Retailers lost $218 billion to ecommerce returns in 2021, at a rate of 20.8% of goods sold, according to a survey conducted by Apriss Retail for the National Retail Federation, up from 18.1% in 2020, while total retail returns came back at a rate of 16.6% or $761 billion, up from 10.6% last year.
Freight forwarders who excelled as partners during crisis points will be well positioned to turn recent first dates with shippers into long, beautiful relationships. They have been using tech to create efficiencies that allow them to devote time and attention to stellar customer service over the past two years when business was tough.
FedEx and Microsoft are expanding their partnership to offer “logistics as a service” to retailers and brands, including using the latter’s Dynamics 365 order management system to glean data insights from the 17 million packages passing through the FedEx network each day.
Conventional grocers saw a nearly 7% drop in e-grocery sales on a same-store basis during the 12 weeks ending Sept. 28, 2021, according to a new report from Brick Meets Click, due to a 3.1% decrease in orders combined with AOV dropping nearly 4% as the pandemic effect lessened.
Warehouse robotics firm Exotec has raised $335 million in a Series D funding round, reaching a valuation of $2 billion as the company looks to expand its business in North America, Europe and Asia and hire 500 engineers by 2025 to enhance capabilities like order picking and add unloading.
Nearly all retailers plan to offer same-day delivery by 2025, compared to just 35% today, according to a survey conducted by last-mile delivery platform Bringg. The December survey of 500 retailers from the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany, France and Italy found 99% of respondents planned to offer same-day in the next three years.
Frontline workers have been the focus for the past two years. This term conjures up a variety of images, and until now truck drivers were probably not one of the first that came to mind. Drivers have been overlooked and overworked and in high demand throughout this pandemic – among the unsung heroes now getting their due.
Technology, whether through automation or personalized chat settings, was a major trend in customer service during 2021. While it takes a careful balance of implementation, technology can pave the way to new, beneficial customer service practices, many of which are coming to fruition. Here are three trends to watch in 2022.
The National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday ordered a second union vote at an Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, AL in the eye of a major labor battle, with the vote to begin by mail-in ballot on Feb. 4. Amazon has agreed to not pursue reprisal actions against employees for union organizing activities, per an NLRB agreement.
Cart.com, a provider of ecommerce software and fulfillment services, has acquired 3PL FB Flurry for an undisclosed sum, quadrupling its total fulfillment space to more than 2 million square feet while improving its same-day and two-day delivery coverage.