Mike O'Brien
Mike O’Brien has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for … well, quite a while. At Multichannel Merchant he focuses on the world of direct-to-customer operations and fulfillment, editing MCM’s weekly O+F Advisor newsletter, and programs the annual Ecommerce Operations Summit conference. Previously Mike was a senior account executive for Marx Communications, a boutique public relations firm working with marketing and advertising technology companies. Other past work includes stints as a media relations consultant for a concert promoter, a marketing communications specialist for a pharma software firm, a research analyst covering corporate e-learning and a daily newspaper reporter on every beat imaginable – except sports.
Independent grocery cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. is testing robot delivery at two ShopRite stores in Pennsylvania as retailers continue to explore automated options for augmenting traditional methods to make e-grocery fulfillment faster and more efficient. Stores in Yardley and Bethlehem are participating in the trial.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic-driven spike in ecommerce, a nagging labor shortage and supply chain issues have put capacity at a premium and left shippers struggling to keep up. This report explores ways today’s retail and ecommerce shippers must pursue a carrier strategy that would have seemed unthinkable just two years ago.
For the first time, Amazon Logistics surpassed a major carrier in domestic parcel volume, edging out FedEx in 2020, according to Pitney Bowes annual shipping index, although FedEx had substantially more revenue. Pitney Bowes is also predicting domestic parcel volume will nearly double between 2020 and 2026.
BNPL has caught on more broadly in other markets but it’s certainly poised to catch on here. Square’s pending $29b acquisition of Afterpay is certainly a major indicator, as are other deals. What is the significance of Square/Afterpay, and where is BNPL headed? Rob Galtman, a director at Fitch Ratings, gives us his take.
project44 has acquired Convey for $255 million to create an end-to-end supply chain visibility solution, marrying up the latter’s expertise in last mile to complement its focus up the chain in first and middle mile and all modes of freight, in both B2B and direct-to-consumer realms.
Stord, a provider of cloud-based supply chain services, has raised $90 million in a new round, making it a member of the ever-growing unicorn club, and warehouses in Connecticut and Nevada to enhance fast delivery and use the facilities as test beds for its technology. Stord is also hiring across the board to manage 3x growth.
Premium loyalty program provider Clarus Commerce has acquired PrizeLogic to add rebate and promotion engine and rich first-party customer data as third-party tracking cookies are on the way out and Apple’s new iOS operating system severely limits marketers’ access to user activities. Terms were not disclosed.
Now in its seventh year for 2022, Multichannel Merchant’s MCM Top 3PL listing showcases leading third-party logistics companies serving ecommerce and direct-to-customer (DTC) businesses. How does your organization measure up? We’re accepting submissions now through Nov. 5, 2021. Be recognized as a true leader in the field!
The last 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions have made it hard for consumers to shop at stores, eliminating the pleasure of leisurely, impulse buying, seeing a product or speaking with an associate. The answer to this problem may be livestreaming shopping. Is it the mall of the future? We talk to Jared Blank of VTEX to learn more.
FedEx and Salesforce are joining forces on a multi-year partnership integrating Salesforce Commerce Cloud and its order management system with FedEx and its ShopRunner subsidiary, in a bid to offer a front-to-back ecommerce and supply chain and fulfillment solution for retailers.