increase in annual revenue since…