Parcel & Express

Grocery Heavyweights Expand Delivery Services

March 15, 2017

Big food retailers are expanding grocery delivery services, hoping to dissuade customers from defecting to online rivals.

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Autonomous Robots Promise Economic Delivery Options

March 10, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The decades-old practice of a delivery truck dropping off a package at a home or business occurs millions of times daily across the globe. But new ways to cover last-mile delivery - such as drones, self-navigating parcel robots and underground vehicles/tunnels - are providing a glimpse into what tomorrow's last-mile delivery options might look like. Here are three technologies that carry the potential to transform the local delivery of direct-to-consumer orders. – John Johnson, senior content specialist, Gartner

DHL Pilots Carbon-Neutral Bike Deliveries

March 8, 2017

Air Cargo World

DHL Express is piloting a cargo bicycle program for inner-city deliveries. The bikes, called 'DHL Cubicycles' are customized, four-wheel bikes that can carry a container with a load of up to 125 kilograms (one cubic meter in volume). The program reduces emissions by minimizing the mileage and time spent on the road by standard delivery vehicles. As e-commerce volumes surge, efforts to minimize the industry's high carbon footprint are increasingly important.

Wal-Mart's Online Sales Jump as It Competes Against Amazon

February 27, 2017

Los Angeles Times

The nation's largest retailer keeps working to make headway against the largest online seller.

UPS Tests Drone Deliveries, Eyes Future Price Changes

February 27, 2017

The New York Times

Package delivery company United Parcel Service Inc says it will consider raising prices across the board in coming years to offset pressure on margins, particularly from the rising costs of delivering packages to e-commerce customers.

Postal Service Says It Lost $200M Over Holiday Season

February 22, 2017

Los Angeles Times

The U.S. Postal Service says it lost $200m during the year-end holiday season, despite a strong quarter of package shipping and expanded use of vote-by-mail in the November presidential election.

40 Percent of Shoppers Want Same-Day Delivery, Study Says

February 14, 2017

MultiChannel Merchant

The availability of same-day delivery is still catching up with demand as retailers seek new ways to combat Amazon, according to a new study from L2 on the omnichannel fulfillment landscape and customer expectations. This could be an opportunity area for retailers as delivery partners can make same-day a reality across a wider swath of the country than Amazon, which covers 27 U.S. markets at present.

China's E-Commerce Boom Can Be Tour Road for Couriers

February 13, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle

Zhang Heng barged through an exam-room door, surprising a doctor and a patient. He didn't have time to knock. In Zhang's business, every second counts.

Singapore to Expand Green Technology, Intelligent Shipping Systems

February 9, 2017

Maritime Executive

DNV GL and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have signed an MOU to further innovation in intelligent shipping systems. The renewed MOU extends an earlier collaboration for another three years and expands it to now include autonomous technologies, intelligent shipping and data analytics.

Walmart Goes After Amazon With Free 2-Day Shipping

February 9, 2017

MultiChannel Merchant

Firing yet another salvo in its ongoing e-commerce war with Amazon, Walmart is eliminating its fee-based ShippingPass program less than a year after it was created to counter to Amazon Prime, instead offering free two-day shipping on 2 million items at a $35 order threshold.

Parcel & Express

The latest news, analysis, services and systems regarding express and small shipments and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are transporting and delivering perishables and manufactured goods in a more timely and efficient manner than ever before thanks, in part, to the boom in e-commerce. New technologies that provide information during express and small shipments are transforming the way companies do business - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these cargo services continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies are using express shipping solutions to power their supply chains.