curbside pickup Mall of America feature

Curbside Pickup Goes Mall-Wide This Holiday Season

| Mike O'Brien

While Happy Returns has solved for the efficient consolidation of ecommerce returns at its growing network of mall-based returns bars, a new joint solution from BlueDot and Adeptmind aims to take the same approach on the purchase end by consolidating curbside pickup at U.S. malls. BlueDot’s CMO explains how it works.

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A 3PL-to-Insourcing Switch: 10 Considerations

| Brian Barry

Merchants that utilize third-party fulfillment (3PL) services sometimes consider transitioning back to internal fulfillment operations. Sometimes it’s to control costs, while others have had a bad experience with 3PLs and now only trust themselves with their operations. Here are 10 factors to consider if you’re looking to insource.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

Prepping for Peak Season at Burton

| Mike O'Brien

Israel Maynard, Senior Director of International Logistics and Fulfillment for outdoor gear and apparel retailer Burton, has been busy working with vendors overseas and partners here to get everything stocked and set for his peak season. We discuss all this in our latest MCM CommerceChat podcast.

3PL Ruby Has Launches DTC Consortium

| Mike O'Brien

Ruby Has, a top 3PL, has launched an industry consortium aimed at helping both direct-to-consumer merchants and those providing support services to share expertise, resources and best practices aimed at benefiting all. Among the 100-plus charter members are DTC jewelry brand Ana Luisa and ecommerce platform firm Linnworks.

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Geodis Acquires Freight Brokerage Firm Velocity

| Mike O'Brien

3PL Geodis has acquired Plano, TX-based freight forwarding company Velocity Transport from Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary McLane Company, to add to its forwarding capabilities across a range of modalities, including refrigerated and temperature-controlled freight, flatbed and LTL, intermodal, van and specialty options.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

Ecommerce Operations Software: After the Go Live

| Mike O'Brien

After a major software implementation, how do you deal with issues that inevitably crop up? Katie Langrock, VP of Operations at Vermont Teddy Bear and a panelist on this topic at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 (Aug. 17-18, Gaylord Opreyland, Nashville), talks about her team’s ERP journey in this MCM CommerceChat podcast.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

Rolling With the Changes, Meeting New Demand at Tractor Supply

| Mike O'Brien

As the pandemic settled in, many were looking to escape urban environs and get back to the land. Letitia Webster, Tractor Supply’s SVP of ecommerce, omnichannel and MDM, and a keynote at Ecommerce Operations Summit (Aug. 17-18, Nashville) talks about how her team met this new demand and improved processes along the way.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

Driving Toward Interoperability for Warehouse Robots

| Mike O'Brien

There has been a steady proliferation of autonomous mobile robot makers. This while demand has grown for AMRs in order fulfillment, as ecommerce booms and labor is tight. But can different warehouse robots play nice together? Two members of a standards group explain how it’s happening in this MCM CommerceChat podcast.

Fetch Robotics in warehouse feature

Fetch Robotics Acquired By Zebra for $290M

| Mike O'Brien

Zebra Technologies, a provider of hardware and software for warehouse fulfillment and inventory management, has acquired Fetch Robotics for $290 million, after an initial investment and partnership. Zebra saw a good fit between its workflow software and inventory/pick management devices and Fetch’s AMR capabilities.