Business

Trent Broberg, the former COO of Truckstop.com, has been named CEO of ACERTUS, a technology-focused automotive logistics firm.

As COVID-19 restrictions eased across the county, the number of Americans ordering groceries online dropped in February, led by a decrease in the over-60 age bracket.

U.K. delivery company Deliveroo has set its IPO price range, giving the Amazon-backed company a nearly $12 billion valuation.

E-commerce and the increasing desire to conduct digital transactions are driving rapid change in the payments industry.

Instacart may wait until after the majority of Americans are vaccinated to go public so investors can better gauge the company’s growth potential, according to a report.

Census Bureau data showed a decline in February sales, but levels remain elevated from a year ago as new stimulus hits

The new rules approved by the NLRB could be overturned by the Biden administration but only after a formal rulemaking.

Micromobility company Helbiz will secure approximately $82.5 million when it is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange through a SPAC deal expected to close in the second quarter.

Global payments technology provider Stripe has raised $600 million in a new funding round at a $95 billion valuation, making it the most expensive startup in the U.S.

Major retail brands are reaching consumers wherever they can these days, and that means more livestreamed special events with social media influencers.

Southeast Asian rideshare company Grab is in talks to go public through a SPAC led by Altimeter Capital, according to published reports.

A change in IRS tax code included in the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill will require sellers and other businesses paying out more than $600 to gig workers to file tax forms with the IRS.

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has fined Green Messengers and Amazon.com Services a total of $6.4 million for what it said was wage theft from delivery drivers.

When David Cabello dropped out of college, he knew he wanted to make a difference, so he started a food delivery business that caters to Black-owned restaurants.

PayPal is paying an undisclosed sum to acquire Curv, a cryptocurrency and digital asset security provider.

Using data from consumer tracking firm Commerce Signals, the idea that e-commerce sales significantly hurt in-store sales during COVID-19 may not be completely accurate.

More consumers prefer to-go or delivery food experiences, so Applebee’s is testing ghost kitchens and delivery-only brands.

Instacart may forgo the traditional path to public status and sell its shares directly to the public, according to a Reuters report.

Amazon-backed Deliveroo announces plans to go public less than a year after British regulators questioned the viability of the business.

As Amazon continues to dominate e-commerce, major retailers are stepping up their investments hoping to benefit from shifting consumer demands.

Instacart has announced a new funding round of $265 million, increasing its valuation to $39 billion.

New York-based Fillogic has secured a $2.5 million seed funding round to expand its e-commerce logistics platform.

Uber is spinning off the robotic delivery division of Postmates into a new entity.

Ox uses augmented reality to speed the order picking process and improve accuracy. It has landed a $3.5 million seed round of funding to grow its business.

Instacart has announced a new funding round of $265 million, increasing its valuation to $39 billion.

The bankruptcy filing by Hertz threatened to dump a glut of trucks and cars onto the used vehicle market if the company did not find a way to survive.

As cryptocurrencies gain in popularity, more e-commerce brands and payment platforms are incorporating the coins into their payment systems.

Companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats exploded during the pandemic as Americans ordered out for meals, but they face a more difficult path forward as COVID vaccines could reopen in-person dining.

In its first earnings statement as a public company, DoorDash posted record revenue and order volumes, but cautioned on 2021.

Volatile rates per hour and supply demands impacted gig economy drivers in 2020, but a brighter outlook is ahead.

Best Buy is shrinking its retail footprint in several locations as it moves to using stores for e-commerce order fulfillment operations.

A bad returns experience can turn off nearly three-quarters of consumers on a brand, so developing solutions to simplify this process are vital.

COVID altered the way CPG retailers and manufacturers interacted with, and delivered products to, consumers, and it is unlikely to ever return to the old ways.

Payment services provider Square posted 101% net revenue growth in 2020 over 2019 and 45% growth in net profit as it benefited from large growth in its Cash App division.

DoorDash is accepting applications from women-, immigrant- and BIPOC-owned restaurants to participate in a new accelerator program designed to improve their chances of success.

As ghost kitchens have popped up across the country, few have appeared on college campuses. Chartwells, which provides dining hall services, is rolling out the concept at client schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence in e-commerce, with companies utilizing the technology able to adapt quicker to changing consumer demands.

Demand for technology platforms that can automate the entire D2C experience is growing, and Pipe17 is the latest to secure funding to expand its solution.

As more packages and groceries are being shipped to consumers’ front doors, the demand for systems that can secure and maintain the freshness of items is growing.

The rate increases could generate needed revenue and profits, but they may narrow the price-service gap between the Postal Service and its rivals.

Autonomous vehicle startup Gatik has announced it will deploy electric trucks as part of its autonomous testing in New Orleans with partner Walmart.

Amazon has acquired Selz, a provider of technology that allows sellers to build an online storefront.

As rideshare has plummeted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyft has had to chart a new path forward in the next decade. That path features a reliance on autonomous vehicles and e-commerce deliveries.

Investments in its Eats and Delivery platforms have Uber on a path toward profitability as its Rides business recovers post-pandemic.

Commerce platform Fabric has leveraged market demand for its product to close a $43 million Series A round of funding just months after it secured its seed round.

Lyft said it is investing in the business so it is positioned to benefit in an expected rideshare rebound, perhaps as early as Q2.

FreightWaves has announced the launch of Modern Shipper. The editorial brand will provide news and information about e-commerce, the gig economy and the important roles each plays in the supply chain.

Lyft reported a 45% decline in active riders and 44% decline in revenue in Q4 as the pandemic continued to affect ridesharing.

The agency’s revamp will likely include cost reductions, price increases and efforts to streamline what many consider a bloated organization.

DoorDash is acquiring Chowbotics, hoping to leverage the firm’s salad-making robots to provide DoorDash partners new revenue opportunities.

Demand for its products skyrocketed, but port congestion and freight capacity constraints have prevented their delivery, and now Peloton is spending $100 million to try and fix its supply chain.

The gig economy grew at a 33% rate in 2020 as more workers looked for flexible work schedules and ways to supplement, or even replace, lost income during the pandemic.

A new organization in New Jersey backed by app-based companies and community leaders is working to ensure gig workers can maintain their flexible and independent employment status.

E-commerce sales for alcohol are outpacing overall online sales, and Uber is betting that will continue post-pandemic, paying $1.1 billion for on-demand delivery company Drizly.

Amazon announces a leadership shift as it crushes fourth-quarter 2020 estimates and reports $125 billion in revenue.

Scott Ruffin’s company is poised to exploit weaknesses in legacy delivery networks to take B2C share.

Uber will acquire Drizly, an on-demand alcohol marketplace, for $1.1 billion in cash and stocks.

SamCart, an D2C e-commerce platform, has closed a $10 million Series A round of funding, led by TTV Capital.

Social Auto Transport aims to connect the gig economy with car dealers to help improve the customer service experience.

Bringg is now offering its retail customers the ability to leverage Uber’s vast driver fleet to help fulfill e-commerce orders.

German drone manufacturer Wingcopter has raised $22 million, with plans to expand health care-related delivery programs and build a U.S. facility.

Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce chief, Marc Lore, departs with the company well positioned, but with a mixed bag of results.

Instacart is cutting approximately 1,800 in-store shoppers nationwide as it moves to a technology-focused “Partner Pick” model.

A St. Louis restaurant is alleging that DoorDash purposely drove customers away from its location and to other area restaurants that used its services.

As global e-commerce soars, businesses are looking for solutions that enable seamless payment options designed for local markets. Payments technology firm PPRO just raised $180 million to help design local payment solutions.

Pitney Bowes’ Jason Dies said SMBs need not be sitting ducks for higher parcel-shipping expenses.

The levy will apply to customers tendering 30,000 weekly parcels from Jan. 4 to Jan. 31.

The California Supreme Court rules the ABC test can be a factor in new and old worker classification litigation. If AB5 is lifted in California, it will add to the growing role for the B prong in the state’s trucking sector

As retailers faced a decline in customers during COVID-19 lockdowns, many turned to scanning applications to help meet a surge in online orders.

More people did their holiday shopping online, driving up global e-commerce transactions 24% in December compared to 2019, according to new data.

The growing e-commerce and shop-at-home categories are opening up new expansion opportunities for fulfillment companies like Amware Fulfillment.

French company Scallog is partnering with Bastian Solutions to bring “goods-to-person” robotics to North American e-commerce warehouses.
French company Scallog is partnering with Bastian Solutions to bring “goods-to-person” robotics to North American e-commerce warehouses.

The Postal Service’s Priority Mail Cubic may be the best value in parcel shipping, for those who qualify for it.

Owners of Chrysler, Ram and other FCA vehicles can now use a Grubhub app through their in-vehicle dashboards to place online food orders.

Traffic is expected to spike 23% compared to the highest-volume period in last year’s peak.

A rideshare drivers union that has helped push up wages and benefits for gig economy workers in New York City has expanded to Chicago.

Albertsons, subsidiaries turn to alternatives such as DoorDash

FedEx Corp.had announced acquisition of e-commerce platform ShopRunner earlier this month.

UPS cuts parcel-induction levies much deeper than FedEx, starting mid-January.

FedEx shares get hammered despite record performance at Express and LTL units. The focus is on lagging margins at FedEx Ground.

Shares take a hard hit in after-hours trade despite blowout fiscal second-quarter results across the board.

Business-to-business exemption may play key role if trucking falls under employee classification law

Motiv Power is adding to its order book for medium-duty electrified chassis and generating revenue. Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) interest is growing.

The inside-out design of Canoo electric delivery vehicle means it could have many appearances as public trading for the $600 million SPAC-sponsored startup nears.

The legality of AB5 in the California trucking sector is hurtling down two tracks, but the fight against it has been set back

Electric delivery van maker Workhorse Group draws tough questions from analysts following battery supply issue and lack of deliveries to UPS.