UPS To Add Peak Season Surcharges, Seeking to Offset Operating Costs
UPS CEO David Abney said the company will add peak season surcharges on residential deliveries to recoup network investments and improve operating results.
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.
Brennan Starts Role as New U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General
Megan J. Brennan officially becomes the 74th Postmaster General and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service on Feb. 1, succeeding Patrick R. Donahoe.
UPS, FedEx Increase Fuel Surcharge Rates
Effective Feb. 2, UPS raised its fuel surcharge rates for ground and air services, as did rival FedEx.
Jet.com Is an Ecommerce David Taking on Amazon’s Goliath
Jet.com, a disruptive startup based in Montclair, NJ, is going after Amazon by taking a new approach that allows sellers to undercut the ecommerce giant on price by using a system that finds and exploits cost efficiencies in the ecommerce fulfillment process.
Amazon Triples Items Eligible for Free Shipping
By lifting a restriction that required all items in an order to come from the same seller to qualify for free shipping, Amazon has more than tripled the number of items that qualify for the benefit.
USPS Asks to Keep Priority Mail Rates the Same But Raise Parcel Select Rates
As it continues to battle UPS, FedEx and DHL for a larger slice of the ecommerce shipping pie, the USPS has asked the PRC to keep its competitive Priority Mail rates unchanged for domestic delivery while raising Parcel Select – the primary last-mile option of the major carriers – by 8%.
Winter Storm Juno Shuts Down Deliveries in Northeast
While not packing the wallop that forecasters had been predicting, winter storm Juno nonetheless was bad enough to put a serious crimp in the shipping operations of major carriers in the Northeast.
UPS Hints At Higher Peak Season Pricing in 2015
As it lowered guidance on its earnings for Q4 and fiscal 2015, UPS also talked about possible adjustments to its peak season pricing later this year.
Complexity of Returns Grows as Ecommerce Does
While overall return rates are not increasing dramatically, they are on the rise, forcing ecommerce merchants to optimize their supply chain squeeze as much value as they can out of returned merchandise.
O+F Advisor Distribution Center Roundup, Jan. 26, 2015
A listing of some recently announced distribution center expansions and additions in retail and direct-to-consumer operations.