In the never-ending pursuit of Amazon and seeking separation from other foes like Walmart, Target has announced the availability of same-day delivery in 46 states ahead of the peak holiday season from Thanksgiving through Christmas, while also eliminating its $35 order threshold for free two-day shipping as of Nov. 1.
Sixty-one percent of U.S. retailers said they would consider banning serial returners as Amazon has done to combat the growing wave brought on by over-generous policies, according to a new survey from UK ecommerce software firm Brightpearl. In the UK, 45% of retailers said they would consider doing so.
eBay has filed a lawsuit against Amazon claiming the ecommerce giant has been using illegal tactics to lure sellers away from the rival marketplace since at least 2015. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon knew it was breaking eBay’s rules and policies, and even communicated these infractions in discussions with eBay sellers.
Amazon is reportedly experimenting with robotic arms that can visually identify items on a conveyor, pick them up using a compressed air vacuum gripper and place them on a table or shelf. At the same time the company says publicly the state of the art isn’t there yet to handle the wide variety of products it stores and sells.
The USPS is proposing a number of rate changes that would be effective on Jan. 27 including an average 9.3% increase in its Parcel Select service for packages weighing more than 1 lb., as it looks to recover rising costs and deals with stiff competition from major carriers.
Whether it’s halting all operations like Toys R Us or perpetually closing stores like Sears, many retailers are scrambling, more often than not, to pay back millions of dollars in debt and strategize to see another day. Here are the ABCs of a digital transformation that retailers should know about.
Given all the emphasis on the potential for voice assistants in commerce, it was inevitable that the capability would come to the ecommerce fulfillment center, and ShippingEasy has done so with a new Alexa skill that integrates with its shipping software.
In the continuing saga of strange bedfellows teaming up to combat the threat of Amazon, a Kroger/Walgreens pilot in northern Kentucky outside Cincinnati allows shoppers to pick up Kroger orders at 13 select Walgreens and purchase Kroger products while there.
Toys R Us, the on-again, off-again toy retailer, is looking for another reboot, less than four months after closing its remaining stores, according to investors that acquired its assets out of bankruptcy court.
Less than a week after a PR backlash over reporting on warehouse worker raises ahead of peak season in the range of 35 cents to 50 cents, Amazon put out the fire by announcing an across-the-board $15 per hour minimum wage for its fulfillment center associates, starting Nov. 1.