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.

retailers mall interior feature

How America’s Shopping Malls Can Thrive As Ecommerce Grows

| DeAnn Campbell

Shopping malls are well-positioned to become a centralized operating system for smaller retailers to leverage the operational and financial benefits of things like BOPIS and curbside. Creating a flexible range of services, spaces, leases and more will help malls regain community relevance and become profitable. Here’s how it can happen.

Happy Returns FedEx QR scan feature

Happy Returns Network Expands to 2,600+ Locations in FedEx Deal

| Mike O'Brien

After parting ways with Amazon last year, FedEx is now jumping deeper into ecommerce returns, much as Amazon did with Kohl’s, by adding Happy Returns bars to 2,000+ FedEx locations, including 300 inside Walmart stores. Unboxed returns will be accepted from 150 different retailers when the program launches at the end of October.