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.
From account takeover to friendly fraud, phishing, spoofing, counterfeiting, chargebacks and more, there are many ways for fraudsters to disrupt and derail ecommerce. This special report from Multichannel Merchant takes a deep dive into current fraud trends and explores solutions and steps you can take to safeguard against it.
DHL eCommerce, the U.S. unit of logistics giant Deutsche Post, is investing more than $300 million in facilities and automation over the next five years, increasing its square footage here by 70%, automating distribution centers and upgrading IT systems. This includes dedicated export gateways in New Jersey, Illinois and California.
While UPS buys its way into last mile and on-demand delivery with Roadie, the U.S. Postal Service is piloting a same/next-day delivery service in Texas, geared toward local business-to-consumer orders that companies bring to a local USPS office to get a discounted rate. Experts questioned its value and market relevance.
Instacart has been on its own shopping spree, hiring away Fidji Simo, who ran Facebook’s main app, as CEO, as well as Facebookers Carolyn Everson as president and Asha Sharma as COO. What’s behind Instacart’s Facebook hiring binge? In this latest MCM CommerceChat podcast, we explore the subject with Orlee Tal, CEO of Stor.ai.
UPS announced it was acquiring last mile platform Roadie for an undisclosed sum, thrusting it front and center into a space that has spiked in the pandemic era, providing a way to service demand that doesn’t fit into its existing network, including groceries and bulky items. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Update, Sept. 24: California Gov. Gavin Newsome on Thursday signed a bill that targets labor practices in ecommerce warehouses, including banning the enforcement of performance quotas that impinge on basic worker’s rights like restroom and lunch breaks. Amazon, not named in the bill, is clearly targeted by lawmakers.
Major 3PL and freight forwarder Geodis has signed a five-year lease on an air freighter to deliver extra capacity for its shipper clients heading into the peak season as space continues to tighten up on air freight due to the ongoing delays in ocean freight out of Asia.
Point Pickup, a provider of last-mile services for grocers, general merchandise and oversize goods, has acquired ecommerce platform GrocerKey, providing an end-to-end solution for retailers looking to own the customer experience and data often missing from third-party solutions like Instacart.
Smart warehouse technology powered by 5G, combined with the sensor- and data-driven Internet of Things (IoT), will be as transformative for logistics and supply chain as the Ford assembly line in 1913, attendees were told during a presentation at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 in Nashville.
Companies need to be more inclusive and diverse to remain competitive by attracting upcoming generations, while creating opportunities where they don’t exist today, said Mark Irvin, Chief Inclusion, Diversity and Talent Officer. He made his remarks during a keynote presentation at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 in Nashville.