Shipping

The New Supply Chain: From Demand to the Doorstep
April 21, 2016 at 9:24 am

Before the rise of e-commerce, the intricacies of a complex global supply chain were mostly hidden from the consumer. Products appeared on store shelves and in the pages of catalogs seemingly by magic; the very appearance of a mail-order package on a doorstep was considered impressive in and of itself. Not so today. With each…

Droids, Not Drones, Are the Future of E-Commerce Deliveries
April 20, 2016 at 10:47 am

In the shadow of Greenwich’s 02 Arena — the futuristic dome originally built as London’s showpiece for the Millennium — what looks like a picnic cooler on wheels zips among groups of gawking children. This little delivery robot, designed to autonomously navigate sidewalks, not roads, later this year will begin making deliveries from local businesses…

Kohl's, Best Buy and Macy's Look to Attack Amazon
April 11, 2016 at 11:32 am

Lookout, Amazon, same-day delivery services for struggling bricks-and-mortar retailers are going from test phase to full-scale operations. Department store retailer Kohl's has recently expanded its same-day delivery service to the Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle and Washington, D.C./Baltimore markets, a spokeswoman confirmed via email to TheStreet. The service is in partnership with Deliv, which…

Amazon Plans Big Push to Expand Prime Now Fast Delivery
April 4, 2016 at 9:43 am

Amazon.com plans to broaden the reach of its fast delivery service Prime Now, and is selling major brands promotional deals connected to the expansion, a sign the world’s largest Internet retailer is satisfied with early results from the nascent offering. The service — now only available through the Prime Now app on smartphones — will be…

Shipping Smarter: Rapid Delivery and the Need to Compete
March 30, 2016 at 10:53 am

The relationship between retailers and customers has always been about proximity: the closer, the better. However, as e-commerce and digital retail continue to transform the industry, there’s a new twist to the location equation. Instead of being about the location of the brick-and-mortar store, it’s now about the location of the customer. The challenge for…

Delivery Delays Mount at U.S. Postal Service
March 30, 2016 at 10:09 am

The U.S. Postal Service fell short of its performance targets for a host of its mailing and shipping services last year, and on-time delivery percentages in many categories were actually worse than 2014, the agency's regulator has found. The Postal Regulatory Commission this week issued a critical report detailing the shortcomings of a broad array of…

American Apparel Offering On-Demand Delivery Via Postmates Partnership
March 22, 2016 at 11:21 am

Clothing brand American Apparel has formally partnered with startup Postmates to offer consumers on-demand delivery (within the hour) of "Basics" clothing, which includes standard tees, sweatshirts, body suits, pants, leggings and dresses for all genders. The service will be offered in 79 American Apparel stores throughout the U.S., spanning 31 metropolitan areas. At launch, delivery fees will…

Conquering Cart Abandonment With Shipping Predictions
March 15, 2016 at 10:09 am

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 Leases 20 Jets to Build Out Logistics Network
March 10, 2016 at 12:56 pm

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 to Invest in Instacart, Signs Delivery Deal
February 24, 2016 at 10:52 am

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…