Most Shoppers Say Poor Shipping Options Derail Ecommerce Orders

| Mike O'Brien

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.

Prime Day Expected to Hit $5.8B in Sales; 250 Retailers Joining the Party

| Mike O'Brien

Prime Day, running for 48 hours on July 15-16, is expected to generate $5.8 billion in global sales, with an estimated 250 retailers drafting in its wake as more of them realize the huge potential. Also, Prime membership has grown to 105 million in the U.S., and electronics, home goods and apparel are the hot categories.

With the Next Salvo, Walmart Offers Free Next-Day Delivery

| Mike O'Brien

Firing back at Amazon’s move less than three weeks ago, Walmart is now offering free next-day delivery to customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas, with plans to expand to Southern California within days and 75% of the U.S. population by the end of the year. Walmart’s deal is mostly free: There’s a $35 order value threshold to qualify.

Amazon Automating Packaging to Save on Fulfillment Labor

| Mike O'Brien

In an effort to reduce its massive distribution and fulfillment costs, Amazon is implementing packaging automation, much as many other retailers have, while a separate program offers up to $10,000 to help set up Amazon employees willing to flip to delivery contractors.

Amazon Moving to One-Day Delivery Guarantee for Prime Members

| Mike O'Brien

No sooner had everyone mostly adjusted to the new normal of two-day delivery across the continental U.S. than Amazon raised the bar yet again, signaling a move to free one-day shipping for its 100 million-plus Prime members. Amazon will be transitioning to one-day Prime delivery throughout 2019, starting in Q2.

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MCM Outlook 2019: Getting Creative in Operations to Meet Demands

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon may have raised the customer expectations bar, but the pressure has been kept up as merchants scramble to meet increased fulfillment demands. So how do you react and execute? Our MCM Outlook 2019 report gathers survey results and expert insights to help you focus your investments to compete and win.

Worldpay Acquired by FIS, Integrates with Amazon Pay

| Mike O'Brien

In a continuing consolidation of the payments space, FIS has agreed to acquire Worldpay for $43 billion, while Worldpay at the same time has become the first payments acquirer to fully enable Amazon Pay for its ecommerce seller customers.

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Ryder Introduces Ecommerce Fulfillment Service

| Mike O'Brien

Transportation and supply chain provider Ryder System has unveiled a new ecommerce fulfillment service offering designed to compete with full-service platforms such as Amazon and Google as well as major carriers by providing a soup-to-nuts system for shipping directly to customers.