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Blue Yonder Being Acquired by Panasonic

| Mike O'Brien

Capping a relationship going back three years, Panasonic will acquire supply chain software firm Blue Yonder, formerly JDA Software. It formally joins together Panasonic’s edge computing, sensor and IoT capabilities with Blue Yonder’s autonomous supply chain solution, solving complex logistics and fulfillment challenges.

8 Things DTC Brands Should Look for in a 3PL Partner

| Esther Kestenbaum Prozan

For any DTC brand, choosing a 3PL is a huge decision. Order fulfillment is your single biggest cost line item. More importantly, your fulfillment provider will be entrusted with all of your inventory. The consequences of a poor choice can be catastrophic, while those of a good choice could be life-changing. Here are 8 key things to look for.

What’s the Difference Between 3PLs and 4PLs?

| Jason O'Leary

3PLs and 4PLs have both seen an explosion in popularity and are now being used to ship all kinds of goods. Each offers big potential benefits for retailers to outsource major elements of their supply chain. Here are some of the main differences between them and pluses and minuses to help you decide which is right for your business.

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Flowspace Raises $31M in New Funding Round

| Mike O'Brien

Flowspace, a provider of warehouse-on-demand software and services, has raised $31 million in a new round to expand its business and build on capabilities like predictive analytics to help retailers achieve fulfillment network optimization through precise fulfillment hub and inventory positioning.

3PL vs. Internal Fulfillment: Comparing Costs

| Brian Barry

For some ecommerce and multichannel companies, using third-party fulfillment (3PL) can be a viable alternative and provide high customer service as an option to internal fulfillment. The burning question for management: “How will it compare in terms of costs?” Here’s a step-by-step process for conducting your analysis.

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Stalco Acquired by Canada Cartage

| Mike O'Brien

Stalco, a Toronto-based 3PL specializing in fulfillment and distribution for high-velocity ecommerce clients in Canada, the U.S. and abroad, has been acquired by Canada Cartage. Stalco will become a standalone unit within CCLS, Canada Cartage’s fulfillment and distribution division, and operated independently.

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10 Ecommerce Fulfillment Trends to Pursue in 2021

| Perry Belcastro

The past year has redefined how Americans shop. Ecommerce, BOPIS and curbside are table stakes, and free shipping is expected. What exactly does that mean for ecommerce fulfillment operations? Now more than ever, they must be strategic, sophisticated and responsive. Here are 10 key areas to pursue in 2021.

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Loves Furniture Files Chapter 11

| Mike O'Brien

Loves Furniture, a Michigan startup that went into business in 2020 just as the pandemic was emerging, has filed for bankruptcy protection as bills piled up and inventory, fulfillment and logistics issues hamstrung its operations. The company claims that fulfillment issues caused by Penske, its contract logistics provider, led to the troubles.

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Multichannel Merchant Releases Top 3PL List

| Mike O'Brien

Multichannel Merchant has published its sixth annual MCM Top 3PL listing for 2021, a searchable directory of leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers in ecommerce and direct-to-customer operations. Each of the 60+ profiles includes data on key capabilities, top merchandise categories, facilities, B2B/B2C split and more.

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Flexe Raises $70 Million to Continue Expansion

| Mike O'Brien

Flexe, pioneer of he concept of warehouse on demand, has raised $70 million to build out its technology platform and facilities network connecting shippers with available space while also providing WMS and OMS capabilities. The company has increased its facilities base 50% to 1,500 in the past year as ecommerce demand has exploded.