Shipping

Most Amazon.com shoppers love how the site immediately predicts shipping costs and delivery date for their purchases. As soon as shoppers click on a product, they see a message such as, “Want it Wednesday, Sept. 30 by 4 p.m.? Order in the next 11 minutes, six seconds.” What’s noteworthy is that Amazon does this up…

Amazon.com is taking to the skies. The e-commerce powerhouse has finalized an agreement to lease 20 Boeing jets from Air Transport Services Group Inc. as it builds out its U.S. delivery capabilities. Amazon has been investing heavily in its shipping infrastructure, adding sorting centers, which sort packages by zip code and deliver them to post offices. And…

Whole Foods and Instacart are taking their relationship to the next level. The $10 billion national grocery store chain is making an investment in the four-year-old delivery startup, according to multiple sources. The size of the deal couldn't be learned, but sources say it's essentially done, barring an unforeseen last-minute change of heart. The two companies have also…

Even without a Prime membership, Amazon always offered free (and slow) shipping for orders over a certain minimum. For the longest time, that minimum was $25, but in 2013, the company raised it to $35. In its latest move to push its $99 per year Prime membership with free two-day shipping, the company has now quietly…

Amazon.com Inc is quietly inviting drivers for its new "on-demand" delivery service to handle its standard packages, as the online retailer known for low prices and razor-thin profit margins looks to speed up delivery times and tamp down its growing multibillion dollar logistics bill. The move, which hasn't been announced publicly, is the latest sign that…

Much in the way that Uber creates headaches for conventional cab companies, transportation management systems (TMS) have become disruptive technologies, dramatically altering the way retailers approach transportation and logistics. In an era where consumers’ “need it now” mentality reigns, using a TMS dashboard to pinpoint a shipment, access a delivery time or offer an alternative…

Accessibility to the internet and the insatiable mobility of commerce have inspired a new generation of shoppers, one that's united by its collective desire to experience the world on its own terms. In response to this brave new world, retailers are slowly aligning their offerings and services around people's lifestyles and shopping habits. However, according…

Amazon.com told sellers on Monday it had negotiated a deal with the USPS so they will see no rate change on the cost of Priority Mail shipping, which will remain at 2015 rates. The deal is unprecedented, since Priority Mail rates increased 9.8 percent on average as of Sunday, and an increase of 9.4 percent…

What follows is a list of the Total Retail content in 2015 that generated the most reader comments. You’ll see that our readers are highly engaged when it comes to content on shipping rates — who isn’t when it has such an impact on your bottom line — social media marketing, payment options and cooperative…

After two consecutive years of problems during its holiday peak package season, UPS delivered on time at Christmas this year while its main rival FedEx had a last-minute stumble that left some gifts undelivered until after the holiday. "It seems like the third time's a charm for UPS," said Kent Winegar, portfolio manager at Austin, Texas-based…