Bipartisan Senate Group Opposes Trump USPS Privatization Plan
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators stands in opposition to the Trump administration’s call to privatize the USPS in an effort to drive efficiency and take out costs.
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.
Blockchain Poised to Reinvent Retail Supply Chains: PwC
Blockchain technology will fundamentally alter the way retail supply chains operate in the coming years, a PwC analyst told attendees at Shop.org in Las Vegas, creating more transparency and security of data shared across partners and trading organizations.
Retail Innovation Alive and Well at Shop.org 2018
Given rapid changes in ecommerce and growing expectations of always-on consumers, it’s no surprise that the sector is a hotbed of retail innovation, technology and investment. And a lot of it was on display at this year’s Shop.org conference in Las Vegas. Here’s a sampling of the new tech that was on display in the Innovation Lab.
Amazon Investigating Employees Taking Bribes for Leaked Data
Amazon is investigating claims that employees are taking bribes in exchange for data that gives sellers an edge, particularly in the superheated Chinese market, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Jet.com to Sell Nike Products, Step Up Same-Day Delivery in New York
Jet.com will begin selling products from Nike in New York and offer customers more delivery options in a bid to compete with Amazon for urban, affluent consumers, according to media reports, with expansion to follow in other major markets.
FedEx Ground Expanding to Six-Day Service Ahead of Holidays
FedEx Ground announced it is boosting capacity to expand service in the U.S. to six days per week, gearing up to meet ecommerce demand and the looming peak holiday season crush in November and December.
Walmart Piloting New Grocery Delivery Program
Walmart is taking a page from Uber with its new Spark Delivery program, which uses crowdsourced drivers managed by the Bringg delivery logistics platform to get same-day grocery orders to customers.
Amazon Adding Fleet of 20,000 Trucks for Delivery Services
Amazon has ordered 20,000 trucks from Mercedes-Benz to help power its new army of entrepreneurs creating small delivery businesses that will help Prime orders along the last mile to customers’ doorsteps.
Hourly Wages for Warehouse Workers Rise 6.7% in 2018
After staying suppressed for years, wages are increasing well ahead of inflation for warehouse workers, driven by a strong economy as well as the scarcity of labor for operations and fulfillment positions, according to an annual survey of associates conducted by Prologistix. See what else the survey found, and where rates are headed.
Labor Shortfall for Warehouse Workers Growing Acute
Warehouses, distribution centers and fulfillment centers need to hire an additional 226,000 workers each in 2018 and 2019 just to keep pace with demand, driven largely by perpetually booming ecommerce, according to a new report from commercial real estate firm CBRE.