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Warehouse Exchange Cuts a Different Path in Warehouse on Demand Space

| Mike O'Brien

Warehouse Exchange uses Artificial Intelligence to match up owners of available commercial space — not including 3PLs — with those needing it on a short-term basis, averaging 10 to 11 months. The company just closed a $2.2 million seed funding round. CEO Grant Langston talks about the company and its differentiators.

Locus robots feature

Locus Robotics Raises $40 Million in New Funding Round

| Mike O'Brien

Locus Robotics, makers of autonomous mobile robots for carriers and 3PLs like UPS, DHL, Ceva Logistics, Taylored Services and ShipMonk, has raised more than $40 million in a Series D funding led Zebra Ventures, along with existing investors like Scale Venture Partners.

Amazon Air Could Reach Parity with UPS By 2027 or 2028, Study Finds

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon Air is projected to have 200 cargo jets in its fleet by 2027 or 2028, bringing it close to parity with UPS if the latter doesn’t expand significantly, according to a study from DePaul University. The study said Amazon Air has grown to 42 planes since its launch in 2016, with plans to expand to 70 by 2021, putting it on par with DHL.

This Week’s Expert Mailbag: How Are Workers Staying Safe in Warehouses?

| Mike O'Brien

Lots of us have questions these days. The biggest one being: When will we be able to return to “normal” – and what will that look like? In this week’s edition of Multichannel Merchant’s “Ask the Expert,” we address a concern about how warehouse workers are staying safe in the midst of concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

Seismic Shifts Bringing a New Normal to Ecommerce Operations and Fulfillment

| Mike O'Brien

What will the world of ecommerce operations and fulfillment look like after World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 pandemic ends? The answer, like predictions of that date, is uncertain. But industry experts firmly believe that the seismic shifts that began in February 2020 will create a new normal in ecommerce operations.

How to Deal with Coronavirus and Your Ecommerce Supply Chain

| Brian Barry

These are truly unprecedented times. Strikes at ports and fuel prices sometimes disrupt supply chains, but the coronavirus pandemic is causing disruption to offshore manufacturing and shipping patterns that hasn’t been seen since World War II. Here are some observations on the impact based on feedback from multichannel sellers.

Grocer Hy-Vee Moving Online Order Fulfillment to Stores

| Douglas P. Clement

Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee is moving fulfillment of online orders from a network of four fulfillment centers back to its retail stores. The facilities, in Eagan, MN, Des Moines, IA, Omaha, NE and Kansas City, MO, will be closed later this month. The network and logistics made same-day fulfillment difficult, executives said.

Smart Strategies to Address Fulfillment Center Labor Challenges

| Jeff St. George

A strong economy is good for business, but it strains your ability to find and retain quality candidates. In the retail and ecommerce fulfillment sector, employers are facing ever-growing demand and labor shortages. Now is the time to implement proactive strategies for finding qualified talent and optimizing resources. 

A 12-Step Process for an Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Assessment

| Brian Barry

Considering all the challenges facing today’s ecommerce fulfillment center operations, how should you go about conducting an assessment, and what are the objectives? Here are 12 key aspects of a complete ecommerce fulfillment center assessment that will help make your operations more productive and efficient.