With all the focus on winning in the last mile, companies need to pay more attention to critical first mile success, addressing the various headwinds that beset it. Brands need to strike a balance in optimizing the first mile that address efficiency, affordability and overall performance. Here are two critical areas to address in order to help you mitigate risks and assure a seamless flow of goods.
Ryder is expanding a nationwide B2B network called Coop that matches available trucks from fleet owners in a variety of modes, Uber-like, with shippers with a temporary need for capacity to meet demand in a tight market for assets. New locations are being added in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
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.
Target found the COVID-19 outbreak to be a two-edged sword in the first quarter, driving stratospheric ecommerce sales growth of 141%, while impacting profits due to about $500 million in associated costs, the company reported. It also saw over 5 million customers shop on Target.com for the first time in Q1.
Amazon and Home Depot will become tenants of a new state-of-the-art, three-story warehouse and fulfillment center in Seattle from logistics giant Prologis, part of the huge push to fulfill ecommerce within a day in major urban markets, according to the Wall Street Journal. Three other such buildings are going up in New York City.
The 9th annual Ecommerce Operations Summit will be held April 14-16, 2020 at the Marriott Orlando World Center in Orlando, FL, and the call for speakers is now open! If you are an industry professional with your finger on the pulse and have a great story to share with your peers, we want to hear from you!
FedEx is planning to test delivery robots this summer for customers including Walmart and Pizza Hut, while Target and AutoZone are looking at the capability, according to Reuters. The 10 mph robots would have to be approved by the city of Memphis. This is one innovative way companies are looking to cut last mile costs.
Transportation and supply chain provider Ryder System has unveiled a new ecommerce fulfillment service offering designed to compete with full-service platforms such as Amazon and Google as well as major carriers by providing a soup-to-nuts system for shipping directly to customers.
With the new U.S. Postal Service rates in effect, shippers are looking for creative ways to keep their parcel spend down as costs among the major carriers continue to rise. Find out what the increases mean and hear what some industry experts have to say about the impacts.
While you have little control over an order once it’s out for delivery, your operations team is still a crucial cog in the last mile experience. You need the right processes and technology to get products to the customer as efficiently and accurately as possible for a smoother delivery and a better experience.