The push to deliver items to the consumer faster is hampering efforts to create a more sustainable supply chain.
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi has filed paperwork with the SEC for an IPO on a major U.S. stock exchange.
After a slow start, Morgan Stanley sees the urban air mobility market quickly accelerating after the year 2040, growing from a $1.5 trillion market size to more than $9 trillion in 10 years.
E-commerce technology company Stackline announced a $130 million investment from TA Associates to fund additional technology development.
According to reports in local media, Kroger and Drone Express officially kicked off their drone delivery pilot program in Centerville, Ohio, Wednesday.
A report said that Walmart-owned Flipkart is close to securing $3 billion in new funding as the Indian e-commerce giant explores a possible IPO.
Pinterest has launched new shopping features as it looks to further engage users in e-commerce.
Rideshare drivers sometimes need a cash advance to cover short-term expenses, but traditional banks offer few options. COVERR hopes to bridge that gap.
Final-mile delivery technology company OneRail announced it has added more than 1 million drivers to its network, giving shippers access to more last-mile capacity.
Conflicting surveys continue to cloud the picture on the best approach to employment status for gig workers, leaving legislators, companies and drivers in a state of uncertainty.
JOKR launches in New York City Thursday with the promise of 15-minute grocery delivery.
Pitney Bowes has added ParcelPoint Smart Lockers to its parcel locker portfolio, providing a secure, technology-enabled solution for enterprises.
When COVID-19 shut down gyms across the country, equipment maker Aviron needed to pivot to the home fitness market. It needed a logistics partner that could handle the difficult last mile. It found one in GlobalTranz.
Circle, which offers cryptocurrency-based payments for internet transactions, raised $440 million and is eyeing a potential SPAC deal.
CtW Investment Group is asking DoorDash shareholders to vote against the reelection of co-founder Tony Xu to the board of directors, saying more oversight is needed.
Warehouse robotics firm Exotec announced footwear retailer Ariat and the world’s largest sporting goods retailer Decathlon will deploy its Skypod warehouse robotics system.
E-commerce logistics company ShipBob is now able to fulfill two-day shipping for sellers using the Walmart Marketplace.
In an investment note this week, Mizuho Securities USA indicated it believes the Biden administration is more likely to issue guidance on gig worker classification rather than a formal rule.
Uber is reportedly close to a deal with GMB, a U.K.-based labor union, to provide representation for rideshare drivers as it works to comply with a recent U.K. Supreme Court decision saying drivers were entitled to minimum wage.
A survey from SOTI has found transportation and logistics companies trying to keep up with the e-commerce demand continue to face technology integration issues, costing them several days per month per employee in productivity.
The FAA has approved a request from Flytrex to expand its drone delivery pilot program in North Carolina to include delivery to customers’ yards.
As more brands roll out next-day and same-day grocery delivery, the long-term profitability of these programs depends on innovation that can drive down cost and increase flexibility.
Skycart, a San Francisco-area drone startup, announced its Nimbus drone is capable of making four separate deliveries on a single flight.
Even as brands turn to more digital tools to engage with customers, many are finding success with a more traditional item — catalogs.
Amazon confirmed its annual Prime Day event will be held in Q2 (likely June), as it seeks to improve on a record Q2 2020, when revenue grew 40%. But there’s also major supply chain reasoning behind the decision.
The California Air Resources Board has voted to require rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft to conduct 90% of all rides in electric vehicles by 2030.
Like the rest of the economy, gig economy companies are struggling to find drivers, and that could have a negative impact on the growth opportunity for the industry moving forward.
Oklahoma has passed a law that would remove delivery services such as Amazon Flex drivers from compliance with state trucking regulations.
More manufacturers are looking into digital sales and marketing channels as their customers increasingly move online.
Arrival, which has a large electric van order from UPS, has selected HERE Technologies to provide turn-by-turn navigation and a location visibility platform for vehicles.
The Kansas City region, with its centralized location, is becoming a prime area for commercial warehouse space, with KC Smartport expecting 15 million square feet to become available in 2021.
Fidelity had led a $360 million private funding round into BETA Technologies to speed development of small electric aircraft for passenger and cargo usage.
AT&T and Sony have teamed up for a new shipping label that activates sensors to track and monitor packages as they travel throughout the supply chain.
Ondas Holdings is acquiring American Robotics with the expectation that it can incorporate the drone company’s data-collecting capabilities into its platform for industry verticals.
Today there are two types of manufacturers: old school and new school. Which one you are will help decide the future of your business.
To help highlight its appeal to small and midsized shippers, Sendle is offering a special $1 flat rate shipping charge next week between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PDT.
Investors sent DoorDash stock soaring on Friday after the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings in Q1 and raised its guidance for full-year 2021.
DoorDash reported a 198% increase in Q1 revenue compared to Q1 2020, and a 219% increase in orders, although it still posted a negative 34-cent EPS.
PayPal is acquiring Happy Returns, a firm dedicated to improving the returns process for e-commerce orders.
Startup Curri is trying to apply gig economy principles to the building and materials industries. Its founders answered Modern Shipper’s questions.
Ghost kitchen operator C3 is bringing its dining brands to brick-and-mortar locations with the launch of Citizens, a hybrid dining option offering in-person as well as pickup and delivery services.
Hypower Lab said its hydrogen fuel cell can power drones for more than three hours, increasing flight time and utility.
The use of legacy technology and the lack of real-time visibility continue to impact the ability of last-mile delivery providers to increase business, according to a Bringg report.
Rite Aid is adding same-day delivery of more than 24,000 items through DoorDash, joining competitors Walgreens and CVS in offering the service.
Sonic+ believes its super app is the key to lowering food costs and waste by connecting consumers directly with wholesalers.
Vendoo’s technology allows resellers to list items on multiple marketplaces like eBay, The Real Real and Poshmark while streamlining the listing process.
While many restaurants are getting into the ghost kitchen craze, a New York City company, WoodSpoon, believes the best meals come from a home kitchen.
An improving economy and a $170 million investment in Bitcoin drove payment provider Square’s revenue up 266% and profits up 79%.
While some organizations blasted the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw a rule on employee classification, executives from Lyft and Uber have struck measured tones.
Wayfair said its active customer base grew 57.1% in the past year, and those customers are ordering more items, leading to a nearly 50% increase in Q1 revenue.
PayPal reported its “strongest first-quarter results” in company history on Wednesday, posting $6.03 billion in revenue and a 46% increase in total payment volume.
There is a small window for new loans to underserved communities, but after spending of about $800 billion, the cupboard is bare.
In 2017, Lyft launched its Level 5 division, which would focus on developing an autonomous vehicle. Last month, the company pivoted away from that, selling the division, although it still harbors visions of Lyft riders in autonomous vehicles.
Foodetective has raised $2 million in seed funding to help it expand its multichannel restaurant commerce platform to new markets, including the United States.
Lyft reported a narrower loss in its Q1 earnings as riders began returning to the platform.
Former PayPal executive John Lunn has returned to payments with Gr4vy, which has landed an $11.1 million Series A funding round.
Electric vehicle startup Arrival announced it would build a ride-hailing specific electric car for Uber to use in the U.K. and Europe. Separately, Uber said it will now deliver everyday essential items to customers from Gopuff in the U.S.
Ware2Go, which offers shipping to merchants of all sizes with a specialization in e-commerce, will automatically purchase carbon offsets through Pachama for its customers.
Manufacturing’s traditional selling processes are broken. Our next chapter requires a savvy digital approach backed by a deep understanding of buyer expectations. In turn, this empowers manufacturers to focus on what they do best – building amazing products.
Amazon’s Prime offering, with its shipment tracking and fast delivery, continues to add pressure to other retailers to match the service. Technology can help up their shipment games, making for happier and returning customers.
As more commerce moves online, some businesses are struggling with payment options, especially in cases where credit cards may not be accepted. That is giving rise to alternative payment processes.
Manna, a drone-as-a-service company based in Ireland, has secured $25 million in funding to fuel its research and development as it plans for production of delivery drones by 2023.
Seattle-based Minnow Technologies has secured $3 million to fund production of its Pickup Pod, a contactless food delivery station.
In what is expected to be its final earnings report as a stand-alone company, Grubhub reported 52% growth in revenue, but said restaurant fee caps hurt its bottom line, resulting in a quarterly loss.
Wing, which has been testing drone delivery in Virginia, has requested an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration guidelines that would allow it to operate drones remotely rather than from a central command station.
Payments provider Stripe is acquiring TaxJar and plans to incorporate its sales tax technology into its business platforms.
Shopify reported Q1 2021 earnings that nearly equaled Q4 2020 and accelerated 110% over Q1 2019, but it also said that the growth rate should slow throughout the remainder of the year.
DoorDash has faced criticism over its pricing as communities rallied in support of local restaurants. The company is now rolling out new pricing plans to address these concerns.
Just months after launching its Key In-Garage Grocery Delivery, Amazon is expanding the service to more than 5,000 U.S. cities and towns.
FlavorCloud has secured $6.3 million in funding to help expand its global presence as it works to build a seamless global e-commerce logistics network.
Woven Planet, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp., has agreed to acquire the self-driving vehicle business Level 5 from Lyft.
The best-in-class retailers are aggressively pursuing logistical control over their products while trying to avoid patchwork responses to final-mile delivery.
As more shoppers turn to e-commerce, cybercriminals are taking advantage of lax security measures to target online fraud.
Even as customers returned to its dining rooms in the first quarter, Chipotle said its digital sales accelerated more than 130%.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed an internet sales tax bill, requiring e-commerce sellers to collect a 6% sales tax on any sale to a Florida resident.
AfterShip, an e-commerce tracking and post-purchase solutions company, has secured a $66 million Series B investment round, bringing its total funding to $69 million.
Affirm Holdings, which specializes in “buy now, pay later” solutions, has acquired leading e-commerce returns provider Returnly.
In 2020, Amazon nearly doubled: its workforce, its number of facilities and its logistics square footage. In 2021, it plans to double its truckload fleet.
Misfits Market’s business has boomed as more consumers shift to online grocery shopping, and now it has achieved a valuation of over $1 billion following a new $200 million funding round.
Onfleet announced a carbon offset program that will see it partner with its customers to contribute $8 per metric ton of carbon dioxide generated through delivery operations to reforestation and old forest protection programs.
E-commerce fulfillment company ShipBob has partnered with data-driven carbon marketplace Pachama to offer brands a carbon-neutral shipping option.
AgEagle, a leading U.S.-based drone provider, has acquired Measure Global, a provider of software that helps drone operators manage their fleets.
Uber Eats announced it will enter the German market as it looks to take on food delivery service Just Eat Takeaway.com across Europe.
Delivery and fulfillment platform Bringg has introduced BringgGreen Sustainability Tech Practice, a suite of tools to help retailers reduce their carbon footprint through more sustainable last-mile delivery practices.
PayPal has enabled the ability for customers on Venmo to buy and sell cryptocurrencies within the app.
Two Democratic senators have introduced a bill that would offer gig workers a $250 unemployment benefit as part of an overhaul of unemployment insurance.
Nathan’s Famous, known for its New York hot dogs, is partnering with Ghost Kitchen Brands to open up to 150 nontraditional food locations offering takeout and third-party delivery by 2022.
Supply chain disruptions like the Suez Canal blockage are forcing brands to a new approach to the supply chain, including ordering more product earlier.
Amazon will begin testing in-home setup of furniture and appliances.
Cleveron has introduced a self-driving delivery vehicle that has flexible body options, allowing retailers to customize it for their needs.
IKEA Canada and its last-mile delivery partner Second Closet will purchase all-electric trucks from Lion Electric to be used for home deliveries.
French robotics company Exotec has embarked on a pilot run with the Gap in North America, testing its Skypod robots to handle e-commerce returns management.
Ghost kitchens have been a COVID-19 success story, and now one is set to go public, giving investors a chance to weigh in on the trend and its potential for future success.
Online grocer Farmstead is now offering delivery through DoorDash as it seeks a larger share of the e-commerce market.
A U.K. laundry services company that already utilizes an app for on-demand pickup and delivery of dirty laundry has now launched Laundry Drone to make that same pickup or drop-off via drone.
Domino’s is partnering with self-driving vehicle company Nuro to schedule pizza delivery for select customers in Houston with Nuro’s R2 robot vehicle.
Singapore-based Grab has finalized a SPAC merger with Altimeter Growth Corp. that will value it at $39.5 billion upon its public debut.
As legal and legislative battles pop up around the country over worker misclassification, a new lawsuit is seeking to restore a Trump-era rule that could decide the future of gig employees.
Many shippers of fast-moving goods and consumer products saw increased sales during the pandemic, but many still suffer from a lack of supply chain efficiency. Locus has introduced an AI-powered tool, NodelQ, that helps optimize the supply chain.
Amazon has started requiring third-party sellers to meet more stringent Prime shipping promises, and that is forcing changes to the supply chain.
