The USPS has announced plans to begin delivering groceries in the NY metro area, following successful testing in San Francisco, reports Internet Retailer. In a regulatory filing it made earlier this month, the USPS stated its intent to expand it’s Customized Delivery program to NYC and the surrounding areas, totaling 38 zip codes. The program is…
Archives for Industry News
New Robots Aim for Manufacturing Floors
A new generation of robots is about to be unleashed upon the manufacturing world, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Designed to be more collaborative, these robots are meant to work in close quarters with humans, and take on tasks that workers previously found taxing. New levels of dexterity have been reached in…
Walmart’s New Subscription Service
Walmart has rolled out a new loyalty program that offers unlimited free, 3-day shipping on 1 million top-selling products for $50 annually. Positioned as a value-alternative to Prime, Amazon’s free 2-day shipping program which costs $99/year, Walmart does not offer any of the perks associated with Prime membership (video streaming, book lending library, etc.). Additionally…
Uber’s New Delivery Program
TechCrunch reports that Uber is planning on launching a new delivery service for retailers through its drivers and Uber Rush couriers. Sources say there are already 400 retailers in talks with Uber for same-day delivery services, including Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s, and Hugo Boss. This service would be in addition to Uber’s current offerings, which entail…
FoodKeeper App Aims to Reduce Food Waste & Improve Food Safety
Food waste remains a problem, and what better day to highlight new solutions than Earth Day? A new app from Cornell University, FMI, and USDA aims to alleviate food waste by removing the uncertainty about whether or not food is still safe to eat. David Fikes of FMI reports that 20 pounds of food per…
Rockline Industries Wins an Award
Family owned since 1976, Rockline Industries based in Sheboygan, WI wins the Manufacturer of the Year Award for 2014. This was awarded by the Sheboygan County Chamber, who recognized Rockline Industries for their continued commitment to job creation, community investment and growth. In the past three years Rockline has added nearly 250 jobs that have benefited…
Distribution 3.0: The Physical Internet
The below is an excerpt from ES3’s “collaborate.grow.win. how smart devices create smart supply networks” whitepaper. Receive your copy today to understand the impacts of the convergence of the Internet of Things and the Physical Internet on retail’s future state. The Physical Internet provides a global framework for collaboration, enabling scale and cost-savings. Designed to…
Organic is Here to Stay
83% of families purchase organic products, says a new study from the Organic Trade Association (OTA). In the sixth year of the study, this number has climbed 10 percentage points, aligning with the overall increase in consumers’ awareness and trust in the organic seal. The majority of American households have purchased organic at least once;…
Food Industry M&A Picks Up
The Food Industry recorded 503 mergers and acquisitions in 2014, not including the recently announced Kraft and Heinz merger, a 61.7% increase from the previous year. The Heinz/Kraft deal is the biggest on record for the Food Industry, at about $49 billion. Speculation had been ripe for which food company 3G would acquire next, pushing…
Shipping from Store Adds Cost- Lessons from Apparel and Accessories
DSW, the footwear and accessories retailer, shared its experience with omni-channel retailing on a call with analysts yesterday. Discussing fourth-quarter earnings, Mike MacDonald, president and CEO, reported revenue of $640.2 million in the fourth-quarter, $100 million of which was from omni-channel. According to MacDonald, about half of those omni-channel sales are fulfilled from in-store stock….