Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to see a final surge and set a new monthly record in October as the holiday season approaches, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Very few companies - a mere five percent - believe they are "advanced" when it comes to omnichannel capabilities, and between 35 percent and 40 percent believe they're lagging, according to the third annual Retail Insight report from SPS Commerce.

Amazon reportedly will open a brick-and-mortar shop in Midtown Manhattan in time for the holiday shopping season and that it will be a place for customers to return products, make exchanges or pick up their online orders.

Steadily improving economic fundamentals should moderately boost holiday sales in the stores and online this year, according to Deloitte's annual holiday sales forecast.

Global e-commerce platform Alibaba recently made headlines with its record-setting New York initial public offering, the largest ever in the United States. The company's aggressive growth aspirations are rooted in the success it has seen in its home country of China, where it is one of the biggest retail players. Alibaba is the Amazon of the Chinese marketplace without equal competition. But how will the company fare in its expansion in the U.S.?

European retailers are increasingly adopting multi-carrier delivery strategies in response to the growing importance of delivery as the final and most critical mile in the consumer journey, according to a Forrester Research survey conducted for MetaPack Group, which provides ecommerce and multichannel delivery technology to retailers.

Newgistics, which provides end-to-end e-commerce solutions for retailers and brands, announced the international expansion of its parcel delivery and return services. This new offering helps to reduce the costs of cross-border delivery and make it easier for U.S. retailers to access and begin selling into the largest markets overseas, including the U.K., Europe, Asia, Australia, Russia, China and South America.

While numerous retailers have collected years of customer data, only 9 percent are leveraging the information in a structured, usable way, according to HRC Advisory (HRC), a strategic retail advisory firm and unit of Hilco Global.

A hot topic among retailers, customers and logistics professionals alike for years, omnichannel fulfillment is finally here. Whether shopping in person, buying online and picking up in store, or having merchandise sent directly to them, customers expect access to the same inventory.