FedEx Express truck feature

Amazon Tells 3P Sellers: No FedEx Ground; Complains of Service Issues

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is telling 3P sellers they can’t use FedEx Ground for Prime deliveries this holiday season, citing performance issues, according to the Wall Street Journal, saying the policy will remain until there are improvements. UPS and other carriers stand to benefit in the short term if they can find room in their networks.

Supply Chain Optimization: How to Alleviate Common Pain Points

| Kyle Krug

While it may vary by industry, every supply chain has its own set of pain points. When left to fester, they can create permanent damage. Working to identify and immediately triage these pain points should be a top priority for all companies. This 3-step process has proven to be an effective way to get to supply chain optimization.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

How a Supply Chain Makeover Will Help Le Tote Integrate Lord & Taylor

| Mike O'Brien

Le Tote plans to modernize Lord & Taylor’s assets, including integration with Le Tote’s rental business to drive upselling. Retail industry veteran Robert Escobar has signed on to help Le Tote create a roadmap for a supply chain makeover to meet its business objectives. Find out more in this MCM CommerceChat podcast interview.

Amazon Enables Holiday Laggards With Last-Minute Offerings

| Douglas P. Clement

Amazon is enabling Prime customers in eligible areas to shop millions of products on Christmas Eve, and receive them in time for gift exchanges with free same-day delivery if ordered by 9:30 a.m. local time. Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market purchases on Christmas Eve in those eligible areas offer free two-hour delivery.

Walmart Testing Autonomous Grocery Delivery in Houston

| Mike O'Brien

Walmart is testing autonomous grocery delivery in Houston with robotics partner Nuro to a select group of shoppers that opt into the pilot program, the company announced. The test will involve Nuro’s R2 robotic vehicle as well as some autonomous Toyota Priuses, also powered by Nuro’s technology.

Old Navy Adds Same-Day Holiday Delivery to Compete with the Big 3

| Douglas P. Clement

Old Navy is partnering with Postmates to provide same-day delivery in 4,000 U.S. markets as it competes with Amazon, Walmart and Target for the holiday retail joy of robust sales driven by aggressive delivery fulfillment.
Delivery will be free from Dec. 21-23 as an incentive for last-minute consumers to buy its casual clothing.

MCM CommerceChat podcast

How JOANN Stores Upped Its Customer Service Game

| Mike O'Brien

JOANN Stores, a specialty retailer of crafts and fabrics, has seen better and faster issue resolution by upgrading its customer care platform. Hear how JOANN was able to improve its customer care metrics, including reducing ticket backlog and speeding up response times, and boost its NPS scores, in this MCM CommerceChat podcast.

Ben Jones Ohi

Ohi Raises $2.75 Million to Power Same-Day Delivery for DTC Brands

| Mike O'Brien

Ohi, a startup looking to democratize same-day delivery for smaller direct-to-customer brands with analytics and micro fulfillment centers in unused commercial spaces, has raised $2.75 million in a seed funding round led by Flybridge Capital Partners. Its first MFCs are in Manhattan, Brooklyn and LA, with more to come in SF and DC.

Thoughtless Ecommerce Fulfillment Will Do Holiday Season Brand Damage

| Brian Barry

A horrible experience with an Amazon order for a child’s Christmas gift quickly morphs into an object lesson for your ecommerce fulfillment operations. You may never get a chance to make a second impression on a new customer. Here are 6 ways to help you ensure that the experience for your customers is consistently excellent.

How Omnichannel Retail Is Building the Shopping Experience of the Future

| Casey Bullock

With rising demands and increased competition, retailers can capture the attention of digitally saturated consumers through enhanced, experiential shopping, to attract them to both physical and virtual stores. Whether online, mobile or in store, this omnichannel experience has to be consistent, seamless and intuitive.