FreshDirect truck feature

Ahold Delhaize Acquires Majority Stake in FreshDirect

| Mike O'Brien

Dutch supermarket company Ahold Delhaize, owner of Giant and Stop & Shop, has acquired a majority stake in Bronx, NY-based delivery provider FreshDirect, giving it a leg up on ecommerce fulfillment as e-grocery is exploding amid the pandemic. Centerbridge Partners is also acquiring a 20% stake in FreshDirect.

Leveraging Data in Supply Chain Management’s New Normal

| Andrew Tunstall

From suppliers to logistics providers to manufacturers and retailers, the extended supply chain is pursuing omnichannel connectivity in an effort to deliver innovative customer experiences, streamline operations, reduce costs and improve flexibility and resiliency. But packaged commercial OTS software and data silos won’t cut it.

USPS delivery vans

ShipMatrix Service Aims to Address Carrier Capacity Gap

| Mike O'Brien

ShipMatrix, a provider of software and services for parcel shippers, has created a new offering that aims to address the massive problem of a shortfall in major carrier capacity this holiday season by making it more attractive for shippers to use the U.S. Postal Service for lightweight items.

walmart fulfillment center

Walmart Leverages Tech to Quickly Launch Popup FCs

| Mike O'Brien

Walmart is launching 42 popup fulfillment centers within existing U.S. retail distribution centers to help handle the peak fulfillment load during November and December, leveraging technology to route orders for local fulfillment and handling up to 30% of its holiday volume.

7 Tips for Successful Holiday Gift Subscriptions

| Nicole Lee

Recognizing the potential for growth, smart subscription companies are promoting gift-giving, this season and throughout the year. Whether you already offer gift subscriptions or are thinking about adding them, it’s helpful to understand some common best practices. Following are seven tips to get you started.

Amazon Flex driver in trunk feature

Amazon Flex Creates Rewards Program to Incent Drivers

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is adding perks for its legion of thousands of crowdsourced delivery drivers through the Flex program, creating a rewards program that includes things like a cash-back debit card and the ability to earn access to more desirable routes and slots.

Handling Holiday Ecommerce Fulfillment Issues

| Rafael Lourenco

For retailers, massive holiday ecommerce this year raises the prospect of more customer complaints, lost package claims, returns due to delays and possible shipping fraud as harried customer service agents try to keep shoppers happy by making post-order changes. Here’s how you can plan now to keep holiday customers happy.

Fetch Robotics in warehouse feature

Vargo Partners with Kindred, Fetch Robotics

| Mike O'Brien

Ecommerce fulfillment software and systems integration provider Vargo has partnered with robotics sortation and grasping robot maker Kindred and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) creator Fetch Robotics to help their systems better sync with order orchestration and workflows. This continues a recent trend of SI/robotics partnerships.