A startup company is looking to ease a chronic ecommerce pain point – returns – by enabling customers to bring unwanted items to a nearby mall for fast processing and credit, even if the seller doesn’t have its own stores. See what Happy Returns has been up to and what its plans are for the future.
Ahead of the holiday season, FedEx has expanded same-day delivery service to 1,800 cities in 30 regional markets through its FedEx Office division. The deliveries are made by uniformed FedEx drivers in branded vehicles, and the service includes a mobile app to track delivery status including alerts on estimated arrival time.
While things look dire in physical retail, investments in omnichannel are paying off for some traditional retailers. There are similarities in the playbook across a diverse group of companies, including aligning physical stores with the ecommerce channel, investing in private brands, and aggressively expanding product assortment. See how some of the leaders are staying ahead of the curve.
As the peak holiday season hiring frenzy kicks into gear, Walmart has decided to set itself apart by announcing it will once again offer extra shift hours instead of hiring thousands of seasonal staff as many other major retailers do. Target meanwhile plans to raise its minimum wage to $10 per hour and then to $11. See what holiday hiring plans are in the works for other retailers and service providers to meet the seasonal crush.
Kohl’s said it will begin accepting and processing Amazon returns for free at 82 stores in Los Angeles and Chicago starting in October. The company will pack and ship eligible returns to Amazon processing centers.
In a move that it says puts it on equal footing with Prime Now’s domestic coverage, crowdsourced same-day delivery provider Deliv has expanded to 1,400 U.S. cities in 33 markets, up from 19 markets previously, allowing retail customers like Macy’s and Best Buy to greatly increase the range of their services.
In the never-ending battle with Amazon and other retailers, Dick’s Sporting Goods has created a price matching program designed to attract more cost-conscious shoppers. See what criteria the sporting goods retailer has laid out for customers to be eligible.
Several retailers wouldn’t let Amazon have all the fun on Prime Day. Whether they were offering free shipping or major discounts on several products, these retailers aimed to steal Amazon’s thunder. Here is a list of what other major retailers did on Prime Day and days after.
As the engine revs up for Amazon’s Prime Day 2017, a few interesting wrinkles to bear in mind.
Are retailers poised to take advantage of their “Blockbuster-Netflix” moment? Now is a good time for them to learn from Blockbuster’s mistake – not buying Netflix –
and aggressively acquire small, well-positioned ecommerce firms.