UPS has acquired British firm Freightex to gain entry into the European truck brokerage market. This comes eight months after FedEx closed its acquisition of Netherlands-based TNT Express. See what a UPS unit executive had to say about the rationale behind the move, how it will be integrated with Coyote Logistics and how it’s positioned in the European market.
Nebraska Furniture Mart has improved supply chain visibility, forecast accuracy and customer service while optimizing the company’s freight operations and fostering increased collaboration with partners and vendors. See what other benefits the company realized from implementing an integrated supply chain solution.
After years in the supply chain consulting business, Tompkins International is launching the MonarchFx Alliance, a consortium of technology and service providers it says will eventually provide more efficient, faster ecommerce fulfillment across sectors including apparel, furniture and appliances, cross-border, cold storage and stores. See what else the alliance has in store, and who has partnered with it.
It’s never a dull moment with Amazon, which won a patent for an airborne FC, sold 1 billion items the last two months and created another shopping holiday. Find out more about these latest developments from the ecommerce behemoth.
Given the massive increase in ecommerce orders this holiday season, peak shipping volume has UPS and FedEx scrambling to keep up, as UPS dipped slightly in on-time performance. See what the data showed for both carriers as well as the U.S. Postal Service.
What do consumers expect and what are businesses offering in ecommerce shipping? How much do free shipping and fast shipping matter? What about returns and tracking? Based on survey data from Shippo, here are key ways you can turn shipping into a competitive advantage.
Retail imports should be up 3.2% this month vs. 2015, as stores bring in the last of holiday merchandise, according to the monthly global port tracker from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The numbers come as NRF is forecasting $655.8 billion in holiday sales, a 3.6% increase over last year. The NRF saw the increase as a good sign for both the retail industry and the economy overall heading into the latter part of the holiday rush.
All 3 major carriers – UPS, FedEx, USPS – are projecting double-digit growth for peak season. See what volumes they’re looking at this year and their holiday cutoffs schedules.
Two months after a similar move by FedEx, UPS announced changes to its dimensional weight pricing schedule – with a twist. See what other changes UPS made, how they stack up against FedEx and what it means for merchant shippers.
If you think customer expectations are high overall in terms of ecommerce and direct-to-customer fulfillment, take a good look at the millennial generation. See what the research says, and what three millennial-focused brands are doing to go above and beyond and deliver a great customer experience for this key demographic.