The online grocery delivery business seems to get more crowded - and more competitive - by the minute. Tech giants Google and Amazon.com are offering it in some major cities, and so are upstarts such as Instacart, Postmates and FreshDirect. These newcomers are battling with more established businesses such as Peapod, which has been delivering groceries for more than 20 years, and services from companies such as Wal-Mart that allow customers to place orders online and pick them up at a nearby store.
Instacart, the fast-growing online grocery delivery start-up that can get groceries to your doorstep within an hour, is growing some more. The three-year-old company just announced it has raised $220m in a funding round led by the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
A truck-based "rolling warehouse" helps the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the country.
To meet the challenge of Amazon.com and other e-commerce rivals, the parent of Sears, Roebuck and Kmart launches an initiative to provide one- to two-day delivery of orders to online shoppers nationwide, drawing on inventory from strategically located stores.
Innovation of the Year: Disruptive technology products must get to market faster than ever, and a product innovation center at Flextronics reconfigures the supply chain to do just that.
Runner-up: Sears Holdings Corp.
Finalists: Intel, Fast Logistics, Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council
Getting your finished goods to customers damage-free is key, but it never hurts the bottom line to do that cost effectively and in an environmentally friendly manner. Intel accomplished all of that by changing how it packaged its products.
Late or inaccurate deliveries greatly impact consumers' future decisions to shop with a retailer online, by phone or in the store, according to a Voxware study of 500 consumers.
With the meteoric rise of both e-commerce and express shipping across China, a distribution relationship between Alibaba and SF Express seems to be a natural fit. However, with SF Express recently showing interest in developing its own e-commerce businesses, Alibaba may consider SF Express as more of a competitor, making China Postal Airlines a more comfortable distribution option.
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.
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