USPS old mailboxes

Political Battle Over USPS Future, Fed Bailout Continues as Mail Declines

| Mike O'Brien

While the USPS gets tossed around like a political football and threatens insolvency without more federal aid, the agency continues to report poor results as already lower mail rates have fallen through the floor due to coronavirus. Meantime, Trump ally, donor and fundraiser Louis DeJoy will be the new Postmaster General.

Experts Provide Answers on Increased Order Returns, Warehouse Safety

| Mike O'Brien

We all can use some extra help sometimes, reaching out to our “bench” with tough questions, situations or challenges. In the latest edition of Multichannel Merchant’s “Ask the Experts,” we address reader questions about increased order returns and ways to maintain warehouse safety for workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Deliv driver

Target Looks to Acquire Tech Assets of Deliv as Startup Unwinds Operations

| Mike O'Brien

On the same day it was announced Deliv was winding down its operations this summer, it came out that Target is in talks to snap up some of Deliv’s technology assets to bolster its local ecommerce fulfillment and bring founding CEO Daphne Carmelli onboard, NBC reported. Others had reportedly been looking at Deliv, including grocers.

7 Strategies to Help You Reduce Subscription Box Shipping Costs

| Nicole Lee

Parcels are small, but have a big bottom-line impact for subscription box businesses. Whether you’re sending curated boxes, doing replenishment or ecommerce orders, shipping puts pressure on limited transportation budgets. If cost are getting proportionately higher, it’s time to reevaluate your parcel management approach.

Kendra Scott’s Fast Rollout of New Omnichannel Tactics Amid COVID-19

| Mike O'Brien

A decision by the leadership team at jewelry retailer Kendra Scott to invest in an order management system ahead of last year’s peak season was a critical element enabling the company to quickly turn its fleet of stores into fulfillment centers and initiate curbside pickup, after shutting them down to the public due to COVID-19.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

Needed Now: Real-Time Data Sharing Across Ecommerce Logistics Partners

| Mike O'Brien

In this MCM CommerceChat podcast, we talk to Matthew Cowan, general partner of Next47, a Siemens-backed venture firm that has invested in startups including last mile platform Bringg and on-demand transportation mapping service provider rideOS, about the critical need for real-time data sharing across supply chain partners.

This Week’s Expert Mailbag: How Are Workers Staying Safe in Warehouses?

| Mike O'Brien

Lots of us have questions these days. The biggest one being: When will we be able to return to “normal” – and what will that look like? In this week’s edition of Multichannel Merchant’s “Ask the Expert,” we address a concern about how warehouse workers are staying safe in the midst of concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

10 Ways to Improve Warehouse Efficiency and Reduce Costs

| Curt Barry

What are you doing in your warehouse across freight management, incentive pay for employees, creating baselines for KPIs, developing great managers and other critical areas? Here are 10 things to consider as you look for ways to make your operations more efficient and less costly.

Flytrex Begins Backyard Drone Delivery Pilot from a Walmart in ND

| Mike O'Brien

Israeli drone startup Flytrex has begun a pilot program making backyard deliveries from a Walmart in Grand Forks, ND to about a dozen nearby homes, looking to expand the program to further-out properties there in the months ahead while keeping to current FAA restrictions to line-of-sight piloting.