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.

Kohl’s Expands Amazon Returns to All 1,150 Stores in the Lower 48

| Mike O'Brien

A year and a half after first testing the program in Los Angeles and Chicago, Kohl’s will start accepting Amazon returns in July for free at its 1,150 stores in the 48 continental U.S. states, even without a box or label. Kohl’s says that “eligible Amazon items” can be returned free of charge.

Key by Amazon Now Allows Delivery to Your Garage

| Mike O'Brien

First it was the front door, then the trunk. Now Amazon can have the delivery person drop off your ecommerce order inside the garage using smart lock technology. Key by Amazon – formerly known as Amazon Key – has now been extended to allow deliveries through the garage door.

20 Critical Implementation Tasks When Moving to a 3PL

| Brian Barry

Some ecommerce companies have gained tremendous benefits from third-party fulfillment partners. But once you contract with a 3PL you must develop a well thought out plan, coordinating with your departments and the partner as well as merchandise vendors, carriers and IT. Here are 20 critical tasks to ensure a smooth transition.

LSO Adds Enhanced Tracking, Route Optimization with Bringg Partnership

| Mike O'Brien

Adding a weapon in its competition with FedEx and UPS in eight Southern states, Texas-based regional carrier LSO has added route optimization and enhanced tracking and visibility through a partnership with software provider Bringg. See what capabilities this brings as well as enhanced productivity and efficiency for LSO.

retail technology

Time to Deep-Six Omnichannel and Focus on Experience

| Seeta Hariharan

It’s about time retailers drop the term omnichannel from their vocabulary. Creating an omnichannel experience is not even that difficult. What is much harder is giving your customers a reason to shop, a belief that you are looking out for and providing them with unique experiences that they appreciate.

Walmart Adds Google Voice Capability for Online Grocery

| Mike O'Brien

Two months after dropping out of the Google Shopping Actions platform and the Google Express same-day delivery service after a year-long test, Walmart is adding Google’s voice ordering capability for online groceries as it continues to wage war with Amazon.

The Next Wave in Warehouse Automation

| Mike O'Brien

The pressure is on ecommerce merchants to get orders out faster so customers don’t go to competitors when the experience is flawed. This is why more fulfillment centers are implementing warehouse automation, including robotics, to address throughput and efficiency issues. This MCM report covers the latest solutions and trends.