The growing volume of larger items being ordered online, everything from furniture to gym equipment to home improvement products, has led Descartes unit ShipRush to be the first to add a less than truckload (LTL) capability to its SMB shipping software platform.
Ever since Amazon introduced Prime in 2005, the company has left everyone else chasing after them, and younger shoppers look for that type of experience everywhere. To succeed, retailers must meet customer demand for an enhanced delivery experience, including whenever possible fast and free shipping and unlimited returns.
Taking a shot at Amazon’s leading position, eBay will launch a fulfillment program next year targeting high-volume sellers and tapping a network of partners to provide end-to-end services including shipping, tracking, warehousing and customer service. This is similar to a move made last month by ecommerce platform Shopify.
Through new partnerships with Michael’s, CVS and Advance Auto, UPS is more than doubling its network of U.S. Access Point locations and adding Sunday pickup and delivery in January for business and residential customers as it engages in an arms race with FedEx. This gives UPS 63,000 U.S. locations, compared to 62,000 for FedEx.
The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved a range of postal rates for smaller packages originating from overseas to the United States, part of an effort to level the playing field for U.S. merchants and manufacturers disadvantaged by international postage rules.
Despite public pronouncements from FedEx Chairman and CEO Fred Smith that he is unconcerned about Amazon as a logistics competitor, the company used that term in its recently released annual report for the first time in connection with the ecommerce giant. Further actions by Amazon will “reduce our revenue” FedEx stated.
While the relationship between shipping options and cart conversion or abandonment is well established, the extent of the impact is shown in stark detail in a new report from ecommerce platform provider BigCommerce. More than two-thirds of consumers said they’ve abandoned a purchase based on poor shipping options.
The global shipping landscape may be disrupted this fall, depending on the outcome of two major geopolitical events, and cross-border ecommerce sellers need to brace themselves for the potential changes. Experts discuss the ramifications of both Brexit in the UK and a possible U.S. pullout from the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
Close on the heels of its decision earlier this month to cut ties between Amazon and its Express air delivery unit, FedEx is reportedly offering big discounts on the service to draw in more ecommerce business and take it away from rival UPS, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The global shipping landscape may go through one and possibly two seismic shifts this fall: either a Brexit in the UK, a U.S. pullout from the Universal Postal Union, or both. So how should you prepare? How quickly can you adjust your shipping plans? This latest special report from MCM taps experts and explores these issues in detail.