UPS Continues Efficiency Push as Revenue, Profit Grow in Q2

| Mike O'Brien

UPS is continuing to push for increased efficiency through hub automation projects and its ORION route optimization system. The company reported Q2 revenue growth of 3.8% to $14.63 billion, with profit up 3.2% to $1.27 billion. Its ecommerce business is on pace to grow faster than expected through the end of the year, officials said, based on strength in U.S. consumer spending.

Amazon Prime Air to test Drone Delivery in the UK

| Mike O'Brien

As it continues to hit roadblocks in the U.S., Amazon has announced a partnership with the UK government to experiment with drone delivery of small parcels through its Amazon Prime Air unit. Meantime 7-11 has beaten Amazon to the punch, delivering Slurpees and other essential items to a family in Reno, NV in the first U.S. commercial drone delivery.

Operations Summit 2017 Call for Speakers Open

| Mike O'Brien

Are you an industry professional with a great merchant story to tell that will educate and inform your peers? Come share your insights at Operations Summit 2017, March 27-29 in in Pittsburgh – the only conference exclusively about direct-to-customer and omnichannel operations. Send us your proposed session topic and speakers by Sept. 30 for consideration.

SMB Ecommerce Shippers Diversifying Carrier Services

| Mike O'Brien

SMB online retailers are using multiple carriers to get better pricing and eliminate the risk of keeping all their eggs in one basket, according to a new study from Accenture. See what carrier capabilities are most critical to them, and what they’re looking for in terms of cross-border services.

Canada Post Strike Would Hit SMB Ecommerce Shippers

| Mike O'Brien

Smaller merchants doing business in Canada are getting product out the door and setting up contingencies in anticipation of a possible Canada Post strike. See what options are available, and what impact the work stoppage could have.

Ecommerce Investments Pay Off for FedEx in Fiscal 2016

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx’s continued focus on ecommerce growth, reflected in its capital spending and recent spate of acquisitions, paid dividends in fiscal 2016, especially the 20% growth in ground revenue. Walmart’s recent addition of a subscription service in response to Amazon Prime, partially served by regional carriers, is not a concern, company executives said.

warehouse, distribution center, fulfillment center, ecommerce, ecommerce fulfillment

13 Questions to Consider When Weighing a New Distribution Center

| Curt Barry

To do battle with Amazon, many DTC companies are looking to expand their distribution center network. But how do you weight the variables in terms of location, facility costs, inventory, transportation and shipping time, local labor and more? Here are 13 key points to consider in your decision process.