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Amazon Union Vote Will Proceed on Feb. 8

| Mike O'Brien

The NLRB on Feb. 5 denied Amazon’s request to delay a planned union vote at its fulfillment center in Bessemer, AL, clearing the way for a vote by mail-in ballot beginning Monday and continuing through March 29. A positive vote would be the first chink in Amazon’s formidable anti-union wall, but experts say it’s a long shot.

Better Workforce Management Improves Ecommerce Fulfillment

| Derek Jones

It is not farfetched to say that the success of any ecommerce fulfillment operation will come down to human resources and how well they are managed. Here are some of the benefits improved workforce management, even after the pandemic is behind us, can deliver to your ecommerce business.

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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.

Do You Need Robots Now in Your Ecommerce FC?

| James Beale

We’re at a tipping point where automation is about to be a mainstream focus of ecommerce fulfillment centers. But while automation may be a sensible investment for bigger players like Amazon, that doesn’t mean it will scale effectively to smaller operations. So, are fully automated facilities really the future, and if so, what will it look like?

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Walmart Leverages Tech to Quickly Launch Popup FCs

| Mike O'Brien

Walmart is launching 42 popup fulfillment centers within existing U.S. retail distribution centers to help handle the peak fulfillment load during November and December, leveraging technology to route orders for local fulfillment and handling up to 30% of its holiday volume.

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Robotic Goods-to-Person Firm Exotec Raises $90 Million

| Mike O'Brien

French robotics firm Exotec, which lists Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo as a major client, has raised $90 million to power its global growth in ecommerce fulfillment. Founded in 2015, Exotec is built on a goods-to-person model with its Skypod bots which uses laser guidance to navigate a fulfillment center.

Amazon: Our COVID-19 Infection Rate 42% Lower Than General Population

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon said 19,816 of its 1.4 million U.S. frontline workers tested positive for COVID-19 from March 1-Sept, 19, adding the figure is 42% below the general population rate of 33,952 based on data from Johns Hopkins. This runs counter to claims of protesters about widespread infection rates in Amazon’s facilities.

MCM Top 3PLs 2021: Looking for Leading Providers in Ecommerce, DTC

| Mike O'Brien

Now in its sixth year for 2021, Multichannel Merchant’s MCM Top 3PL listing showcases leading third-party logistics companies serving ecommerce and direct-to-customer (DTC) businesses. How does your organization measure up? We’re accepting submissions now through Nov. 7. Be recognized as a true leader in the field!

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ShipBob Raises $68 Million in Funding, Plans to Double Its Network

| Mike O'Brien

ShipBob, a provider of third-party logistics with facilities in the U.S., Canada and Europe, has raised $68 million to fuel growth, expand its platform and more than double its global network, a signal of the significant venture capital flowing into logistics to support the ecommerce explosion. This brings the total raised to $130.5 million.