Shipping

Retail has significantly changed in recent years. Consumers were already moving away from in-person retailing before the pandemic hit, and it's a shift that has picked up considerably since then. For those remaining brick-and-mortar stores, technical advances have been employed to keep customers happy — and keep them coming back. Many of the biggest trends…

For small-to-medium businesses (SMBs), exceptional customer experiences are the key to building and growing a loyal customer base. Experiences like faster delivery options are attractive to customers, but as technological and cultural preferences evolve, it can be challenging for SMBs to keep up without sacrificing quality of service. As superior customer experiences can’t exist without…

The past 24 months have been challenging and, as a supply chain professional, you know this better than anyone else. You’ve seen the pandemic’s economic impact first-hand by battling labor shortages, supply uncertainties, inflationary forces, and limited carrier capacity — all while trying to solve for a dramatic increase in consumer demand and online buying…

Prior to 2020, the gradual shift from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce shopping had already begun. The pandemic, however, accelerated this shift as more consumers elected to shop online. The U.S. e-commerce forecast had online sales growing by double digits — 17.9 percent year-over-year — in 2021. Online sales were forecast to reach $933.30 billion last year, accounting for…

Fast-growing e-commerce brands understand only too well that "going green" is a thorny ambition. Online shopping is booming with demand accelerated by COVID-19, but offering fast international delivery using air freight will have an impact on the planet we’re all trying to protect. A commitment to carbon neutrality in the supply chain is therefore an…

Today’s competitive retail landscape makes it imperative for retailers to prioritize the customer experience. With that in mind, delayed delivery schedules, damaged products and cumbersome order tracking could turn customers away from your store. This, in turn, will take a toll on customer retention, brand reputation and revenue. Whether you’re running an online store or a brick-and-mortar…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail editors Kristina Stidham and Joe Keenan discuss an article recently published by Total Retail titled, “Will Free Shipping Boost E-Commerce Sales Enough to Be Profitable?,” authored by Mitchell Nikitin, founder and CEO of Via.Delivery. There's no disputing how powerful the words “free shipping” are when it…

There's no disputing how powerful the words “free shipping” are when it comes to driving e-commerce sales. Sixty percent of U.S. consumers say that getting a great deal is a top factor that influences their purchasing decisions. According to many online shoppers, the deal they want most is free shipping. A survey of holiday shoppers…

The modern shopper experience extends far beyond the four walls of the physical store. In today’s omnichannel landscape, shipping has become an increasingly important part of the consumer experience. It’s not just product availability or quality that boosts brand image any longer; it’s the way an order arrives. Was it on time? Did it contain…

As the world rebalances after the chaos of COVID-19, U.S. e-commerce businesses are desperately seeking ways to beat supply chain challenges and claw back lost revenues. Many are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve logistics efficiencies, meet customer expectations, and prepare for a less predictable future. According to a recent KPMG survey, 53 percent…