Shipping

Boom or Bust? How Brands Can Automate in an Endless Channel Environment
June 27, 2023 at 10:54 am

Today’s brands are enjoying a once-in-a-century gold rush predominantly sparked by rapid digital growth and a discernible willingness on the part of consumers to take their shopping experiences, even those once thought to be sacred to brick-and-mortar retail, into an e-commerce environment. Add to that a seemingly endless number of sales and distribution channels —…

Creating a More Sustainable Future for E-Commerce Delivery
June 15, 2023 at 11:22 am

The way we shop has changed dramatically over the past few years. E-commerce acceleration has given consumers endless options for shopping and delivery. While this shift to a new shop-from-anywhere economy has made our lives more convenient, it has come at an environmental cost that consumers are increasingly aware of. In fact, a recent consumer…

Amazon Offering Select Shoppers $10 to Pick Up Their Orders
May 10, 2023 at 2:36 pm

Amazon.com is offering some customers an incentive to pick up their orders in-store rather than have it delivered to a home address as shipping costs soar, Reuters first reported Monday. The e-commerce giant sent emails to a number of Amazon Prime subscribers promising them $10 if they picked up any of their orders worth at…

Luxury Online Retailers Must Deliver a VIP Experience From Storefront to Doorstep
May 2, 2023 at 5:03 pm

The in-store experience has always been a big part of luxury goods retailing. You can immerse yourself in the elegance of a store’s décor and merchandise, and some retailers create full sensory experiences in their spaces — from signature scents in the air to complimentary beverages in the shopper’s hand. Even window shopping at a…

The Last Mile Blame Game and How to Avoid Losing
April 13, 2023 at 7:50 am

The e-commerce boom over the last decade has thrust the importance of last-mile logistics into the spotlight. The definition of “fast” has evolved for many consumers, with enterprise retailers like Amazon.com and Walmart setting a precedent for same- and next-day delivery. In fact, on-demand last-mile delivery platforms and new last-mile parcel networks were among the…

How 3PLs Support Omnichannel Retailers Through Uncertain Times
March 8, 2023 at 11:55 am

E-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers are caught in a vortex of clamor about inflation, a potential economic downturn, and what some expect to be a shopping slowdown. At the same time, research shows there’s reason to be hopeful. Even if shoppers pump the brakes on spending, retail sales are still likely to increase some 4 percent…

Online Retailers Zero in on Last-Mile Profitability in 2023
March 2, 2023 at 12:48 pm

For online retailers, the last mile is a critical element to the customer’s overall brand experience, covering the entire spectrum from website browsing to purchasing a product and, finally, to receiving a delivery. While the last mile is critically important to the customer’s brand experience, it contributes an estimated 53 percent to the total shipping…

Report: Amazon Opening More Ultrafast Delivery Sites
February 27, 2023 at 4:35 pm

Amazon.com is reportedly expanding ultrafast delivery options and devoting more resources to facilities and services structured to deliver packages to customers in less than a day, according to a Feb. 26 report in The Wall Street Journal. The expansions are happening at a crucial point for Amazon, which faces competition for fast delivery options while CEO Andy…

Target to Spend $100M on Supply Chain Hubs to Speed Up Order Delivery
February 23, 2023 at 5:14 pm

Target announced this week that it will spend $100 million to build a larger network of supply chain hubs to speed up and lower the cost of delivering online orders. The retailer plans to have at least 15 of the facilities, dubbed sortation centers, by the end of January 2026. It already has opened nine…

New Last Mile Delivery Techniques Being Used in the Delivery Industry
February 16, 2023 at 11:11 am

Throughout much of the past few years, the shipping and logistics industry has been focused on a cascade of supply chain crises, most notably long lines of ships waiting to dock at major ports and a dearth of trucks and railroad cars to move their cargo. In 2022, the logjams started easing and a railroad…