After a hairy 2020 peak season, with capacity at a premium and late parcel orders piling up, on-time performance by the big three carriers was strong, helped by a lot of early shopping from consumers based on earlier promotions, as well as improved levels of in-store activity.
In another front of their ever-escalating war, Walmart is quadrupling its in-home grocery delivery service as Amazon continues to step it up as well, both doubling down despite concerns that linger among consumers related to COVID-19 and the omicron variant spike.
Opting for full third-party delivery for grocers came with many short-term advantages, allowing them to offer e-grocery solutions overnight. But this lucrative solution may not be sustainable for grocers who intend to make online an important part of their business. Owning the full omnichannel experience pays long-term dividends.
Your company’s ecommerce fulfillment center is running out of space. You have been tasked with determining whether the existing facility can scale up to the five-year business plan, or a new facility is required. Here is a helpful checklist to use in evaluating both your existing and potential new ecommerce fulfillment facilities.
Optoro, provider of returns services for retail and ecommerce, has raised $25 million in a funding round led by Zebra Technologies, whose handheld scanning devices run Optoro software for processing returns in store and in warehouses, giving Optoro access to Zebra’s large customer base (photo credit: The Wilson Post)
Many retailers and brands are in survival mode when it comes to ecommerce fulfillment, looking for ways to handle record online order volume and maintain brand integrity while navigating supply chain challenges, an ongoing labor shortage and rising costs. To survive and thrive in 2022, here are three core strategies that can help.
In a bid to grab more last-minute shoppers looking for convenience, J.C. Penney and Shoe Carnival have partnered with DoorDash to offer same-day delivery of online orders. DoorDash, Instacart, Postmates and Uber, initially growing through grocery and restaurant, have been expanding aggressively into general retail.
Multichannel Merchant has published its seventh annual MCM Top 3PL listing for 2022, a searchable directory of leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers in ecommerce and direct-to-customer operations. It includes 60+ profiles with info on key capabilities, top merchandise categories, facility locations and more.
Ryder System Inc. has significantly expanded its fulfillment network and added automation capabilities through the acquisition of 3PL Whiplash for $480 million, giving it warehouse assets in key markets and ports including Long Beach, CA, Seattle/Tacoma, New York/New Jersey and Savannah, GA.
Oversized fulfillment for ecommerce remains a black hole for many. Pickup/delivery schedules, assembly and costs all friction factors. How do you find more efficiency by reducing costs and what are the customer expectations? Retail executives discuss the issue in our inaugural Think Tank Forum, “Solving for Oversized Fulfillment.”