Mike O'Brien

[email protected] / MikeOBmcm

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.

Ops Summit 2016 roundtable

Hot Topics Covered at Operations Summit, Growing Global 2016

| Mike O'Brien

Figuring out how to make omnichannel operations successful and profitable, dealing with Amazon’s continual disruptions, creating a consistently excellent customer experience across operational areas and growing cross-border commerce were among the hot topics at the fifth annual Operations Summit. The event was held in Cincinnati, OH, an ecommerce operations hotbed, and drew more than 800 direct-to-customer and omnichannel operations professionals and providers.

Operations Summit, Growing Global Deliver Relevant, Actionable Content

| Mike O'Brien

Everything you could possibly want to know about operations fundamentals, global ecommerce, shipping and distribution strategies, omnichannel and contact center/customer care – and then some – is being covered at 50+ information-packed workshops, keynotes and breakout sessions during Operations Summit and Growing Global 2016, April 12-14 in Cincinnati.

warehouse tote system

Choosing the Right Order Fulfillment Automation Solution

| Mike O'Brien

Ecommerce companies are seeing double-digit growth in a business that requires them to fulfill orders of low line numbers, often just a single item, compared to bulk orders for store fulfillment. To address these challenges, more companies are turning to a variety of order fulfillment automation solutions. But what level of automation is right? Find out what solutions are available, how they’re being implemented and what the future of automation looks like.

QVC Says Customers Prefer Free Shipping Over Same-Day Delivery

| Mike O'Brien

Reinforcing the view that it’s better to know what your audience wants than to jump on the same-day, next-day delivery bandwagon, an executive with QVC told attendees of Home Delivery World said offering customer choice – especially free shipping – and knowing their preferences is the most important thing.

Locus Robotics

Locus Robotics Looks to Fill Market Gap Left by Kiva

| Mike O'Brien

Locus Robotics, a company spun out of third-party logistics provider Quiet Logistics, has begun production and implementation of a DC-based order fulfillment robot which it sees as a next logical step beyond Kiva. The company’s executives claim its robots can be deployed a few at a time without major facility retrofitting, and will eventually be used in stores as well as DCs.

2016 Excellence in Customer Experience Awards

Bonobos On Excellence in Returns, Customer Experience Leadership

| Mike O'Brien

How you handle returns goes a long way toward defining how customers perceive your brand, and how loyal they will be. So what are some of the key elements that make up a great returns experience? And what does it mean to be an overall customer experience leader?

Angela Goldstein, director of operations for men’s apparel company Bonobos, spoke with Multichannel Merchant Senior Editor Mike O’Brien on these subjects, after Bonobos was named a finalist in the two categories for the 2016 Excellence in Customer Experience Awards.

No Foolin’: Growing Global 45% Discount Ends April 1

| Mike O'Brien

Come to the Growing Global 2016 conference at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati at a special rate of $274. Find out why it’s a powerful way to collaborate with colleagues on your global marketing and logistics challenges, and how to get your discount code.

Gap Birchbox

Birchbox Talks Excellence in Product Packaging

| Mike O'Brien

Birchbox’ Pooja Agarwal talks with Multichannel Merchant about how the company excels at packaging and why it matters, driving loyalty and wowing customers. Birchbox is a finalist for MCM’s 2016 Excellence in Customer Experience awards, sponsored by Innotrac + eBay Enterprise’s SmartHub division. Come see the winners at Operations Summit 2016, April 12-14 at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati.

American Apparel, retail, turnaround plan, restructuring plan

American Apparel Goes Same-Day Delivery with Postmates

| Mike O'Brien

American Apparel has begun offering one-hour delivery through a partnership with Postmates, leveraging RFID technology to provide real-time inventory availability via the Postmates Order app. The program is in place at 79 stores in 31 U.S. markets, making 50 “on-demand basics” items like hoodies, t-shirts and socks available to consumers who desire the items right now.

1 … 144 145 146 147 148 … 179