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.
Panic buying continues to cause empty grocery shelves due to the coronavirus panic, with heavier clusters in affected states as grocery retailers are starting to ration supplies. Same-day delivery providers Instacart and Postmates have expanded a “leave it at my door” option as more spooked shoppers opt for no physical contact.
Callaway partnered with Groove Jones to create an augmented reality experience at 1,200 retail locations including Dick’s Sporting Goods, PGA Tour Superstore and Worldwide Golf. Pete Avery, director of retail marketing for Callaway, explains how the augmented reality campaign works in this MCM CommerceChat podcast.
This was a busy M&A week among operations and fulfillment vendors. FOG Software Group acquired shipping software firm ProShip from Quadient; Hy Tek Material Handling acquired Johnson Stevens Consulting; Dematic acquired Digital Applications International Ltd; and Aptean acquired TMS firm Paragon Software Systems.
In this latest MCM CommerceChat podcast, we spoke with Willis Weirich, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Operations at Neiman Marcus, about how the customer experience informs supply channel priorities. Willis is one of our keynote speakers on this subject at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2020, April 14-16 in Orlando, FL.
Escalating concerns over the spread of the coronavirus are affecting every industry and sector, and retail and ecommerce are certainly no exception. This includes not only challenged supply chains in Asia and other affected countries but also things like runs on certain products in supermarkets and price clubs as consumers panic.
What major trends are driving rapid changes in ecommerce and DTC, and what do they mean for your business? Multichannel Merchant’s annual MCM Outlook survey helps uncover how our audience is reacting to today’s business challenges and market shifts. Complete the survey today and be entered to win a $100 Amex card!
Brand investment platform Go Global has closed its acquisition of women’s retro fashion brand Modcloth from Walmart, announced last fall, with financing from Tiger Capital Group. Go Global managing director Jeff Streader talks to Multichannel Merchant about Modcloth’s distinctiveness and the importance of listening to customers.
Micro fulfillment centers are all the rage in e-grocery – small, highly automated systems that use robotics to fulfill online orders in 1 to 2 minutes. Neil Stern of McMillonDoolittle talks all things MFC in this latest MCM CommerceChat podcast. He’ll also lead an MFC session at Ecommerce Operations Summit (4/14-16, Orlando).
Walmart has launched a fulfillment service for sellers on its marketplace, similar to Fulfillment By Amazon, leveraging its vast logistics network to provide storing, picking, packing and shipping returns processing and customer service for a fee and entice more sellers onto the platform.
Evolv Ventures, the investment arm of CPG giant Kraft Heinz, has joined a $110 million funding round in automation and robotics firm Fabric with an undisclosed investment, keeping an eye on ways to tap into Fabric’s expertise and capabilities in ecommerce and applying it to the B2B world.