Shipping

Amazon Lowers Delivery Fees for AmazonFresh
October 10, 2016 at 1:11 pm

Amazon.com announced last week that it's doing away with its $299 per year Prime Fresh subscription fee for its AmazonFresh grocery delivery service. Amazon will now begin charging $14.99 per month, available only to Amazon Prime members. AmazonFresh is Amazon's grocery service that offers unlimited same-day delivery of both perishable and nonperishable groceries in several…

Returns: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
September 27, 2016 at 9:48 am

Historically, most retailers view returns as a plague on their business. Not only do you lose the sale, but you pay for the privilege of your customer returning the unwanted merchandise to you. The National Retail Federation’s 2015 annual survey of North America retailers found that $260 billion worth of merchandise was returned last year.…

Hidden Fees Exposed: How Retailers Can Save Money on Shipping
September 22, 2016 at 10:13 am

If you operate an e-commerce business, chances are good that you’re losing money on parcel shipping. Parcel pricing contracts are complex, typically filled with hidden fees that can dramatically inflate costs and cut into your bottom line. While focusing on negotiating discounts might seem to make sense, in some cases an improved discount won’t reduce…

Costco, Wal-Mart Test Office Supplies Delivery Services
September 21, 2016 at 11:40 am

It seems Office Depot and Staples have some new competition. Costco and Sam's Club of the Wal-Mart division have gotten in on the office supplies market with the help of same-day and next-day delivery. In San Diego, Costco is testing same-day grocery and office supplies delivery to small businesses with the help of Instacart. Meanwhile, TheStreet…

FedEx Announces 2017 General Rate Increase, Other Changes
September 20, 2016 at 12:04 pm

In a somewhat surprising move to industry analysts, FedEx has announced shipping rate and surcharge changes for 2017 that do not match those announced Sept. 1 by rival UPS. FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, subsidiaries of FedEx Corp., will increase shipping rates effective Jan. 2, 2017 as follows: FedEx Express will increase shipping…

Amazon Partners With San Francisco 49ers on Deliveries for Tailgaters
September 12, 2016 at 11:31 am

The San Francisco 49ers announced last week that it has partnered with Amazon.com to offer the team's fans who tailgate before games one-hour Prime Now delivery for tens of thousands of items from Amazon. Fans will be able to order everything from more beer to 49ers gear via the Prime Now app starting four hours…

Amazon Slashes Delivery Time for Small Items
September 9, 2016 at 10:10 am

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 â€” down from eight previously. Other marketplaces, including Alibaba and eBay, can take anywhere from two weeks to…

UPS Announces Rate Increase
September 7, 2016 at 11:22 am

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…