E-Commerce/Omni-Channel

A Supply Network for the Amazon Age

February 24, 2017

The biggest companies by market capitalization 15 years ago were deeply rooted in the physical world. No. 3 Exxon sold you the gasoline to drive to no. 5 Walmart back in 2001. Even Microsoft, the no. 2 company, dealt largely in the OS and software for your notebook or desktop PC.

Container Shipping Lines Sign Up With Alibaba to Offer Online Booking

February 22, 2017

The New York Times

Two container shipping lines, France's CMA CGM and Israel's Zim, have signed up with Alibaba to allow customers to book space on their vessels through the Chinese e-commerce giant, in a bid to boost sales as the sector battles a severe downturn.

E-Commerce Spending Grew 18 Percent to $109Bn Last Quarter

February 22, 2017

MultiChannel Merchant

For Q4 2016, $109.3bn was spent online - marking an 18-percent increase versus the same quarter in 2015 - according to comScore's report on U.S. retail e-commerce spending from desktop computers and mobile devices.

E-Commerce Drives Booming Canadian Warehouse Market

February 17, 2017

MultiChannel Merchant

Canada's largest multi-tenant industrial landlord sees its future growth prospects in e-commerce, according to a report in Bloomberg.

Prime Vision to Offer RFID-Enabled Packaging System

February 15, 2017

RFID Journal

Electronics manufacturer Thin Film Electronics ASA (Thinfilm) and Dutch logistics solutions provider Prime Vision are teaming up to develop an RFID-enabled smart packaging system. Prime Vision is utilizing Thinfilm's OpenSense and SpeedTap Near Field Communication (NFC) tags as it develops its new solution.

Fedex Fulfillment to Challenge Amazon for SME E-Commerce Services

February 14, 2017

Air Cargo World

FedEx Supply Chain has announced the launch of FedEx Fulfillment, a service designed to meet the shipping needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to challenge to Amazon's dominance of the e-commerce sector, the company says. FedEx Fulfillment delivers orders across multiple channels, including websites and online marketplaces, and manages inventory for participating retailers.

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.

Cross-Border Retail Volumes to Increase to $900Bn by 2020, Research Says

February 9, 2017

Apparel

DHL Express has published research highlighting growth opportunity for retailers and manufacturers with an international online product offering. The report, "The 21st Century Spice Trade: A Guide to the Cross-Border E-Commerce Opportunity," looks at the markets and products that offer the highest growth potential, the motivations and preferences of customers making international online purchases and the success factors for online retailers that wish to expand overseas.

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.

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.