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Top 3PLs Directory Expands in 2023

| Mike O'Brien

Multichannel Merchant has published its eighth annual MCM Top 3PLs directory for 2023, a searchable directory of leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers in ecommerce and direct-to-customer operations. It features in-depth profiles of 70 providers, including information on key capabilities and service offerings.

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Foreign Trade Zones: A Hidden Gem for Retailers

| Mike O'Brien

Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) have been around since 1934, yet many retailers don’t know the program exists, or anything about the benefits they can realize from deferring or eliminating import duties, tariffs and taxes. This MCM Special Report taps experts in logistics, importing and FTZ operations to help you make an informed choice.

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U.S. Industrial Space Vacancy at Record Low 2.9%

| Mike O'Brien

The domestic market for industrial space, including retail/ecommerce distribution/fulfillment centers, won’t see relief in terms of an appreciable jump in new facilities available to help meet unprecedented demand until the first half of 2023, as the holiday peak season approaches. The overall U.S. vacancy rate is at a record low of 2.9%.

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Is Your Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Ready for a Recession?

| Brian Barry

Building operational resilience and developing problem/solution scenarios for your ecommerce fulfillment center prior to a recession will allow you to be nimbler. Have a plan vs. just hoping it doesn’t occur; hope is not a strategy. Include department heads early, identify areas to review and develop a course of action.

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Prologis to Acquire Duke Realty for $26 Billion

| Mike O'Brien

Prologis, the largest U.S. player in commercial real estate including warehouses and fulfillment centers, is acquiring Duke Realty in a deal valued at $26 billion, giving Prologis an additional 153 million square feet of active space plus another 11 million square feet under development in 19 markets. Investors were wary of the move.

11 Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Layout Design Principles

| Brian Barry

There are several basic principles that apply to ecommerce fulfillment center layout and design that tie into operating an efficient facility. Without them, you’ll face capacity issues, decreased productivity and storage inadequacies. Here are 11 key principles to consider when looking at FC layout, design and productivity.

15 Ways to Improve Warehouse Space Utilization

| Brian Barry

During evaluation of multichannel warehouse operations, the efficiency of storing and moving goods typically drops when between 80% and 85% of available space is being used. With new fulfillment center locations at a premium and costs rising, here are 15 ways you can improve space utilization in your ecommerce facility.

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.

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Amazon Union Push Gets New Vote in Alabama

| Mike O'Brien

The National Labor Relations Board has ordered a new election to determine if Amazon fulfillment center workers in Bessemer, AL can organize as members of a union for collective bargaining, which would be a first in the United States and set off a warehouse labor chain reaction.

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Human Warehouse Picking Still Has It All Over Robots

| Gabe Grifoni

It’s often joked that robots will soon replace humans, down to the most menial, everyday tasks. But many robotics companies are in an actual arms race to replace human labor, particularly in the supply chain. Yet it’s often still too costly to implement, leaving humans as the most efficient, effective method for warehouse picking.