Shipping
August 20, 2018 at 11:41 am
Chairish, an online marketplace for home decor, art, and furniture, recently launched Drop Off & Go, a turnkey packing and shipping service that solves the most vexing obstacle to online selling for the home decor industry: the challenge of shipping. Sellers using the Drop Off & Go service simply print out their Chairish shipping label, which includes a…
August 10, 2018 at 10:27 am
In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Caitlin Sullivan and Joe Keenan discuss the National Retail Federation's (NRF) new Package Coalition, a lobbying group in support of the U.S. Postal Service. The coalition is being led by Amazon.com and other retail businesses, including QVC and Columbia Sportswear. In addition to analyzing the merits…
August 6, 2018 at 2:21 pm
Walmart is testing the use of storage and retrieval robotics, called Alphabot, to increase the speed of online grocery order pickup, according to a company blog post. The technology, which was developed in collaboration with retail automation company Alert Innovation, is being installed in a section of a Salem, N.H. supercenter, which will also be a dedicated…
July 30, 2018 at 1:34 pm
A program Walmart announced last summer that lets store associates opt into delivering e-commerce ship-from-store orders quietly ended in January, according to company documents obtained by Reuters. The program was tested at three stores — two in New Jersey and one in Arkansas — and the idea was that store employees would bring online orders directly to…
July 30, 2018 at 10:56 am
As the heat index increases across the nation, so do the questions surrounding what customers will expect and how retailers and brands will perform in the months ahead. From constant promotions to ease of returns, increased free shipping to buying on mobile, consumer behavior is shifting faster than ever, leading to intense challenges and distinct…
July 26, 2018 at 12:49 pm
Though we’re in the peak of summer, retailers are preparing for the holidays looming just a few months away. If the growth in holiday retail sales in 2017 (a 5.5 percent increase to $691.9 billion) serves as any indication for the 2018 holiday season, retailers can expect an influx of shoppers with evolving demands. As…
July 13, 2018 at 10:52 am
In this week's episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Caitlin Sullivan and Joe Keenan discuss UPS’ intra-year rate hikes, the factors that are leading to higher shipping costs for retailers, and potential solutions to the problem, including implementing omnichannel fulfillment systems.
July 5, 2018 at 10:12 am
More than ever, consumers are making purchase decisions based on how fast they can get products in their hands. To meet these growing expectations for speed and convenience, traditional retailers are overhauling their supply chains to compete with Amazon.com and other rivals. Retailers also are asking more of their suppliers to help keep inventory low…
June 29, 2018 at 10:39 am
Even though the potential strike at UPS hasn’t yet been averted (the current labor agreement is set to expire July 31, and the two parties haven't ratified a tentative agreement), the company has decided that now is a good time to impose intra-year rate hikes. UPS already changed its fuel surcharge tables for air export…
June 28, 2018 at 12:57 pm
Amazon.com announced today the launch of a new offering designed to help individuals build their own companies that deliver Amazon packages. With the offering, Amazon will provide an active role in helping interested entrepreneurs start, set up and manage their own delivery businesses, even with little or no logistics experience. Amazon will offer the couriers — who…
