Relying on a single carrier for all your shipping needs can be expensive, especially in the wake of rate increases and the many surcharge spikes taken by the major carriers of late. But there are more reasons to do your research. A healthy carrier mix gives you options. Here are some steps to help you assess the best path forward.
Shipping platform firm Shippo has raised another $50 million in capital, just three months after its last $45 million round, doubling its valuation in that time to over $1 billion as it claims 100,000 ecommerce customers and looks to expand internationally via marketplace and platform partners.
Flytrex, an Israeli maker of delivery drones, has been awarded an FAA waiver to fly its drones over residential sections of Fayetteville, NC, en route to backyard wire drops of groceries and other items at up to 2,000 homes. They are coming from Walmart as well as local cafes and restaurants including Dairy Queen and Starbucks.
With labor costs increasing, parcel shipping becoming more expensive and carriers struggling to support peak volumes, companies are implementing new strategies with micro fulfillment centers or MFCs. The concept is not new and they’re not for everyone, but it’s worth assessing how it might fit into your fulfillment network strategy.
FedEx announced a new round of rate increases starting June 21, including bumps in additional handling, peak surcharge and residential delivery charges, leaving beleaguered ecommerce shippers to wonder where the increases will end. The carrier is also leaving in place a peak oversized charge of $30 per package from January.
FarEye, maker of a delivery management platform that gives shoppers delivery windows as short as an hour, has raised $100 million in a new round. The company plans to further its platform capabilities and expand in Europe and North America. Customers include Dominoes, Walmart, DHL eCommerce, Finland Post and Singapore Post.
Seven years after its launch, Amazon plans to discontinue the Prime Now app for fast delivery of grocery and other goods, folding it into its main Amazon app and website by the end of 2021, the company said. Amazon said the same level of same-day delivery service, in many cases two hours, will continue for Prime members.
Dave Clark, CEO of Amazon’s consumer business, was behind efforts to ask the U.S. Postal Service to install a special temporary ballot mailbox outside the company’s Bessemer, AL fulfillment center where a union vote was taking place, numerous outlets reported. The NLRB is hearing testimony as part of a union challenge to the vote.
While many retailers have seen record ecommerce sales in the pandemic era, the execution hasn’t always been pretty. That’s because many were caught with an omnichannel order management process that was less than optimized. This report will detail how you can create a more unified process across all channels.
Best-practice companies have designed their storage and inventory control processes and systems to meet the needs of the current and planned mix of storage types, including optimization of storage locations and layouts. Here are some tips to help you optimize location, tracking, retrieval and timely processing of customer orders.