Shipping
June 27, 2019 at 12:57 pm
Amazon.com launched a new pickup option, Counter, in the U.S. today. Counter is a network of staffed package pickup points that enables customers to collect their Amazon packages from Counter locations at third-party retail outlets, department stores, and local neighborhood stores. Counter went live today in more than a hundred Rite Aid stores across the U.S. By…
June 21, 2019 at 9:16 am
In my last article, I detailed the need to consider add-on or accessorial carrier fees, not just base rates, to control shipping costs without sacrificing service. Still, downplaying the importance of keeping regular tabs on those base rates can wreak havoc on a shipper’s costs; they remain an incredibly important part of the equation. As…
June 19, 2019 at 11:13 am
The demands of consumerism have "upped" everyone's game, and it seems our battle cry for instant gratification has been heard. While retailers struggle to match Amazon.com's pricing and selection, Amazon tries to close the gap on the "availability" offered by brick-and-mortar retailers. One-day shipping certainly gets Amazon closer to the core promise made by retailers,…
June 18, 2019 at 2:52 pm
FedEx will offer pickup and drop-off services inside Dollar General stores, expanding the shipping company’s reach in rural America. Memphis-based FedEx on Monday announced the alliance with fellow Tennessee company Dollar General Corp. The companies plan to begin adding FedEx services in more than 1,500 Dollar General stores by late summer and expand to more than 8,000…
June 17, 2019 at 10:36 am
Amazon.com shocked the retail industry during its fourth-quarter earnings call when CFO Brian Olsavsky announced: “So, we’re currently working on evolving our Prime free two-day shipping program to be a free one-day shipping program.” Since Amazon’s announcement, hundreds of e-tailers and their distribution partners have been working hard to figure out how to match the…
June 14, 2019 at 11:23 am
With the sole purpose of buying the most expensive Starbucks drink ever served, William E. Lewis Jr. requested the coffee chain add 170 extra shots of espresso to his Venti Flat White order. As a result, the credit repair and identity theft consultant managed to jack up the price…
June 13, 2019 at 11:16 am
Target is bringing its same-day delivery option to the masses — the latest move in an ongoing delivery war involving the big-box retailer, Walmart and Amazon.com. Target announced today that customers in 47 states will now be able to get items delivered same day by paying a flat fee of $9.99 per order. It’s using Shipt, a membership-based, same-day…
June 12, 2019 at 12:41 pm
Amazon.com will end its U.S. food delivery service, Amazon Restaurants, at the end of June, reports Business Insider. Amazon Restaurants launched in Seattle in 2015, and expanded to over 20 markets globally, yet failed to become a top player in the American food delivery space. The service was available only to Amazon Prime members and…
June 11, 2019 at 11:31 am
U.S. retail sales soared 1.6 percent in March, posting the largest gain in a year-and-a-half and outpacing economists’ expectations. While growing sales numbers are undoubtedly good news for retailers, consumer expectations around the delivery process are also surging, making it more difficult than ever for retailers to meet customers’ demands. This might not be welcome news…
May 31, 2019 at 11:36 am
In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Kristina Stidham and Joe Keenan discuss the true cost of shipping for retailers following the recent publication of two articles that dug into the issue, including how retailers could mitigate rising shipping costs. Total Retail contributor Rob Martinez outlines the USPS’ new dimensional pricing and offers strategies for…
