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Ecommerce Fulfillment: More Efficiency, Less Costs

| Brian Barry

Absolute productivity has declined in many ecommerce fulfillment centers because productivity has not kept up with the rate of increased costs. Some larger companies are paying $18 to $20 per hour in some markets. With this in mind, here are 6 ways to become more efficient and reduce costs in your ecommerce fulfillment operations.

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Opinion: Will There Be DeJoy in USPS-Ville?

| Mike O'Brien

It’s an open question whether Louis DeJoy will survive in his highly politicized position as Postmaster General long enough to see the wide-ranging reforms he wants to enact realized, or at least started. Considering the critical importance of the USPS, with its every-ZIP-every-door-every-day mandate, a lot hangs in the balance.

The Last Mile Through the Lens of Today’s Challenges

| Mike O'Brien

This report from Multichannel Merchant focuses on last-mile challenges faced by retailers, and how they’re focusing on technology and strategic adjustments to deliver speed, visibility, and accuracy. To achieve this, many are turning to multi-carrier shipping software that can be integrated with their existing technology stack.

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Port Congestion Issues Mount, Leaving Shippers Scrambling

| Mike O'Brien

As container ships piled up at the blocked Suez Canal for six days, an already serious issue of port congestion has grown worse, rippling down to longer delays on consumer orders as inventories deplete with goods hung up in transit. Some chokepoints have seen easing but shippers continue to scramble and costs rise.

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Amazon Logistics: Ready for Prime Time?

| Mike O'Brien

Last week Amazon spent $131 billion for a 19.5% share in ATSG, which operates aircraft it leases. And many believe Amazon Logistics is looking to restart delivering non-Amazon volume from its shippers. So what is up with all this activity and investment? We talk with Kiri Masters of Bobsled Marketing about the pieces that are in place.

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Approaching Shipping Delays During the Pandemic

| Jan Bednar

Shipping delays and supply chain disruptions are nothing new in ecommerce, but this past year has definitely been a challenge. Yet on-time delivery has become a staple of ecommerce. Although not all aspects of the logistics side of things are within your control, you can take steps to ensure satisfaction on every order.

Retail: Stickiness of Digital Shift Resets Priorities

| Mike O'Brien

A new report from the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and McKinsey & Co. highlights how sticky the digital shift has become over the past year, and how important personalization, supply chain optimization, omnichannel and sustainability have become to ensure survival in the new landscape.

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Nimble Robotics Takes In $50M, Adds AI Luminaries

| Mike O'Brien

Nimble Robotics, a maker of order picking and packing robots for ecommerce, is the latest fulfillment automation maker to join the massive VC gravy train of late in ecommerce technology, raising $50 million in Series A financing in a round led by DNS Capital and GSR Ventures.

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Flowspace Raises $31M in New Funding Round

| Mike O'Brien

Flowspace, a provider of warehouse-on-demand software and services, has raised $31 million in a new round to expand its business and build on capabilities like predictive analytics to help retailers achieve fulfillment network optimization through precise fulfillment hub and inventory positioning.

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Dick’s Sporting Goods Doubles Ecommerce Sales in 2020

| Mike O'Brien

Dick’s Sporting Goods, like Target and Walmart before it, is seeing strong results in the pandemic era, increasing overall sales 19.8% in the fourth quarter, while ecommerce was up 57% and same-store sales increased 19.3% as its omnichannel execution excelled.