Once again raising the specter of cutting out more business to UPS and FedEx, Amazon is reportedly testing a program that involves making local deliveries from the warehouses of retailers selling on its marketplace. See what the move entails, and what else Amazon has been doing to beef up its logistics and delivery capabilities.
Fulfilling a recent promise from its U.S. ecommerce head Marc Lore, Walmart has acquired courier service Parcel to provide same-day delivery of fresh and frozen groceries and online merchandise orders to Walmart and Jet.com customers in New York.
In a move that it says puts it on equal footing with Prime Now’s domestic coverage, crowdsourced same-day delivery provider Deliv has expanded to 1,400 U.S. cities in 33 markets, up from 19 markets previously, allowing retail customers like Macy’s and Best Buy to greatly increase the range of their services.
After finalizing the $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods, Amazon is making major pricing and fulfillment changes as the company leverages its investment. The ecommerce giant is up to the challenges that lay ahead and will be a major disruptor to grocery, and especially grocery delivery, for years to come.
Amazon is hosting several open houses this month to recruit last-mile carriers as it expands its logistics operations to help bulk up its rapid delivery services ahead of the busy holiday season.
Not to be outdone by Target’s attention-getting news of its pending Grand Junction acquisition to bolster its same-day delivery efforts, Amazon announced a new Instant Pickup program that lets customers grab “essential” items at locker facilities in five cities in two minutes or less.
In a move that will help it counter Amazon’s growing Prime Now footprint, Target announced plans to acquire transportation management software firm Grand Junction to expand its same-day delivery capabilities. And a former Amazon supply chain executive is helping Target get there.
As Amazon continues to encroach on the office supply market and offers speedy service in a growing number of urban markets, Office Depot is launching same-day delivery on Aug. 28 in Atlanta and Los Angeles, followed by Miami/Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 6. It has some catching up to do with rival and would-be merger partner Staples.
After pulling the plug on a vendor pilot program last year, Target is testing its own internal app for curbside pickup in Minneapolis, using associates to kick the tires on its performance before rolling it out to customers.
Retailers can increase revenue by offering more shipping choices for shoppers, according to a new report from Temando, which also revealed a wide gap between consumer expectations and what retailers deliver.