Retailers Focus on Returns Excellence as Processing Time Shrinks
StellaService finds returns processing times are shrinking, especially during the holidays, as more retailers make it a focus of the customer experience.
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.
Brand Loyalty, Trust Keys to Canadian Consumers
Canadian consumers are more brand loyal than their U.S. counterparts, but connecting with them involves more relationship-building and trust.
UPS Adds New Logistics Facilities in Germany, Netherlands
UPS has added nearly 220,000 square feet to its European logistics operations, driven by growing demand from retail and high-tech customers.
Mobile Huge in Omnichannel Engagement, Retailers Report at NRF
Executives from Macy’s, Lowe’s and The Limited said the impact of mobile on omnichannel engagement has been huge and has progressed faster than expected.
Target to Close All 133 Stores in Canada
Target announced it was closing all 133 of its Canadian stores by the end of 2015, with plans to liquidate its assets.
O+F Distribution Center Roundup, Jan. 13, 2015
A listing of some recently announced distribution center and fulfillment center activity, including Radio Shack, Amazon, Under Armour, FedEx and Kmart.
UPS Said to Handle 4 Million Returns By First Week of January, Up 15% from 2013
With many consumers large and small finding that not everything Santa brought was exactly what they wanted, UPS said it expects to handle 4 million returns packages by the end of the first week in January, up 15% from 3.5 million in 2013. The company estimated this deluge of reverse logistics hit a peak of 800,000 packages on Jan. 6.
FedEx to Increase Fuel Surcharges Effective Feb. 2
As it is losing money from fuel surcharge revenue due to falling oil prices, FedEx plans to increase its fuel surcharge rates on Feb. 2, effectively putting them in line with rates from rival UPS.
USPS Inspector General Says Sunday Delivery Inefficient
The USPS OIG said the USPS has been inefficient in handling Sunday deliveries for major customer Amazon, leading to over $350,000 in additional costs.
Google Express Seeing Holiday Gains in Battle with Amazon
Google is seeing gains in its Google Express same-day delivery service this holiday season, as it looks to claw back ecommerce search traffic lost to Amazon.com because more consumers are going there for product research.
According to Google, as cited in an article by Bloomberg, Google Express handled 50% more toys in the two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday, while sales of books rose more than 30%.