UPS is continuing to push for increased efficiency through hub automation projects and its ORION route optimization system. The company reported Q2 revenue growth of 3.8% to $14.63 billion, with profit up 3.2% to $1.27 billion. Its ecommerce business is on pace to grow faster than expected through the end of the year, officials said, based on strength in U.S. consumer spending.
As it continues to hit roadblocks in the U.S., Amazon has announced a partnership with the UK government to experiment with drone delivery of small parcels through its Amazon Prime Air unit. Meantime 7-11 has beaten Amazon to the punch, delivering Slurpees and other essential items to a family in Reno, NV in the first U.S. commercial drone delivery.
SMB online retailers are using multiple carriers to get better pricing and eliminate the risk of keeping all their eggs in one basket, according to a new study from Accenture. See what carrier capabilities are most critical to them, and what they’re looking for in terms of cross-border services.
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.
Again taking square aim at Amazon Prime, Walmart plans to offer free two-day shipping as part of its $50 a year ShippingPass program. See what else the retail giant has in the works as it looks to gain ground against its online rival.
OIA Global, a leading logistics, packaging and material sourcing provider, announced an important Southeast Asia expansion with the opening of its new location in Chennai, India.
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.