e-grocery bin

E-Grocery Performance Drops for Conventional Grocers

| Mike O'Brien

Conventional grocers saw a nearly 7% drop in e-grocery sales on a same-store basis during the 12 weeks ending Sept. 28, 2021, according to a new report from Brick Meets Click, due to a 3.1% decrease in orders combined with AOV dropping nearly 4% as the pandemic effect lessened.

Exotec SkyPod feature

Robot Maker Exotec Raises $335M, Reaches $2B Valuation

| Mike O'Brien

Warehouse robotics firm Exotec has raised $335 million in a Series D funding round, reaching a valuation of $2 billion as the company looks to expand its business in North America, Europe and Asia and hire 500 engineers by 2025 to enhance capabilities like order picking and add unloading.

Same Day Delivery to be Across the Board By 2025

| Mike O'Brien

Nearly all retailers plan to offer same-day delivery by 2025, compared to just 35% today, according to a survey conducted by last-mile delivery platform Bringg. The December survey of 500 retailers from the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany, France and Italy found 99% of respondents planned to offer same-day in the next three years.

Amazon Bessemer FC feature

Amazon Union Vote Redo Starts Feb. 4

| Mike O'Brien

The National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday ordered a second union vote at an Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, AL in the eye of a major labor battle, with the vote to begin by mail-in ballot on Feb. 4. Amazon has agreed to not pursue reprisal actions against employees for union organizing activities, per an NLRB agreement.

Walmart InHome fridge feature

Walmart Quintuples In-Home Grocery Delivery

| Mike O'Brien

In another front of their ever-escalating war, Walmart is quadrupling its in-home grocery delivery service as Amazon continues to step it up as well, both doubling down despite concerns that linger among consumers related to COVID-19 and the omicron variant spike.

E-Grocery: There Are No Quick Fixes

| Frank Kouretas

Opting for full third-party delivery for grocers came with many short-term advantages, allowing them to offer e-grocery solutions overnight. But this lucrative solution may not be sustainable for grocers who intend to make online an important part of their business. Owning the full omnichannel experience pays long-term dividends.

Is a New Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Right for You?

| Brian Barry

Your company’s ecommerce fulfillment center is running out of space. You have been tasked with determining whether the existing facility can scale up to the five-year business plan, or a new facility is required. Here is a helpful checklist to use in evaluating both your existing and potential new ecommerce fulfillment facilities.

ecommerce fulfillment robot handshake

Ecommerce Fulfillment: 3 Ways to Optimize in 2022

| Perry Belcastro

Many retailers and brands are in survival mode when it comes to ecommerce fulfillment, looking for ways to handle record online order volume and maintain brand integrity while navigating supply chain challenges, an ongoing labor shortage and rising costs. To survive and thrive in 2022, here are three core strategies that can help.

doordash bag feature

DoorDash Powers Same-Day Delivery at J.C. Penney, Shoe Carnival

| Mike O'Brien

In a bid to grab more last-minute shoppers looking for convenience, J.C. Penney and Shoe Carnival have partnered with DoorDash to offer same-day delivery of online orders. DoorDash, Instacart, Postmates and Uber, initially growing through grocery and restaurant, have been expanding aggressively into general retail.