Ryder Whiplash Locus robots feature

Ryder Acquires Whiplash, Expands Network

| Mike O'Brien

Ryder System Inc. has significantly expanded its fulfillment network and added automation capabilities through the acquisition of 3PL Whiplash for $480 million, giving it warehouse assets in key markets and ports including Long Beach, CA, Seattle/Tacoma, New York/New Jersey and Savannah, GA.

8fig cofounders

8fig Helps Ecommerce Sellers Flex Inventory Spend

| Mike O'Brien

8fig, an innovative fintech startup, is creating a new way for ecommerce sellers to obtain financing as they go for inventory purchases, based on sales history and projected performance, has raised of $50 million in new funding to accelerate growth and expand its lending capabilities.

cyber weekend

Ahead of Cyber Weekend, Some Thoughts and Numbers

| Mike O'Brien

Like lots of things, Cyber Weekend ain’t what it used to be, with a lot of air let out of the balloon. Major retailers vie to outdo each other by launching Black Friday deals ahead of the starting gun. Black Friday deals at Target, Best Buy and Amazon all launched last week, with Walmart joining today. Here’s an outlook and some thoughts.

walmart fulfillment center

Walmart Q3 Ecommerce Sales Up 8%, Says Holiday Prep in Good Place

| Mike O'Brien

Walmart reported its ecommerce sales in the U.S. increased 8% in the third quarter, and have gained a total of 87% since the same period in 2019, an incredible jump since pre-pandemic days as the retail giant continues to expand digitally, while declaring itself ready for the holidays.

black friday bot grinch

Leveraging Tech to Navigate the Great Holiday Shortage

| Gareth Smith

To minimize the impact of the great holiday shortage of 2021, retailers need to leverage innovative technologies and their insights to help navigate supply chain disruptions and reduce the risk of driving customers away now and into 2022. Here are some critical ways technology can help mitigate the pain of out of stocks.

inventory management man

Inventory Management Gets Trickier As Forces Collide

| Mike O'Brien

Given massive, lingering supply chain roadblocks, carrier capacity limits and labor shortages, inventory management has gotten trickier for retailers, especially as the critical Q4 approaches. This special report from Multichannel Merchant looks at ways retailers are rethinking their inventory approach to buffer against shocks.

Holiday Spending to Rise 10% But Cyber Weekend Growth Halved: Adobe

| Mike O'Brien

Adobe Digital Insights is predicting U.S. holiday spending online will rise 10% over 2020, hitting a record $207 billion, with global spending to reach $910 billion, an 11% increase, while calling for a decreased emphasis on traditionally major days during Cyber Weekend as demand pulls forward.

More Than Half of U.S. Consumers Planning Holiday Shopping Early

| Mike O'Brien

Supply chain delays, ongoing carrier issues and expectations of late deliveries or out of stocks has driven a record number of U.S. consumers to begin holiday shopping earlier than ever, with 52% of them in an Oracle Retail survey saying they’ve already begun to do so. Major retailers like Target and Best Buy have kicked off promotions.

project44 convey feature

project44 Acquires Convey, Gains Last Mile Strength

| Mike O'Brien

project44 has acquired Convey for $255 million to create an end-to-end supply chain visibility solution, marrying up the latter’s expertise in last mile to complement its focus up the chain in first and middle mile and all modes of freight, in both B2B and direct-to-consumer realms.

3PL logo feature

MCM Top 3PLs 2022: Calling All Leading Providers

| Mike O'Brien

Now in its seventh year for 2022, 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. 5, 2021. Be recognized as a true leader in the field!