Shipping

Amazon.com is speeding up delivery times for small items such as USB cables and smartphone protectors. Merchants were notified earlier this week that these smaller, flat items would now be delivered to Amazon Prime members within five business days — down from eight previously. Other marketplaces, including Alibaba and eBay, can take anywhere from two weeks to…

UPS announced last week it would increase U.S. air and ground shipping and international shipping by 4.9 percent starting Dec. 26. The hike starts even earlier (Sept. 9) for consumers and businesses shipping items over 150 pounds in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. UPS has continually raised its rates 3 percent to 5 percent…

eBay announced that it’s updating its estimated delivery dates for seller on-time shipping performance for USPS First-Class Mail and USPS Priority Mail Express. Effective September 1, sellers will have handle time plus three days (instead of the prior five days) to ship USPS First-Class Mail, and handle time plus one day (instead of the prior…

With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about your holiday strategy. A successful holiday shopping season doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, planning and a strategy that allows you to deliver the same high-quality customer experiences that shoppers enjoy throughout the year. During November and December, many retailers enjoy a healthy…

As consumers continue to seek convenience and instant gratification via mobile devices, retailers are challenged with thinking about new ways to generate customer interest and loyalty. To develop insights in these areas, Synchrony Financial recently tracked existing and emerging trends impacting both the retail and mobile payments space and published them in a new report. The report…

Amazon.com launched its first ever branded cargo plane, Amazon One, at Seattle’s SeaFair Air Show on Friday. The Boeing 767-300 plane is one of 40 that Amazon has agreed to lease through air cargo partners Atlas Air and ATSG. In an ode to its Prime members, Amazon’s first plane in its dedicated fleet features a…

Last year’s holiday season saw more than $626 billion in sales, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), with $105 billion coming from online and other non-store sales. However, despite shoppers’ good intentions, they didn't always find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. This resulted in billions of dollars worth of returned merchandise. As…

This is a guest post by Gordon Glazer, director of modal optimization and affiliate strategies at Shipware, a parcel audit and consulting firm. In the interest of full disclosure, Gordon recently took a small short position on Stamps.com after the two reports mentioned were published. Also, Shipware provides access to discounted postage pricing through one…

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a Slurpee? That must have been on the minds of people who may have glanced up at the sky in Reno, Nev. on July 11 when 7-Eleven made the first commercial drone delivery to a private residence. According to 7-Eleven, the initial delivery included a chicken sandwich, donuts, coffee, candy…

As more and more consumers purchase items online, many retailers are facing growing challenges in keeping up with the demand. The dramatic growth in e-commerce has affected all aspects of the fulfillment process, from packing to shipping to delivery. Several innovative products in today’s market can help address these challenges, while increasing efficiency and reducing…