Mike O'Brien
Mike O’Brien has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for … well, quite a while. At Multichannel Merchant he focuses on the world of direct-to-customer operations and fulfillment, editing MCM’s weekly O+F Advisor newsletter, and programs the annual Ecommerce Operations Summit conference. Previously Mike was a senior account executive for Marx Communications, a boutique public relations firm working with marketing and advertising technology companies. Other past work includes stints as a media relations consultant for a concert promoter, a marketing communications specialist for a pharma software firm, a research analyst covering corporate e-learning and a daily newspaper reporter on every beat imaginable – except sports.
Ecommerce logistics, including 3PLs, accounted for 61 of the 100 largest deals on warehouse and industrial space in 2018, according to commercial real estate brokerage CBRE. The deals totaled 61.5 million square feet of space in 32 markets, with facilities ranging in size from 742,000 square feet to 2.3 million square feet.
Walmart continues to see strong topline growth in ecommerce, with online revenue increasing 43% in the fourth quarter and 40% for the full year. But profit in the channel remains elusive and losses are expected to continue this year based on investments in infrastructure, people, online grocery and Store No. 8 initiatives, executives said.
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.
If stores are the weak link in inventory accuracy, how do you improve it to avoid stock-outs and dissatisfied customers? Steve DeNunzio of Ohio State’s graduate logistics program covers the challenges and solutions in this MCM CommerceChat podcast. He’ll also lead this discussion at Ecommerce Operations Summit in Columbus, OH.
Walmart and Deliv have decided to part ways, and the major retailer is still working with seven other delivery services to get grocery orders to customers, Reuters and others are reporting. Walmart has signed on four new delivery partners since January, including Deliv competitors Doordash and Postmates.
Walmart has made moves recently to take over distribution and transportation operations in three different places from contract 3PL Schneider Logistics, according to various reports. See what locations were involved and how many workers Walmart plans to take on at the facilities.
Despite the big push behind e-grocery, including significant investments in technology and delivery by major retailers such as Target and Amazon and mainline grocers such as Kroger, Ahold Delhaize and Albertson’s, the demand isn’t quite there yet, according to a recent survey from Mercatus.
Amazon’s moves into logistics and fulfillment over the past few years have been well-documented, with FedEx and UPS downplaying the threat and Amazon saying it just wants to address its capacity shortfalls. Until now, that is, when Amazon added “transportation and logistics services” to the long list of competitive sectors in its 2018 10k filing.
Try before you buy has become increasingly popular for apparel retailers because shoppers love it, but it can play havoc with returns. Justin Press of Brightpearl shares his insights in this latest edition of the MCM CommerceChat podcast. He will also lead a panel on this topic at Ecommerce Operations Summit, April 9-11 in Columbus, OH.
In an indicator of the continuing evolution of retail, more shuttered stores and malls are being converted to industrial space, especially for ecommerce fulfillment, according to a new report from commercial real estate firm CBRE. See where this is happening, what the drivers are and the prevailing local headwinds.