FedEx, UPS, FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, ecommerce fulfillment

FedEx Says Amazon Business Not a Concern

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx told analysts on a third quarter call that Amazon was simply addressing capacity issues with its own assets a la other major retailers, so they weren’t worried about the business. For the quarter, FedEx’s net income fell 19% to $507 million, while Ground revenue was up 30% to $4.41 billion. However higher costs due in part to network expansion and peak season demand caused the segment’s operating income to drop from $559 million to $557 million.

Ask the Right Questions About Your Retail Freight Management Strategy

| Maria Haggerty

The thought process behind a retail freight management strategy has a direct impact on a brand’s customer experience. While customers may not see this firsthand, the intricacies involved in designing a box and its shipping procedures are many. For brands looking to improve their freight management practices and excite customers, here are two crucial questions to start with, and what you need to consider.

ecommerce returns

Growth in Ecommerce Returns Will Drive Facilities Demand

| Mike O'Brien

A new CBRE report has found that rapid growth in ecommerce returns is creating future demand for new or expanded facilities to handle reverse logistics. Find out how this trend is expected to play out and what the implications are for operations and fulfillment.

omnichannel fulfillment

Ecommerce Return Rates Continue to Climb

| Mike O'Brien

Companies are grappling with higher ecommerce return rates, and how to address reverse logistics as well as capturing the maximum value of inbound goods. Find out the results of the MCM Outlook Survey on ecommerce returns, and what can be done to keep the growing rates in check.

FedEx

UPS Challenging FedEx-TNT Deal in Brazil

| Mike O'Brien

Three years after having its acquisition of TNT snagged on EU regulatory concerns, UPS has filed an appeal of the FedEx-TNT deal. Will this latest move hang up the $4.8 billion deal for its main rival, announced last April? Stay tuned for the next installment.

ecommerce returns

Free Returns Offered by More Merchants Than Ever

| Mike O'Brien

What were some of the major themes in handling holiday 2015 returns?

Patrick Allard, VIce President of Sales and Business Development for Newgistics, recently spoke with Multichannel Merchant Senior Editor Mike O’Brien on what his company observed from working with its 450+ retail customers, including the growth in ecommerce returns processing and the impact of trends like free returns and other perks offered by retailers.

retail imports

Retail Imports to Grow 4.5% in the First Half of 2016

| MCM Staff

Retail imports based on cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to decline year-over-year for the next few months but the first half of the year should still amount to a 4.5% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

At the same time, import volumes are returning to West Coast ports after the labor issues that plagued the first half of 2015. Busy East Coast ports like New York and New Jersey saw large spikes in the double digits last year, as shippers sought alternate means to ensure product delivery, even if it meant significantly longer transit times.