On the same day it was announced Deliv was winding down its operations this summer, it came out that Target is in talks to snap up some of Deliv’s technology assets to bolster its local ecommerce fulfillment and bring founding CEO Daphne Carmelli onboard, NBC reported. Others had reportedly been looking at Deliv, including grocers.
A decision by the leadership team at jewelry retailer Kendra Scott to invest in an order management system ahead of last year’s peak season was a critical element enabling the company to quickly turn its fleet of stores into fulfillment centers and initiate curbside pickup, after shutting them down to the public due to COVID-19.
In this MCM CommerceChat podcast, we talk to Matthew Cowan, general partner of Next47, a Siemens-backed venture firm that has invested in startups including last mile platform Bringg and on-demand transportation mapping service provider rideOS, about the critical need for real-time data sharing across supply chain partners.
Israeli drone startup Flytrex has begun a pilot program making backyard deliveries from a Walmart in Grand Forks, ND to about a dozen nearby homes, looking to expand the program to further-out properties there in the months ahead while keeping to current FAA restrictions to line-of-sight piloting.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos addressed the company’s response to and operations during the coronavirus outbreak, saying they’re doing all they can to keep workers safe amid reports of growing positive tests, a worker death and walkouts. Bezos also discussed possible company-wide COVID-19 testing, a process that is taking top priority.
Multichannel Merchant is thrilled to announce that Ecommerce Operations Summit 2020 is rescheduled for Sept. 9-10 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN. In addition to our usual great content, we also plan to have lots of fun networking opportunities and functions taking full advantage of our location in the heart of Music City.
Amidst the massive pivot to online during the coronavirus crisis, providers of last mile delivery services are seeing huge growth in demand from various kinds of merchants, as house-bound consumers are ordering away for both essential and nonessential items. Demand is coming from a variety of sources, including stores, SMBs and CPGs.
The USPS is asking Congress for $75B to avoid a liquidity crisis this fall, including $25 billion each for a cash infusion, for upgrades and modernization and for unrestricted borrowing authority, according to Government Executive. The USPS had already been in a bad position before the crisis, with even parcel growth falling off.
Amazon plans to halt its Amazon Shipping service that competes directly with FedEx and UPS, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, diverting workers to over-maxed fulfillment operations for its own business. Amazon Shipping is only active in a few cities. The company is working with shippers to limit the amount of disruption.
The effects of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 are being felt globally. Given the widespread impact, most subscription-based businesses are sure to feel the repercussions long term. Given the many challenges it presents, planning now to ensure that your business can adapt as this new reality unfolds is your best move.