California-based drone manufacturer, Matternet, plus DHL's "parcelcopter" prototype unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), both plan to begin testing their airworthiness with actual payloads in the next two months.
In time for the holiday season, UPS is rolling out to 100 cities a program that requires people in some neighborhoods to fetch packages at nearby locations -- such as a druggist or dry cleaner -- if they weren't home to meet a driver.
For retailers who want to remain competitive in this shop-anytime-anywhere world, omnichannel fulfillment strategies must be done right, and done quickly. Significant new demands have been placed on retailers' supply chains. In omnichannel fulfillment, all the resources of the supply chain are focused on transparently serving a single shopper who has placed a single order.
Widespread delays to Christmas deliveries made headlines over the holiday season. But while carriers like UPS and even FedEx were quick to apologize, a new study suggests they may be shouldering a disproportionate amount of the blame. Kurt Salmon found that the majority of delays experienced in their analysis of holiday shipping and delivery dates were the fault of retailers, not carriers.
Amazon's announcement of Sunday delivery effectively turned the traditional e-commerce world upside down. It truly is a game-changer, not only for online retailers but also for brick-and-mortar stores that are battling for their share of sales this holiday season.
