O+F Distribution Center Roundup, Dec. 15, 2014
O+F’s listing of recently announced expansions, additions and closures in retail distribution centers.
Shipping/Delivery
Dec. 15 Is Peak Holiday Shipping Volume Day for FedEx, USPS
Monday, Dec. 15 is expected to be the highest volume delivery day for both FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service, with UPS projecting the following Monday, Dec. 22, to be its largest shipping day this holiday season.
Major Carriers Stay On Top of the Weather with Meteorology Teams
Given the 2013 holiday shipping debacle, UPS and FedEx have taken great pains to ensure there isn’t a repeat performance this season.
Best Buy Announces Free Two-Day Shipping
In an effort to lure more holiday season shoppers, Best Buy announced it was offering free two-day shipping on thousands of online items.
Amazon Testing Bikes for Ultra-Fast Delivery in New York
Amazon is once again pushing the ecommerce envelope, testing out the use of bicycle couriers in New York as part of a service called Amazon Prime Now, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The service will provide delivery of some items purchased on Amazon.com in an hour or two, the Journal said it had been told by an unnamed source.
Making It Right for Affected Customers Key for Harry London
In the wake of a Thanksgiving fire that destroyed a distribution center outside Cleveland, 1-800-Flowers.com is doing all it can to make customers happy.
New Priority Mail Rates Aren’t Good News for Everyone
In September, the United States Postal Service introduced new, lower rates on Priority Mail service for online retailers. On the surface, the change sounds like good news for ecommerce providers’ holiday shipping programs. But here’s what the USPS’s new rates really mean for online retailers.
Automated Fulfillment Optimizes Shipping and Avoids Errors
The same technology that helped converge inventory levels has evolved and is now actually able to automate inventory management and fulfillment. By removing reliance on employees to track inventory, this makes mistakes less likely and allows order fulfillment from any location to orders on any channel. Thus omnichannel fulfillment is enabled, providing higher service levels to customers, more streamlined inventory management for retailers, and less stock tied up in expensive warehouses. Many retailers find that they are able to eliminate warehouses entirely and have retail locations function as mini-distribution centers.
Make Room for Dimensional Weight Pricing: A Look Ahead at Shipping in 2015
A quick primer on imminent dimensional weight pricing changes from UPS and FedEx, how to calculate them, and what you can do if your business is affected.
OnTrac Partners With USPS to Deliver Final-Mile Service to Retailers
Regional carrier OnTrac, announced a new service, DirectPost, which will enable it to provide next-day and two-day ecommerce shipping at postal rates.