Amazon is reportedly using a micro-fulfillment center solution from Dematic at its first grocery store not named Whole Foods outside Los Angeles, sending a loud signal to the rest of the market that an MFC capability is critical to success and maintaining market share in the red-hot e-grocery sector.
Workers at a Target fulfillment center in New Jersey are considering union representation, stirring up labor issues for the retailer as it reworks the supply chain to move inventory closer to customers and better integrate store and online channels, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. Amazon and FedEx are also facing unionization pressures.
Amazon is severing delivery contracts in five states, affecting about 1,300 drivers, eliminating partners it says aren’t meeting delivery standards, according to Bloomberg and other reports. Two years ago, Amazon began a program to help entrepreneurs start up delivery businesses, creating less of a need for the existing contractors.
Innovation around the Internet of Things (IoT) is advancing rapidly, enabling data sharing among millions of devices and tagged items and providing new levels of visibility and traceability. Experts from FedEx and Microsoft will discuss the latest advances in IoT and results within their organizations at Ecommerce Operations Summit.
Keeping up with rising customer expectations is challenging, both when shipping to stores and DTC. With customer satisfaction and loyalty on the line, many are looking for ways to accelerate ecommerce order fulfillment. If you’re in a similar struggle with “the need for speed,” here are four strategies that can help.
Ahold Delhaize USA said it plans to close the Midwest division of its Peapod online grocery delivery business to focus on expanding operations in the more lucrative East Coast, where most of its stores are located. Dutch-based Ahold said the Midwest operation of Peapod represented $97 million of the $1.1 billion in online sales in the U.S.
FedEx is diverting some Express deliveries into its less expensive Ground network to drive efficiency and build ecommerce package density after parting ways with Amazon in 2019, according an internal memo obtained by the WSJ. FedEx will redirect residential Express packages to Ground as they get close to their destination.
E-grocery penetration in the U.S. reached 4.5% of the overall food/beverage market in 2019, according to figures from Deutsche Bank cited by e-fulfillment technology provider Fabric, after hovering around 2% for years. It’s expected to exceed 10% by 2024 and hit 12% the following year.
Deliverr, a startup that uses data and a network of warehouse partners to strategically position inventory and enable fast ecommerce deliveries, has raised $40 million in a new funding round, bringing its total raised to $70 million. The funding round was led by Activant Capital and included 8VC, GLP and Flexport founder Ryan Petersen.
Ecommerce fulfillment cost per order (CPO) is the sum of all the warehousing expenses involved in receiving, put away and storage of product, picking, packing and shipping and reverse logistics or returns processing from customers. But do you know your fully loaded CPO? This calculation process will help you generate a true number.