Recent News

UPS is buying Roadie, a same-day delivery firm, as it seeks to expand its package delivery options to customers.

Last-mile delivery has become such an important piece of the customer journey, but too many companies don’t listen to the customer and continue to deploy failing strategies.

Tight capacity, surcharges and customer demands are just a few of the pain points that continue to impact shippers heading into peak season.

Growth in couriers and warehouses took an outsize percentage of the total net growth in jobs last month.

Last-mile delivery firm AxleHire has tapped URB-E and Tortoise for nationwide pilots of zero-emission delivery programs.

Target has acquired tech companies and delivery providers, all in a quest to better manage its e-commerce logistics networks.

Supply chain disruptions and the growth of e-commerce have forced Seko Logistics to think differently about its logistics network.

Bed Bath & Beyond knew its supply chain was outdated for an e-commerce world, but a transformation required more than just logistics investments.

Kiwibot is rolling out delivery robots in four new locations as it continues to expand its service area.

Motional has unveiled its Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi that is entering testing in the Los Angeles area.

OneRail makes last-mile delivery profitable for shippers.

Middle-mile autonomous vehicle startup Gatik has announced an $85M Series B funding round and the start of operations in Texas.

Walmart’s new white label delivery service could have far-reaching implications for the last mile.

Ideanomics, which operates at the intersection of fintech and disruptive technologies, is acquiring electric vehicle maker VIA Motors in an all-stock transaction.

Electric vehicle maker Rivian has filed for an IPO that could value the company as much as $80 billion.

As global steel shortages build, racking shortages is hampering efforts to get more facilities operational.

Last-mile delivery company Point Pickup Technology has acquired e-commerce technology platform GrocerKey.

A2Z Drone Delivery is adding a dual-drop commercial drone to its tether deployment system, giving last-mile drone delivery a boost.

In 2014, Sendle sought to provide a package delivery alternative to the Australia Post. It is now in the U.S. taking on UPS and FedEx.

3PL GEODIS is opening four facilities dedicated to e-commerce logistics.

Americans plan to increase their holiday shopping spend in 2021, according to a survey from e-commerce firm Radial. That could strain overburdened last-mile delivery networks.

Amazon is reportedly looking to open physical store locations in at least two states.

Sendle, the upstart parcel logistics firm for small and midsize e-commerce shippers, has said it will not impose any rate surcharges this holiday season.

Warehouse robotics firm Geek+ and warehouse technology provider WSR Solutions say their combined solution for mixed-pallet picking and loading can increase truck capacity by as much as 30%.

Nuvemshop has raised $500 million to surpass $3 billion in valuation as it seeks to capture more e-commerce platform market share in Latin America.

Rising container rates and the semiconductor shortage could hurt electric vehicle startups Arrival and ELMS, but not enough to dampen the outlook, according to the analysts at Cowen.

If DoorDash acquired Instacart, it would create a formidable company, says one analyst.

FedEx Ground has begun using robotics from Berkshire Grey in its Queens facility, with plans to add them to more facilities in the coming months.

Gopuff has made its second European acquisition, agreeing to buy U.K.-based Dija and its nearly 40 microfulfillment centers in major European cities.

Last-mile delivery firms say a lack of drivers is their main concern, but more are finding that smartphones are a critical technology to help retain drivers and improve operational efficiencies.

Faisal Masud, CEO of headless commerce provider Fabric, says e-commerce is still in the early innings, but individual brand growth could be held back by traditional commerce platforms.

When Radio Flyer needed to increase shipping capacity for its iconic products, it realized that label printing was a chokepoint. So it found a solution.

In its Q2 earnings announcement Wednesday, GM said it would leverage its BrightDrop business to help it launch a full-size electric cargo van and medium-duty truck.

Warehouse robotics firm Fetch and AI-software fulfillment company Lucas Systems are working together to offer solutions that allow for humans and robots to work side by side.

Warehouse software provider STORD is opening an Atlanta warehouse that will focus on designing the next generation of warehouse technologies.

ShipStation has announced its first integration with an LTL shipper, enabling customers to ship e-commerce orders of furniture and other large items direct to residences.

Square will acquire buy-now, pay-later firm Afterpay in a $29 billion stock transaction.

Boston-based Motional is testing how its AVs can collect and transmit data on electric infrastructure to utility provider Eversource.

Twitter is testing a social commerce tool that allows retailers to promote and provide links to purchase products within the Twitter ecosystem.

Didi, the largest ride-hailing company in China, is denying reports that it is considering taking the company private just one month after it debuted on the New York Stock Exchange.

Canter’s Deli is one of the most famous delicatessens in the world, but outside Los Angeles it was hard to get one of its famous sandwiches. DoorDash Kitchens Full Service is making that possible.

The online payment platform boosted its outlook for total payment volume, but guidance was largely unchanged.

E-commerce platform Shopify posted 57% growth in revenue in the second quarter as online shopping remained strong.

Package theft is one reason interest in smart parcel lockers is growing among Americans, and as a result, more businesses are looking at installing them.

Bed Bath & Beyond has tapped Ryder to develop and operate regional fulfillment centers for the retailer as it continues to transform its supply chain.

A new research project from Bloomberg Second Measure found that Walmart is barely holding on to its lead in the grocery delivery wars as Instacart and others are quickly making inroads.

Two leading drone associations agree with the NTSB regarding investigation of drone accidents, but they differ on what should trigger those investigations.

Instacart will begin building microfulfillment centers with Fabric robotics to speed order picking in partnership with retailers.

E-commerce shipping company Sendle has reached a deal with GLS to handle last-mile shipments for its e-commerce customers in the Western U.S.

Lyft riders in Miami will be able to choose a self-driving car later this year through an agreement with Ford and autonomous-tech company Argo AI.

Less than six months after announcing a $43 million funding round, headless commerce platform Fabric has announced a $100 million Series B round.

JOKR, a 15-minute delivery platform that launched in New York last month and currently is in 10 cities globally, has raised $170 million in a Series A funding round.

Even as in-store retail sales return, e-commerce continues to grow, showing that 2020’s pandemic-induced spending spree was not a blip, but just a beginning.

Uber will partner with national grocer Albertsons and 1,200 of its stores.

Cleveron has developed a driving test to certify operators of remotely controlled last-mile delivery vehicles.

UP Partners is looking for transformative technology companies that will underpin a society dominated by unmanned aircraft.

Even though there is no indication Tesla is interested in eVTOLs at this time, Morgan Stanley says the company will eventually offer services related to urban air mobility.

Bed Bath & Beyond has added Roadie as a last-mile delivery partner, expanding its network with an additional 200,000 drivers.

Even if last-mile delivery and gig economy companies can find drivers, getting them onboarded and access to key business tools remains problematic.

While most of the focus has been on capacity constraints for ocean containers and truckload freight, e-commerce shippers remain concerned about the impacts on the last mile.

As warehouse automation firm Berkshire Grey prepares for a public stock offering later this month, President Steve Johnson sat down with Modern Shipper to discuss the company’s outlook.

Research firm Cowen issued a positive report on electric vehicle maker Electric Last Mile Systems, citing its experience management and low capital need.

Stripe and Thrive Market are both reportedly eyeing IPOs in two potential blockbuster listings in their segments.

Chinese warehouse automation firm Hai Robotics is reportedly looking for a $150 million raise at a $1.3 billion valuation.

DoorDash’s midyear report on delivery trends found a $2,900 order for perfumes and comfort food and grooming supplies seeing large order growth through the first six months of 2021.

On Sunday, China banned new downloads of Didi’s ride-hailing app, and on Tuesday, the stock dropped more than 23% in response.

OneRail announced its last-mile fulfillment platform is now integrated with and available from SAP’s Commerce Cloud network.

Bringg helped U.K. retailer Co-op scale its e-commerce business from 30 stores to over 800 in a year’s time — and do so in a more environmentally friendly way.

Warehouse automation company Geek+ announced it has sold 20,000 autonomous mobile robotics solutions around the world.

Zebra Technologies will acquire Fetch Robotics for $290 million, adding warehouse automation tools to its portfolio.

Headless commerce company Shogun has raised $67.5 million to scale its solution and speed the go-to-market process.

Two Oregon delivery providers have terminated their contract with Amazon, but the e-tailer has countered and said the companies wanted $36 million to continue servicing the contract.

As drone delivery services ramp up, the time is quickly approaching when warehouses will need to adjust their operations to accommodate single-package loading.

Last-mile delivery management company Onfleet said its software has now helped facilitate more than 100 million deliveries.

ShipBob has secured a $200 million Series E round, valuing the cloud-based logistics platform at over $1 billion.

Electric Last Mile Systems went public through a SPAC merger on Monday, with its stock initially jumping about 10% before sliding as the morning trading session wore on.

Last-mile delivery firm AxleHire has added a sortation center in Chicago, where it will start making deliveries using its expanding transportation network.

Sendle is known for offering e-commerce sellers flat-rate shipping options, and now it has an additional $35 million to accelerate expansion of its network.

Chinese ride-hailing company Didi has filed for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, but some analysts are already questioning the long-term value of the stock.

Afterpay, a buy-now, pay-later provider, has inked deals with 13 major retailers representing nearly half of all e-commerce purchases.

Surefront has introduced an end-to-end product lifecycle management tool that connects all steps in the product development and go-to-market process in a single virtual environment.

The parent company of Saks OFF 5TH, the discount designer retailer, will spin off its e-commerce business in a new entity with fresh funding from Insight Partners.

As shippers work to fulfill the orders from Prime Day, there are many lessons that can be gleaned to improve the overall customer experience.

In the apparel world where trying on clothes is so vital to sales, the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges. Iconic brand Levi used the pandemic to accelerate digitization in its supply chain, and it paid immediate dividends.

Security firm ADT has introduced free apps that allow rideshare and delivery drivers as well as passengers to connect discreetly with emergency services when they feel at risk.

Electric vehicle manufacturer ELMS will debut a prototype of its Class 3 cargo van at the FedEx contractors event at the end of July.

Berkshire Grey has released its next generation of warehouse robots that it said will speed fulfillment time for retailers.

Uber will acquire the remaining 47% of on-demand grocer Cornershop that it doesn’t already own, the company said in an SEC filing.

Even as sellers expect higher sales on Amazon Prime Day, there are worries about getting inventory, finding places to store it and shipping it to the customer.

Gopuff users will now be delivered advertising through Skai, an ad platform for retailers.

Walmart has made an investment in DroneUp as it plans to begin making drone deliveries from a Bentonville, Arkansas, store this summer.

GoFor has named Ian Gardner CEO. He takes over from company founder Brad Rollo, who is scaling back duties for health reasons.

Seattle, along with the Urban Freight Lab and business partners, will pilot zero-emission delivery zones in the city.

Each day, 1.7 million packages are stolen off porches, yet businesses and consumers are not investing in theft-protection security.

Commerce Signals has launched a targeted marketing tool that it said improves the chance a marketing campaign will reach the right consumer to 90%.

Last-mile delivery and fulfillment platform Bringg announced a $100 million Series E funding round, reaching rarefied air as a unicorn company.

“Our goal with this partnership is to alleviate the task of high cost and difficult deliveries from everyday delivery drivers,” a Nuro spokesperson said about FedEx testing the company’s autonomous delivery robot.

A majority of businesses plan to maintain online buying processes put in place during COVID-19 even after the pandemic subsides, according to an Amazon Business survey.

E-commerce management company Whitebox has released Omnifi, a single platform that connects e-commerce brands’ marketing, sales and logistics channels.

SaaS platform company Cleo, which specializes in the integration of B2B enterprise data and saw rapid growth in 2020 due to e-commerce, received a strategic investment from H.I.G. Capital.