AMS Acquires EchoData, Expands Same-Day, Two-Day Fulfillment

| Mike O'Brien

Third-party logistics (3PL) provider AMS has acquired EchoData Group, a provider of omnichannel fulfillment services. The acquisition gives AMS greater ability to serve customers with same-day delivery in major population centers on both coasts, and adds two-day delivery coverage to 90% of the U.S. population.

GlobalTranz Acquires Cerasis, 11th Acquisition in Three Years

| Mike O'Brien

3PL GlobalTranz Enterprises has acquired Cerasis, a provider of managed transportation and third-party multimodal logistics services, marking its 11th acquisition since January 2017. Cerasis has a managed transportation client base that uses its 3PL/4PL service offerings and technology solutions, including TMS.

XPO Explores Sale or Spinoff of Up to 4 Business Units, Just Not LTL

| Mike O'Brien

Saying the market hasn’t been rewarding the company as it should, the board of XPO Logistics said the company was exploring strategic options including the sale or spinoff of up to four business units, which would not include its less-than-truckload shipping business. It has retained Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan as financial advisors.

Multichannel Merchant Publishes MCM Top 3PL Directory for 2020

| Mike O'Brien

Multichannel Merchant has published its fifth annual MCM Top 3PL listing for 2020, a searchable directory of leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers in ecommerce and direct-to-customer operations. 3PLs have been growing in importance as ecommerce grows and more merchants look to outsource operations and fulfillment.

8 Supply Chain Strategies to Improve Your Ecommerce Business

| Brian Barry

Many ecommerce fulfillment centers spend much of their time implementing reactive tactics without ever thinking through the strategy of what they’re trying to achieve. Often the terms “tactics” and “strategy” are incorrectly used interchangeably. Here are 8 supply chain strategies to help you improve your ecommerce operations.

How to Negotiate an Ecommerce 3PL Contract in 9 Steps

| Brian Barry

Many multichannel companies have found 3PLs to be comparably priced to internal ecommerce fulfillment while providing quality services. But negotiating a contract to work with a 3PL partner takes time plus a combination of business sense and legal guidance. As you build an agreement, here are 9 key considerations to keep in mind.

Calling All Top 3PL Providers for MCM List: Do You Have What It Takes?

| Mike O'Brien

Now in its fifth year, Multichannel Merchant’s MCM Top 3PLs is a listing of leading third-party logistics providers in ecommerce and direct-to-customer (D2C) operations and fulfillment. To create the 2020 listing, we’re looking for a few good 3PLs. How does your organization measure up? You have until Nov. 7 to complete a submission.

6 Reasons to Outsource Subscription Box Fulfillment

| Nicole Lee

While the prospect of increased sales volume is welcome, a barrage of incoming orders can overwhelm up-and-coming subscription box companies, or even established retail or ecommerce companies new to the game. How do you know when you need outside fulfillment help? Here are 6 signs that it’s time to engage a 3PL partner.

To FBA or Not to FBA: 9 Tips to Help in the Decision Process

| Mike O'Brien

Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) remains very popular among Amazon sellers, with over 650,000 using it in the U.S., but it’s not the right solution for everyone. So how do you make that decision? Executives from Complemar, Motor City Distributing and Tech Armor discussed the pros and cons at this year’s Ecommerce Operations Summit.

13 Ways to Get Ready Now for Peak Holiday Season Fulfillment

| Brian Barry

By now you should have your peak holiday season planning for this year well underway. If you’re behind schedule, there’s still time to implement improvements but you need to be prudent and not over commit. To help you be prepared, here are 13 critical considerations for improving peak holiday season operations and fulfillment processes this year: