E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

It Looks Like Amazon Accidentally Leaked When Prime Day 2018 Is

June 22, 2018

Amazon Prime Day, the online retailer’s big summer sale, will start on July 16, according to a banner that appeared briefly on the Amazon U.K. website.

This E-Commerce Start-Up Wants to Save Family Farms. Big Ag Is Fighting Back.

June 21, 2018

Forbes

Mark Gath’s farmhouse in Luverne, Minnesota, sits 30 miles down country roads from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From that base in the heartland, Gath, a sturdy man in boots and a blue shirt, farms more than 10,000 acres of corn and soybeans with the help of his wife, Leah, and sons Dalton and Stetson. Though his farm is larger than average, he feels squeezed by low commodity prices and the rising costs of seeds, pesticides and equipment. “Everyone is scared out here,” he says.

Amazon's No Enemy. In Fact, It Needs Us, U.S. Xpress CEO Says.

June 20, 2018

Material Handling & Logistics

A vague mention of Amazon.com Inc’s interest in any sector might be enough to send investors into a tizzy, but the top executive of U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc. is unperturbed.

As Shipping Costs Soar, Supply Chains Get a Makeover

June 19, 2018

The Wall Street Journal

Retailers and manufacturers are taking stock of their transportation costs and exploring alternatives as a capacity crunch in freight is driving up prices and causing shipping delays.

Google Aims to Rebuild China Presence With $550M Investment in E-Commerce Giant JD

June 19, 2018

Forbes

Google will invest $550m in JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commence companies, as part of a strategic partnership to jointly develop markets outside of the country, the two said in a statement Monday.

Why Retailers Are Struggling With Ship-From-Store Fulfillment

June 18, 2018

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

The age of the omnichannel is all about options. Customers buying online should be able to receive their purchases in any way they choose — at home, work, a designated retrieval point, or direct from the store. Or so goes the theory.

Delivery: The Last Face-to-Face Touch Point for Brands in a Digital World?

June 15, 2018

Jeff Hughes and Charles Schreiner

Consumer preferences are shifting. More and more, shoppers are favoring the convenience of online shopping over the in-store experience. As retail tilts more toward online sales, delivery becomes one of the few remaining face-to-face touch points with end customers.

Google Gets Into Groceries by Partnering With France's Carrefour for Online Food Delivery

June 14, 2018

Fortune

As online ordering and fresh food delivery expands around the globe, Google is angling for a stake. The Alphabet subsidiary announced a joint venture this week with French chain Carrefour, making it the first retailer in France to partner with Google.

What Americans Say About Online Shopping Reveals A Lot About Amazon

June 14, 2018

NPR

On a cold December night last year, a meeting was called in the lobby of my apartment building. Concerned residents gathered to discuss a matter of great import: what to do about the swarms of packages jamming the lobby closet and overflowing into the entryway.

Oscar, Marcus, Casper, Cora: Companies Are Using Human Names to Seem More Friendly

June 13, 2018

Los Angeles Times

“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Though Dale Carnegie was talking about nurturing relationships, a lot of startups these days are incorporating his observation into branding strategy.

E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the e-commerce/omnichannel industry — which consists of companies engaged in internet retailing, including those with auxiliary brick-and-mortar stores. Learn how e-commerce/omnichannel companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.