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.
Amazon is once again pushing the ecommerce envelope, testing out the use of bicycle couriers in New York as part of a service called Amazon Prime Now, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The service will provide delivery of some items purchased on Amazon.com in an hour or two, the Journal said it had been told by an unnamed source.
In the wake of a Thanksgiving fire that destroyed a distribution center outside Cleveland, 1-800-Flowers.com is doing all it can to make customers happy.
Regional carrier OnTrac, announced a new service, DirectPost, which will enable it to provide next-day and two-day ecommerce shipping at postal rates.
Macy’s Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet told analysts the company’s retail network gives it an advantage in the ever-more-crowded same-day delivery sweepstakes, as well as in omnichannel fulfillment.
While Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba reported that Singles Day 2014 – 11.11 – the world’s largest shopping day, brought in more than $9.3 billion in sales, up 62% from 2013, the global phenomenon has yet to make a significant impact in the U.S.
A USPS data breach this fall affected personal information of up to 800,000 current and former employees as well as regulatory groups that oversee it, the agency reported. However no customer credit or debit card information was compromised, and USPS operations were not affected.
Ahead of Singles Day 2014, the Chinese government is warning ecommerce firms, including Alibaba and JD.com, to do all they can to keep all transactions free of fraud. The warning was issued based on numerous consumer complaints from past years.
In its never-ending ecommerce battle with rival Amazon, Walmart announced the availability of free shipping on its top 100 gifts, as selected by its buyers, through Dec. 20.
Here’s is O+F’s latest listing of recently announced expansions and additions of retail and ecommerce distribution centers.
DHL is investing 30.5 million Euros in its supply chain and global forwarding divisions in South Africa to support businesses operating in the region.