By virtue of operating an enterprise with less cash flow, SMBs grapple with unique obstacles. Supply chain visibility is relatively low, making it challenging to connect with new suppliers, and larger competitors have more resources at their disposal. Here’s how AI and ML-based tools and technology can help you level the playing field.
FedEx on Thursday released its third-quarter earnings report, upping its full-year earnings forecast as cost-cutting measures like major layoffs and air freight cutbacks take hold, even as shipping volumes globally remain challenged, boosting its stock more than 9% in after-hours trading.
Outdoor co-op REI, high-end outdoor apparel/gear brand Arc’teryx, fashion brand Amour Vert, running supplier On and luxury brand Philip Lim stood out in the first recommerce leaders index compiled by Trove, as the growing category has added an estimated 100 programs in the past year.
Liquidity Services, a major marketplace for returned and overstock merchandise, has opened a second AllSurplus Deals location at its facility in Hebron, KY, allowing local consumers to purchase deals online, then pick them up at its warehouse. The first opened in Phoenix in 1999, and plans call for more facilities to add pick-up services.
Pitney Bowes announced a refresh of its board in a proxy statement, but it was not enough to satisfy a large stakeholder that has put forward its own slate of five outside board candidates ahead of the company’s annual meeting in May, saying wholesale changes are needed to boost performance.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case involving FedEx which had the potential to set precedent by giving workers the right to join “collective action” lawsuits when they live outside the state where the issue arose. The worker classification issue has been heating up in recent years, including California’s controversial AB5 law.
Amware Fulfillment, a 3PL focused on direct-to-customer commerce, has been acquired by French logistics provider Staci Group in a marriage that provides customers of both firms with entrance into markets in Europe and the U.S., respectively. The companies will also cross-pollinate their respective technology strengths.
Carhartt, a retailer of workwear apparel, has launched the first recommerce channel in its category, aiming to drive incremental revenue and attract consumers who hadn’t purchased from the company before, taking advantage of a burgeoning market favored by younger values-based shoppers.
The U.S. Postal Service has awarded Ford a contract to deliver 9,250 electric delivery vehicles, while ordering an equal number of diesel-powered Dodge Ram vans to fill its immediate needs, plus 14,000 charging stations from three separate firms. Overall, the USPS will purchase at least 66,000 EVs between now and 2028, or 62% of the total fleet.
A survey from shipping software provider Shippo showed that communication of average ecommerce shipping time is one of the top two things consumers want to see on a product or checkout page. Yet less than half of merchants provide that information to shoppers.