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.
The 9th annual Ecommerce Operations Summit will be held April 14-16, 2020 at the Marriott Orlando World Center in Orlando, FL, and the call for speakers is now open! If you are an industry professional with your finger on the pulse and have a great story to share with your peers, we want to hear from you!
Firing back at Amazon’s move less than three weeks ago, Walmart is now offering free next-day delivery to customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas, with plans to expand to Southern California within days and 75% of the U.S. population by the end of the year. Walmart’s deal is mostly free: There’s a $35 order value threshold to qualify.
In an effort to reduce its massive distribution and fulfillment costs, Amazon is implementing packaging automation, much as many other retailers have, while a separate program offers up to $10,000 to help set up Amazon employees willing to flip to delivery contractors.
Once again, the U.S. Postal Service reported a massive net loss ($2.1B), a mail volume decline (-3.9%) and an increase in shipping volume (+0.3%) for the second quarter of 2019. See what else the USPS reported in quarter, and what solutions are on the table.
Alibaba is changing up its fast-growing AliExpress marketplace to attract merchant sellers from nations besides China, a direct challenge to Amazon’s international marketplace, according to the Financial Times. The “local to global” program will initially admit sellers from Russia, Turkey, Italy and Spain, expanding as it goes.
On-demand warehousing and fulfillment firm FLEXE has raised $43 million in Series B funding, led by Activate Capital and Tiger Global Management, with participation from Madrona Venture Group and follow-on investments from Redpoint Ventures, Prologis Ventures and others. Clients include Walmart, Staples and Toms.
Same-day delivery services startup Dolly has raised $7.5 million in new capital to fund expansion and increase its operational and technical teams, raising its venture funding total to $20 million. An Amazon executive is one of the new investors. Dolly plans to expand to 15-20 new markets this year and uses independent contractors.
In order for blockchain to succeed on a global scale in the transportation of goods, an open source standard will be required, according to a FedEx executive who heads up a blockchain alliance working toward that goal. The first standard of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance, on shipment location tracking, was published in March.
Postmaster General Megan Brennan told the House Oversight and Reform Committee that the USPS will run out of cash by 2024 if reforms are not enacted. Brennan also proposed saving billions by cutting back mail delivery to five days a week and increasing package delivery to seven days, which it already does for Amazon.
Third-party logistics provider Port Logistics Group has acquired Whiplash Merchandising, a provider of ecommerce fulfillment software, a year after it took a stake in the company. Whiplash brings shopping cart integration, warehouse management system (WMS) and order management system (OMS) capabilities.