Modern Shipper covers the gig economy, including same-day, on-demand, and last-mile delivery jobs and services. Readers will find current news on gig economy companies, gig economy workers, gig economy data and trends. In addition, Modern Shipper focuses on e-commerce, e-commerce platforms and companies, and e-commerce services and technologies.
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.
Bringg and GoFor join forces to expand delivery capacity, coverage and customer satisfaction.
Direct-to-consumer alcoholic beverage service is on the rise.
DHL Express is constantly investing in its network, but the growth of e-commerce is accelerating expansion of its operations.
“The rapidly legalizing cannabis market will be one of the first entirely new regulated supply chains to be built after the invention of the internet.”
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.
Kroger Co. continues to bring intelligent automation to its warehouses.
Digital retailers are partnering with SaaS companies that are employing an emergent new service model: secure access service edge
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.
The pandemic is still creating big swings in data, according to the Council of Economic Advisers, which urges caution in making big interpretations.
Warehouse automation company Geek+ announced it has sold 20,000 autonomous mobile robotics solutions around the world.
Experts say disruption to the supply chain caused by the coronavirus crisis has been challenging for manufacturers of all sizes, particularly smaller companies.
The company’s mission is to create the first logistics company that serves all humans equally.
Zebra Technologies will acquire Fetch Robotics for $290 million, adding warehouse automation tools to its portfolio.
Attorneys general are urging the Postal Regulatory Commission to order the agency to abandon its multiyear focus on parcels until mail delivery problems are resolved.
The Black Swan drone is coming and it can carry more than a toothbrush from Walgreens. Dronamics is working to set up droneports all over Europe for fast delivery.
Upfront costs are reduced in the Robots-as-a-Service model.
Covenant believes government incentives are vital in helping the trucking industry meet zero-emission goals.
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.
The Airbus A321 is the new kid on the block when it comes to cargo aircraft. Engineering companies take retired passenger planes and transform them into planes that can carry lots of cargo.
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.
Greater package volumes are dictating FedEx’s purchase of 20 more cargo jets.
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.
The union’s declaration establishes the `Amazon Project,’ with the long-term goal of creating a division to organize company workers.
Amazon warns that third-party sellers and customers would be harmed if the company were forced to divest its logistics operations.
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 32nd version of the venerable report waxes philosophical on why more, not less, logistics spending will be needed.
ShipHero’s SaaS and e-comm 3PL businesses complement each other.
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.
E-commerce fulfillment provider Transportation and Logistics Systems has reached an agreement to acquire SalSon Logistics for $90 million. However, the deal doesn’t yet have financing in place.
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.
“We’re trying to deploy a fleet and do volume deliveries and learn more about that than anybody else in the autonomous space,” says CEO Luke Schneider.
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.
FedEx Freight has more business in some regions than it can manage, so it is freeing up capacity by telling hundreds of customers it won’t pick up their shipments starting Monday, June 14.
Offering speed enables retailers to build scale and density, but only if expectations are appropriately set and delivered on as promised.
Spartacus will acquire the company in a valuation of more than $1B; more than $400M will be plowed back into the business for growth.
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.
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.
The company’s investor day focuses on modest projections for domestic package-delivery margins through 2023.
E-commerce technology company Stackline announced a $130 million investment from TA Associates to fund additional technology development.
Love it or hate it, the regional parcel carrier looks to clean up as e-commerce drives up demand for parcel-delivery services.
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.
Petco leverages its stores to fulfill 83% of online sales. That’s much higher than Target’s %, which has the best omnichannel operation in retail.
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.
Workhorse Group has nothing significant driving its stock price higher, only retail traders seeking to make money if the price falls.
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.
A tale of 2 job reports: Seasonal numbers are closely watched by economists, but the other measurement suggests some success at hiring.
FedEx remains inundated with elevated parcel volume stemming from continued online shopping resulting in longer delivery times, service blunders and upset customers.
JOKR launches in New York City Thursday with the promise of 15-minute grocery delivery.
While the company is already present in Germany, France, the U.K., Canada and Australia, it plans to use these new funds to expand internationally, specifically further into Western Europe.
DHL research released Thursday provides insights for “e-tailers that wish to lead on environmental issues,” said Greg Hewitt, CEO at DHL Express USA.
The Federal Communications Commission is sued over a decision that could affect progress in truck platooning communications.
Pitney Bowes has added ParcelPoint Smart Lockers to its parcel locker portfolio, providing a secure, technology-enabled solution for enterprises.
Cainiao, which means newcomer or beginner in Chinese, is the 8-year-old logistics unit of Alibaba. Besides providing express delivery for packages ordered through Alibaba, it is offering end-to-end logistics services to other companies.
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.
“Robotic process automation is no longer a science experiment. This technology is no longer about figuring out what works. The time to consider whether to automate your warehouses has passed.”
Circle, which offers cryptocurrency-based payments for internet transactions, raised $440 million and is eyeing a potential SPAC deal.
Amazon will store and pre-position supplies for quick release in the event of natural disasters.
The digital freight platform has a big market share in China, is growing its revenue but remains unprofitable.
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.
The injunction blocking AB 5 is still in place for now.
Warehouse robotics firm Exotec announced footwear retailer Ariat and the world’s largest sporting goods retailer Decathlon will deploy its Skypod warehouse robotics system.
Wood is a problem and plastic is expensive; it’s just one more pressure point to worry about in the supply chain.
It seems that centralized buying and local product discovery are polar opposites. How can Whole Foods centralize buying and get better at the local level?
A white paper by TIA and CLDA stresses the need to differentiate from Amazon to succeed in final-mile delivery.
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.
Canada Post says a cyberattack and data breach at an EDI supplier impacted 44 of its major parcel shippers and nearly 1 million of its customers.
Big integrated parcel carriers are constantly adding aircraft to their fleet, but that expansion is going even faster to keep up with e-commerce. DHL Express is even starting an airline in Austria to keep up.
