How Flexible Labor is Reshaping Ecommerce Fulfillment Operations

| MCM Staff

In ecommerce fulfillment, there’s a growing movement toward a more flexible workforce, driven by staffing challenges and a more empowered labor pool. This is having a massive impact and creating huge potential for operations management. Join us for this free live webinar featuring experts from flexible labor provider Instawork.

supply chain groovy digital image

The Real Supply Chain New Normal

| JP Wiggins

There’s just no going back to the “before” supply chain. Future generations will likely forget the lessons of the early 2020’s and make the same mistakes, but for now we’ll contend with the “new normal.” This dynamic state of affairs is going be with us for the foreseeable future. Here are 5 trends to look out for as we move forward.

3PL illustration feature

Using a 3PL to Mitigate Shipping Disruptions

| David Branson

Consumer purchasing power is only a click away, bringing significant pressure on ecommerce sellers. Shippers need innovative ways to efficiently track and transport orders. To do so, they should consider a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to gain more flexible freight options, increasing operational efficiency and visibility.

Automation-as-a-Service: Flexing to Meet Ecommerce Fulfillment Demands

| MCM Staff

It’s increasingly difficult to keep your workforce staffed up. Automation is often the answer, but what if you could swap in solutions as needed? In this webinar, experts at Kenco Logistics talk about the power of the “as-a-service model,” and how an automation innovation lab environment is a triple win for tech provider, 3PL and retailer.

amazon headquarters exterior feature

Amazon Reports $3.8B Loss, Looks at Rocky Near Term

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon’s vaunted flywheel has hit a bit of a snag. But given the company’s superpower ability to continually evolve and innovate, and the general trajectory of double-digit ecommerce growth, it may end up looking like a speed bump in hindsight.

autonomous middle mile Ryder Gatik

Autonomous Middle Mile: Exploring the Future

| Mike O'Brien

Executives from Ryder, Gatik and enVista joined a professor from Georgia Tech to discuss the latest technology and trends in autonomous middle mile trucks for retail and ecommerce replenishment, during a panel on the topic at Ecommerce Operations Technology Summit 2022 in Orlando.

Using a 3PL to Save on Operational Costs

| Brian Barry

Using a 3PL isn’t for everyone. But escalating labor costs, requirements for a new facility, starting a new business or channel and avoiding capital costs are reasons we see companies comparing internal fulfillment to 3PL. Here are six major ways businesses have traditionally saved money and reduced capital using 3PLs in their supply chain.

Amazon JFK8 exterior feature

Amazon Union Battles Sees Objections Flying on Both Sides

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is challenging a union vote at a distribution center in Staten Island, NY, saying it should be thrown out due to illegal coercion on the part of the union, while the labor group is accusing the retail giant of sour grapes over an election it won. Union and employer are also locked in a dispute over an election in Bessemer, AL.

Amazon Labor Union logo feature

Amazon Staten Island Union Vote Sends Shockwaves

| Mike O'Brien

A tiny startup union dealt a major blow to mighty Amazon with a successful vote at a fulfillment center on Staten Island, NY led by a worker who had been fired two years ago, a move that backfired on the multi-million-dollar effort to thwart the organizing effort. But the matter is far from over as Amazon is sure to challenge the vote.

speed to customer delivery guy feature

Improving Speed to Customer: Winning in the Face of Headwinds

| Mike O'Brien

How are you addressing speed to customer in a challenging environment? Multichannel Merchant brought together executives in transportation and logistics from top companies — GNC, Best Buy, Vermont Teddy Bear, Crutchfield, DSW and Saddle Creek Logistics Services — for a virtual Think Tank forum on the subject.