In order to keep up with major players UPS and FedEx in a hyper-competitive delivery market, the U.S. Postal Service is seeing a parcel-based future, including expansion of its grocery delivery business.

E-commerce and globalization have changed the parcel delivery industry forever. However, while parcel volumes keep increasing so does the price of fuel, competition and pressure to reduce inner-city congestion.

Russia has become the it girl of e-commerce. Even amid a slowing economy, the country's online shopping increased 26 percent last year, to 510 billion rubles (about $14bn), according to Moscow's Data Insight, and could double by 2015. That has made the country an intriguing target for foreign players such as Amazon, eBay, Asos and China's Alibaba Group, while boosting the fortunes of such local companies as search engine Yandex and Amazon-like Ozon. Can foreign e-tailers make it there?

Online shoppers often abandon their carts when they see the cost of shipping, a response that has led many online sellers to offer shipping for free or a low, flat-rate.