Smaller Fulfillment Centers Seeing Greater Demand vs. Large Boxes

| Mike O'Brien

Multiple factors are driving continued greater demand for smaller warehouse facilities vs. big-box fulfillment centers, as companies scramble to position inventory closer to customers and trim ecommerce supply chain costs, according to a new report from CBRE. Vacancy rates are dropping further and rents growing faster for smaller FCs.

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Pitney Bowes Recovering from Ransomware Attack

| Mike O'Brien

Pitney Bowes was hit by a ransomware attack that affected its postage systems and impacted customers globally. The company said systems were up and running although high volumes could still cause issues, and no personal customer or employee data was compromised. The same attack hit Florida cities and a newspaper in 2018.

A La Amazon, Walmart Delivers Groceries to Garage or Kitchen Fridge

| Mike O'Brien

Walmart is launching an in-the-fridge e-grocery delivery service it announced this summer, starting in Pittsburgh, Vero Beach, FL and Kansas City, similar to Amazon’s own delivery service launched last year. Walmart customers can choose either kitchen or garage fridge delivery and pay $19.95 per month with a $30 minimum.

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The Pros and Cons of Drop Shipping for Ecommerce

| Roberto Garvin

Drop shipping used to be a bit of a buzzword when it was first introduced in the ecommerce world. Today, it’s used by almost a quarter of online businesses as a primary order and fulfillment method. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of drop shipping to help you determine if it’s the right business model for your brand and business.

REI, Neiman Marcus to Keynote at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2020

| Mike O'Brien

Keynote presentations from supply chain executives at REI and Neiman Marcus will headline Ecommerce Operations Summit 2020, which will be held April 14-16 at the Marriott Orlando World Center. The show will be packed with great sessions and thought leaders across a range of key topics and disciplines.

Mercato Subscription Program Offers Free Unlimited E-Grocery Deliveries

| Mike O'Brien

Online e-grocery ordering and delivery platform Mercato has announced a subscription offering that provides unlimited free same-day deliveries for members in 25 states, a direct shot at the AmazonFresh program and other competitors. The program comes in Neighborhood and City flavors and uses DoorDash as its delivery partner.

USPS Proposes Rate Hikes of Up to 6.3% for Parcel Shipping in 2020

| Mike O'Brien

The U.S. Postal Service is calling for rate increases of up to 6.3% for its parcel shipping products in 2020, which are being reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The USPS is hoping increased rates will partially offset volume declines as UPS, FedEx and Amazon are all diverting volume to their own networks to save costs.

Agreement Keeps U.S. in the UPU, Rolls Out Self-Declared Postal Rates

| Mike O'Brien

The UPU on Wednesday approved a compromise plan that will let countries set their own inbound postal rates, avoiding a threatened pullout by the U.S. that would have caused shipping chaos ahead of the peak holiday season. The U.S. can begin imposing self-declared rates next July, with others following in 2021.

UPU Congress Strikes Down U.S. Proposal to End Terminal Dues

| Mike O'Brien

At the first day of the Universal Postal Union’s extraordinary congress in Geneva Tuesday, the body voted 78-57 with 9 abstentions against a U.S. proposal to allow creation of self-declared postal rates, an effort to end the current inequitable terminal dues system, the Associated Press reported.