Shipping

Traditional delivery methods, once the norm in e-commerce, are rapidly being replaced by a standard that prioritizes immediacy. Retail giants and small businesses alike have recognized that today's consumers expect their online purchases to arrive not in days, but hours. This seismic shift is redefining logistics, compelling companies to innovate and adapt at breakneck speeds…

Shipping, and whether or not it’s free, has been the de-facto decision maker for online shopping conversions ever since Amazon.com introduced its Prime membership in 2005. What started out as a way for non-Amazon retailers to remain competitive and to incentivize shoppers to buy more online has now become a very expensive customer expectation. In…

After a rollercoaster year, we've arrived at the 2023 holiday season. With economic fluctuations and unpredictable shopper trends, forecasting consumer behavior is more challenging than ever before. That’s why ShipStation compiled insights from over 8,000 shoppers and businesses around the globe to help merchants understand consumers’ most up-to-date needs and how they can fulfill them…

The digital age has fundamentally transformed the retail landscape. As we adapt to the new era dominated by e-commerce, where approximately 20 percent of all retail transactions are made online (and growing every year), it's crucial to also recognize and adapt to shifting consumer behaviors and preferences — especially during peak season. This high-stakes period…

Amazon.com is making Fresh grocery deliveries available to more non-Prime members. In an update on Thursday, Amazon said that it’s expanding the offer to non-Prime subscribers in all U.S. states where Fresh orders are available for delivery and pickup. While Amazon previously only offered Fresh delivery to Prime customers, it opened up the service to non-Prime members in August.…

All of us are familiar with the phrase, "Nothing in life is free," (including lunch), but this sentiment truly resonates when examining the intricacies of free shipping in e-commerce. What if we changed the script on free shipping, viewing it not merely as a business maneuver, but instead as a catalyst for eco-conscious evolution? It…

Every retailer with a well-run transportation fleet regularly reviews its operational and systematic data to identify key trends and opportunities to improve its overall efficiencies and the bottom line. However, with so much change taking place within the transportation and equipment finance industries, how can retailers be sure they're evolving and adapting in the right…

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will not raise pricing by applying a peak season surcharge this holiday season. Wait, what? 2023 will be the fourth peak season since COVID temporarily forced volume surges on the package carriers, and the carriers forced “peak” surcharges on the shipping public. This year, however, the USPS is making…

The U.S. Postal Service, fresh off several consecutive significant price hikes, will not include a surcharge this peak season for mailers and shippers sending items during the holidays. The announcement marks a departure from recent USPS strategy, which has increased its prices between early October and mid-January for the last few years. Postal management pointed…

While Amazon.com's impact on e-commerce is sizable, arguably one of the most impressive parts of the company has less to do with selling products and more about delivering them. In 2014, the company had a 0 percent logistics market share. As reported by Axios in 2020, just six years later, Amazon’s logistics arm overtook FedEx…