Israeli automation startup Fabric, formerly known as CommonSense Robotics, has raised $110 million in a Series B round with plans to accelerate growth in the U.S. including plans to build 14 on-site micro fulfillment centers to enable same-day delivery. The first FC will open in New York in Q1, with several other cities following.
Best Buy is getting into the holiday spirit early and pushing back on major competitors, offering free next-day delivery on thousands of items from Thanksgiving through Christmas, and free standard shipping in the few areas where next day isn’t available. The company says it’s available in 42 U.S. markets, covering 99% of its customers.
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Savvy retailers are capitalizing on this consumer preference by positioning smartphones front and center when it comes to in-store fulfillment with options like BOPIS (buy online, pickup in store) and ROPIS (reserve online, pick up in store). Here are the customer benefits and some tips to make both succeed in your retail business.
Stamps.com, which had been struggling since ending its long-term partnership with the U.S. Parcel Service in February, has been buoyed by a new deal with UPS. As part of the deal, Stamps.com’s 740,000 shipper customers can get discounts up to 55% off standard UPS rates and relief from surcharges.
Multiple factors are driving continued greater demand for smaller warehouse facilities vs. big-box fulfillment centers, as companies scramble to position inventory closer to customers and trim ecommerce supply chain costs, according to a new report from CBRE. Vacancy rates are dropping further and rents growing faster for smaller FCs.
Many ecommerce fulfillment centers spend much of their time implementing reactive tactics without ever thinking through the strategy of what they’re trying to achieve. Often the terms “tactics” and “strategy” are incorrectly used interchangeably. Here are 8 supply chain strategies to help you improve your ecommerce operations.
As ecommerce grows and expectations rise, experts say we can achieve Amazon-level service if we practice customer centricity. Many take this to mean putting the customer at the center of your business and provide amazing service. But customer centricity isn’t all about the customer – it’s really about the customer record.
Pitney Bowes was hit by a ransomware attack that affected its postage systems and impacted customers globally. The company said systems were up and running although high volumes could still cause issues, and no personal customer or employee data was compromised. The same attack hit Florida cities and a newspaper in 2018.
Walmart is launching an in-the-fridge e-grocery delivery service it announced this summer, starting in Pittsburgh, Vero Beach, FL and Kansas City, similar to Amazon’s own delivery service launched last year. Walmart customers can choose either kitchen or garage fridge delivery and pay $19.95 per month with a $30 minimum.