Deliverr, a startup that helps merchants fulfill two-day and same-day orders on platforms like Amazon, eBay and Shopify, has raised $23 million in new funding, bringing its total to $30 million as it looks to hire new staff and expand its network of third-party logistics partners.
eBay announced the resignation of President and CEO Devin Wenig, who said in departing after eight years at the helm that he’s been out of sync with the company’s new board, of which he was a member. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Scott Schenkel, eBay’s senior vice president and CFO.
The UPU on Wednesday approved a compromise plan that will let countries set their own inbound postal rates, avoiding a threatened pullout by the U.S. that would have caused shipping chaos ahead of the peak holiday season. The U.S. can begin imposing self-declared rates next July, with others following in 2021.
Investigators from the FTC have begun interviewing merchants selling on Amazon’s third-party marketplace in an attempt to ascertain if the ecommerce giant is using anti-competitive practices, according to a report in Bloomberg. They’re asking merchants how much business they do on Amazon.com vs. other major marketplaces.
Adding robotics capabilities to its new fulfillment service launched in June, major SMB ecommerce platform Shopify is acquiring 6 River Systems for $450 million, the companies announced, making it the first platform firm with this capability for its ecommerce seller customers worldwide.
As consumer behavior shifts and omnichannel retailing grows, retailers are getting closer to customers to improve service and help ensure profitability. Increasingly, they look to four key areas where shifts can make fulfillment more efficient: Retail footprint; manufacturer direct shipping; 3D print & ship; and pickup sites.
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.
Large U.S. retailers over $1 billion saw a nice Prime Day bump on July 15 according to data from Adobe Analytics, with a 64% increase in sales vs. a typical Monday, up from 54% last year. Smaller retailers under $5 million, meanwhile, realized a smaller 30% sales lift, Adobe said. Meanwhile, some checkout glitches recurred this year.
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.
Marketplace facilitators like Amazon, Etsy, Rakuten, Walmart.com and eBay, are now required in 10 states to collect and remit sales tax resulting from third-party transactions, and several additional states will follow suit. Preparation is the name of the game to be compliant with ever-changing tax legislation.