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.
While automation is speeding up and optimizing so many aspects of the retail supply chain, companies should look for process changes before making major technology investments, attendees were told at last week’s Parcel Forum in Nashville.
Kohl’s said it will begin accepting and processing Amazon returns for free at 82 stores in Los Angeles and Chicago starting in October. The company will pack and ship eligible returns to Amazon processing centers.
Jeannine D’Addario, the new chief customer officer of Guitar Center, said she intends to focus on data analytics to provide a more personalized, relevant experience for each and every customer of the national chain of big-box music stores.
Driven in large part by ecommerce, parcel shipping volume in 13 major global markets grew by 48% from 2014 to 2016, going from 44 billion parcels in 2014 to 65 billion in 2016, with projections of annual growth between 17%-28% over the next four years, according to a study by Pitney Bowes.
1-800 Flowers saw a significant bump in its Passport loyalty program on Amazon’s Prime Day in July, drafting on the mega sales event as it grew Passport enrollments 300% that week.
Continuing its push into physical stores, Amazon plans to open boutiques within 10 Kohl’s stores in Los Angeles and Chicago in October, where Amazon associates will sell its smart devices and offer its smart home services.
In case you missed Multichannel Merchant’s virtual event, Peak Season Summit 2017: Optimizing Black Friday through Cyber Monday and Beyond – or even if you did join us but would like a quick refresher – here are our top 10 takeaway tips from the experts in merchant operations for peak season planning.
In a move that it says puts it on equal footing with Prime Now’s domestic coverage, crowdsourced same-day delivery provider Deliv has expanded to 1,400 U.S. cities in 33 markets, up from 19 markets previously, allowing retail customers like Macy’s and Best Buy to greatly increase the range of their services.
Amazon Prime members in Vancouver and Toronto will soon be able to receive orders in one to two hours, according to several media reports, creating a strong incentive sure to drive growth of the lucrative subscription program north of the border.
Just three months after shutting the company down, online men’s apparel company JackThreads is back in the saddle with a revamped site as it slowly expands its offerings.