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.
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.
Amazon doesn’t need to take over the last mile of ecommerce delivery, but it does need to reduce its massive shipping cost burden in order to maintain its recent run of profitability, which is the logic behind its recent logistics moves.
As increased shipping costs for bulky items mount, does this spell the end of the line for ordering big-ticket items online? Certainly not, and here are some options that shippers can consider to address the issue.
Looking to increase traffic on its marketplace, eBay is making it easier for members to sell their stuff by dropping it off at 1,600 FedEx stores through a new partnership with the carrier. Learn more about this arrangement and what it means for sellers and eBay.
The U.S. Postal Service reported operating revenue of $17.7 billion in Q2, up $788 million or 4.7% from 2015. The increase was primarily due to an 11.4% gain in shipping and package volume and pricing changes. While the USPS keeps posting double-digit parcel gains, it continues to drown in pension-driven red ink, with a $2 billion quarterly net loss, up from $1.5 billion a year ago.
Following on the heels of FedEx’s move earlier this year, UPS plans to update its fee structure for larger parcels, decreasing the size of items that incur an extra $10.50 handling charge. Under the new rule, packages with a long side of 48″ or more will be subject to the charge as of June 6. The previous threshold was 60″.
Continuing its relentless push into logistics to shore up carrier network capacity issues, Amazon has struck a deal with major air transport firm Atlas Air of Purchase, NY, leasing 20 of its Boeing 767-300 jets and taking up to a 30% stake in the company. Atlas is also a supplier of transport planes to UPS.
A final hurdle to FedEx’s proposed $4.8 billion acquisition of Dutch carrier TNT Express NV has been cleared via an unconditional approval from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. The deal has already been blessed by authorities in the EU and Brazil, after an initial challenge last fall by the former. The deal will bring FedEx close to parity with UPS in Europe, or possibly launch it into second place behind EU market leader DHL.
The red carpet will be rolling out in Cincinnati on April 14. That’s when Multichannel Merchant will announce the winners of its annual Excellence in Customer Experience Awards its 2016 Operations Summit.