Better Trucks, a Chicago-based parcel delivery firm, has enlarged its footprint through opening new locations in Texas and partnering with West Coast-based GLS U.S., giving the two firms same-day to two-day coverage of 32 markets in 20 states, representing 40% of the U.S. population. The deal is similar to the joining of regional carriers OnTrac and Lasership in 2021, though on a smaller scale.
CaPow, an Israeli company with a continuous power supply for warehouse robots eliminating charging downtime, has struck a U.S. partnership to expand here, selling into robot makers, 3PLs and companies with fulfillment/distribution networks. CaPow delivers power continuously via a system using copper foil transmitters mounted on fixed points, paired with similar receivers on the robots.
3PL Bluegrass Supply Chain has formed a strategic partnership with ReverseLogix, a reverse logistics solution provider. Bluegrass Supply Chain believes the alliance will help them optimize the returns process, reduce … Continue Reading →
Tailored Brands, a menswear and formalwear retailer that includes Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank, needed to anticipate customers’ evolving preferences for various style, color and size choices in its tuxedo rental business. CTO Scott Vifquain and Gurhan Kok, founder of Invent Analytics, talk about how AI-based technology was applied, and the results so far in our MCM CommerceChat podcast.
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers play a pivotal role in guiding brands through the continuing evolution of retail and ecommerce. Brands aiming to adapt and excel need 3PL partners that leverage industry expertise, data and technology. This helps them enhance efficiency, promote collaboration and drive fulfillment innovation. Here’s how innovative 3PLs are spearheading this change.
FedEx, sensing an opportunity against its main rival, has posted a general rate increase for next year three weeks earlier than usual and lower than the current year’s figure, coming in at 5.9%, as UPS is dealing with a new union contract cost that the Teamsters estimates at $30 billion over five years. Analysts believe it will lead to a rethinking of UPS’s approach to its GRI strategy.
Freight brokers help mitigate risk by confirming carrier invoices. They make sure carrier insurance is covered and routes are optimized to cut down on wasted drive time, tracking shipments from pickup to final destination. They help to resolve claims for their customers. They ensure that inconveniences are in order for international shipping. So why is “freight brokers” a dirty word? It shouldn’t be.
Amazon is testing pricing for non-Prime members to get free shipping in selected areas, raising the threshold from $25 back to $35 – the same as for shoppers who aren’t members of Walmart+ – as it probes the potential to increase order value when shoppers add items. Amazon has yo-yoed the order threshold as it reads the tea leaves of analytical data on shopper behavior and pulls the levers.
More retail and ecommerce companies are forging partnerships with third-party logistics providers (3PL). They’re realizing fulfillment and shipping demands will continue to outstrip their internal capabilities. To address this growing need, Multichannel Merchant’s Top 3PL directory is a curated listing of over 60 profiles of leading providers. The submission period is now open for our 2024 directory.
Ecommerce demand may not be exploding like 2020 and 2021, but retailers are increasingly looking at automated solutions like goods-to-person (GTP) systems to help future-proof their operations as conditions fluctuate. Automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS) and autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are gaining serious traction, with rapid market expansion projected between now and 2030.