e-commerce

DHL Express is constantly investing in its network, but the growth of e-commerce is accelerating expansion of its operations.

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.

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

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

Kendra Phillips from Ryder System Inc. discusses on Wednesday how her company is embracing technology.

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.

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.

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.

Passenger airlines are going crazy for cargo. WestJet is following the lead of Canadian rival Air Canada in starting a dedicated freighter business to capitalize on strong air cargo demand.

ShipHero’s SaaS and e-comm 3PL businesses complement each other.

Another nail in the coffin in the company’s relationship with its largest customers?

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.

The company will add Missouri, Illinois and Kansas and deepen coverage in Louisiana and Arkansas, effective in early September.

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.

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

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.

The push to deliver items to the consumer faster is hampering efforts to create a more sustainable supply chain.

Trips that once took three to four weeks are often taking three to four months, and shipments will undoubtedly miss their season for some retailers.

E-commerce technology company Stackline announced a $130 million investment from TA Associates to fund additional technology development.

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.

FedEx remains inundated with elevated parcel volume stemming from continued online shopping resulting in longer delivery times, service blunders and upset customers.

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.

Ralph Lauren, with this offering, won’t generate the scale needed to make the model work at this price.

Warehouse robotics firm Exotec announced footwear retailer Ariat and the world’s largest sporting goods retailer Decathlon will deploy its Skypod warehouse robotics system.

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?

E-commerce logistics company ShipBob is now able to fulfill two-day shipping for sellers using the Walmart Marketplace.

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.

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.

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 headlines are touting Target’s store fulfillment numbers, but Home Depot’s right behind, fulfilling 55% of online orders from stores. This is particularly advantageous for Home Depot, which sells goods that are more often heavier and bulkier than its retail counterparts.

The best-in-class retailers navigated well, and managed to grow inventory considerably in the first months of the year.

This is an excerpt from Monday’s (5/13) Point of Sale retail supply chain newsletter sponsored by ArcBest. There’s a startup that was first created to deliver essentials to college kids but is quietly […]

Consumers reversion to services has not come at the detriment of durable goods spending. Over the past four weeks, the mix of durable goods-to-services spending has remained stable.

In addition to improving margins and boosting brand image, cutting ties with retailers simplifies Under Armour’s supply chain at a time when its needed most.

“We have added the ability to have an app-based experience versus an online website to manage your back room and that kind of innovation is a big reason why our retail customers have been working with us.”

More manufacturers are looking into digital sales and marketing channels as their customers increasingly move online.

The company’s pickup and delivery revenue jumps; about 95% of sales were fulfilled from stores

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.

Major e-commerce growth led DHL Express to change aircraft and routes in Southeast Asia for package delivery.

The retail giant clobbers its first-quarter fiscal 2022 estimates, while its chairman says the company is more optimistic about 2021 than it was at the start of the year.

Amazon planes are shuttling between more than 40 airports in the U.S. That translates into faster e-commerce deliveries by eliminating trucks.

PayPal is acquiring Happy Returns, a firm dedicated to improving the returns process for e-commerce orders.

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.

Sonic+ believes its super app is the key to lowering food costs and waste by connecting consumers directly with wholesalers.

Aeroméxico Cargo inaugurates twice weekly direct cargo route between Mexico City and Wuhan, China.

Vendoo’s technology allows resellers to list items on multiple marketplaces like eBay, The Real Real and Poshmark while streamlining the listing process.

Airbus is competing not only against Boeing to sell small converted freighters, but it now has a new U.S. competitor in retrofitting A321s.

Growing e-commerce sales of large and bulky items is creating a logistics headache for items that must be returned. It is why retailers need to have a reverse logistics process in place.

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.

Aircraft conversion houses tear apart passenger aircraft, then reinforce the walls and floor so they can handle heavy cargo on the main deck. Business is growing along with trade.

Purolator is considered the FedEx or UPS of Canada. The express delivery company has hired an airline to help it move more packages between the U.S. and Canada.

The German company posts record first-quarter profits and substantially raises full-year earnings and cash flow targets.

Cargojet wants a bigger slice of the U.S. e-commerce and heavy air cargo market. It’s looking for an investment opportunity and has identified new trends in e-commerce that will keep volumes high in North America.

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.

The biggest changes Bed Bath & Beyond must make are in the supply chain, which has been referred to as “noncompetitive” by management.

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.

Seattle-based Minnow Technologies has secured $3 million to fund production of its Pickup Pod, a contactless food delivery station.

You may not have heard of Cainiao, but you know parent company Alibaba is the Amazon of China. Cainiao is powering Alibaba’s logistics and recently arranged air transport from Singapore to duty-free shops in China.

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.

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.

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.

Companies need to think outside the box in order to meet consumer demand despite crowded ports and constrained capacity. Mobile warehousing and storage offers an affordable solution.

E-commerce fulfillment company ShipBob has partnered with data-driven carbon marketplace Pachama to offer brands a carbon-neutral shipping option.

PayPal has enabled the ability for customers on Venmo to buy and sell cryptocurrencies within the app.

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.

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.

TuSimple will focus on perfecting its core autonomous trucking technology on the middle mile while it relies on partners for other aspects of the technology and services required.

Amazon has started requiring third-party sellers to meet more stringent Prime shipping promises, and that is forcing changes to the supply chain.

DHL Express has added two large freighters to its fleet to bolster service between the Asia-Pacific and the U.S. and Europe, in response to “exponential” growth in shipment volume. The […]

“On-the-way” delivery service Roadie saw growth exceed 4x in 2020 as retailers shifted to same-day delivery of online orders, and founder and CEO Marc Gorlin says there is no going back for the retail industry.

Instacart did an analysis of its platform’s users and found some surprises regarding how many people and who exactly was shopping for groceries online in 2020.

Global logistics provider Pilot Freight Services has acquired DSI Logistics, a last-mile heavy goods specialty provider.

Having proved it could achieve 100% offsetting of CO2 emissions from Expedited Max in 2020, DHL eCommerce Solutions is officially declaring its service with the highest carbon footprint as carbon-neutral moving forward.

The growth in e-commerce coincided with an increase in cybercriminals attacking payment systems in 2020, with 50% more cyberattacks attempted in 2020 than in 2019, a new report said.

As more millennials enter the workforce and the global economy deals with COVID-related work-from-home trends, more business e-commerce transactions have moved online.

Crafts retailer Michaels is adding same-day delivery through Instacart from more than 100 stores as more consumers order materials for projects online.

Amazon Air has hired Canadian all-cargo carrier Cargojet to provide crews, maintenance and insurance for two aircraft it plans to use to move e-commerce parcels.