If we’re looking to turn deliveries into a catalyst for environmental change, drones and autonomous vehicles will help, but we’re not quite there yet. In the meantime enterprises should focus on improving delivery efficiency, which means providing drivers with the most efficient routes and the maximum number of packages per run.
Ever since Amazon introduced Prime in 2005, the company has left everyone else chasing after them, and younger shoppers look for that type of experience everywhere. To succeed, retailers must meet customer demand for an enhanced delivery experience, including whenever possible fast and free shipping and unlimited returns.
Large U.S. retailers over $1 billion saw a nice Prime Day bump on July 15 according to data from Adobe Analytics, with a 64% increase in sales vs. a typical Monday, up from 54% last year. Smaller retailers under $5 million, meanwhile, realized a smaller 30% sales lift, Adobe said. Meanwhile, some checkout glitches recurred this year.
Amazon just turned up the heat in the three-way battle for dominance atop ecommerce sellers, announcing more than 10 million items eligible for its new one-day delivery standard via Prime. This compares with 220,000 items available for free next-day delivery from Walmart, announced in mid-May, and 35,000 from Target ReStock.
From fast and free shipping to offering delivery choices, ecommerce companies need to be responsive and even proactive in anticipating needs, and outside partners often have the scale and expertise to make it happen. Learn how FedEx Fulfillment helped Revtown and BAWLS overcome operational challenges and grow their business.
Home Depot plans to spend $1.2 billion to upgrade its supply chain and fulfillment network between now and 2023, adding 170 distribution facilities to reach 90% of the U.S. population in a day or less, an executive said at a recent supply chain conference.
Sephora, Amazon, Target and Staples are among those making changes to their distribution network in Multichannel Merchant’s latest distribution center roundup.
Giant industrial real estate investment trust Prologis will acquire competitor DCT Industrial Trust for $8.4 billion in stock and assumed debt, giving it significantly increased scale in key U.S. markets and the ability to better service the growing needs of its ecommerce clients.
In the kind of move that many industry observers have talked about, Walmart said it plans to close 63 Sam’s Club stores, while converting 12 of them into ecommerce fulfillment centers. The facilities will close over the next few weeks, the company said. Here is what Walmart has planned for these locations and what it could mean for its ecommerce business.
Looking to meet the needs of ecommerce shippers facing a shortage of warehouse space – as well as those who need excess capacity at specific times but aren’t interested in fixed asset investments – Flexe has been building out its network of partner-based fulfillment locations.