Shipping

FedEx expects a 12 percent jump in holiday shipments this year and will add about 20,000 workers to handle the record volume driven by online shopping. The surge is driven by a combination of gradual economic improvement and ever-increasing internet sales, analysts said.

Sears announced that it's offering free shipping from Oct. 30 through Dec. 19 at Sears.com and Kmart.com. In addition, the company is offering free same-day store pickup.

E-commerce shipping is an increasingly busy two-way street. In addition to its delivery strengths, the U.S. Postal Service is making sure it's the preferred shipper for packages traveling the returns lane as well.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 2.6 percent in October over the same month last year and should reach its highest level of the year as retailers stock up for the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

On the verge of reporting historic losses, the U.S. Postal Service is launching a new TV advertising campaign designed to slow the migration away from snail mail. 

Cardboard boxes are out as part of Office Depot’s GreenerOffice Delivery Service. Customers will now receive supplies in paper bags protected during transportation in reusable plastic totes.

A House of Representatives panel approved a bill that would end Saturday mail delivery by the U.S. Postal Service and establish a process that could lead to worker layoffs at the cash-strapped agency.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is beginning to see cautious increases over last year again, ending a summer-long downturn as retailers prepare for the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

In order to compete with online retailers offering free shipping to holiday shoppers, eBay will encourage its sellers to do the same. Beginning on Thanksgiving Day through Dec. 25, eBay will give sellers 20 percent off of their final value fees when they offer free expedited shipping service with 1-day handling.

UPS My Choice is a new program from UPS meant to increase the likelihood of a successful delivery on the first attempt. Consumers signing up for the program, which launches Oct. 3, will receive phone, email or text alerts notifying them a day in advance of a package delivery and providing a four-hour window.