Shipping
August 11, 2021 at 6:35 pm
The U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday it wants to raise the rates for sending packages during the holiday season, saying the increases would cover the anticipated heightened package and shipping demand, which typically brings extra handling costs for the agency. If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the new rates would be in effect from…
August 4, 2021 at 5:08 pm
Consumers today are becoming less patient with shipping times by the minute, with many expecting packages to show up at their doorstep at lightning speed. Approximately 56 percent of millennials expect same-day delivery, and 26 percent of U.S. online shoppers abandon their carts when shipping times are too long. To accommodate this consumer shift, two-thirds…
August 2, 2021 at 8:03 pm
The past year has been an exercise in adaptability and agility for retailers across the globe, as e-commerce spending has hit record highs. This year alone is projected to reach over $6 trillion in online sales, doubling that of 2019’s pre-pandemic shopping days. These unexpected spikes caused immense strain to global supply chains, forcing many…
July 14, 2021 at 5:29 pm
Wholesale is so 2019. Enter 2021, a year of continued post-ish pandemic e-commerce growth, countless brands pulling back on wholesale partnerships to go direct to consumer (D-to-C), and the ultimate wholesale-marketing bridge: marketplaces. Retailers spent 2020 duct-taping together broken supply chains, reeling from wholesale partners slashing orders as stores shuttered across the country, and scrambling…
July 7, 2021 at 3:40 pm
The pandemic upended the retail industry, accelerating the evolution of online shopping. In fact, online sales boomed during the pandemic. However, delivery times also ballooned. Our internal data showed delivery times for domestic U.S. shipments increased one to two days from April 2020 through the holidays compared to the same period in 2019. This means…
June 16, 2021 at 5:06 pm
The Home Depot made the decision to contract its own container ship, CNBC reported. The home improvement retailer made this decision amid global shipping issues, such as congested ports, container shortages and slowed shipments as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks. Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy for the National Retail Federation,…
May 25, 2021 at 7:34 pm
FedEx will increase three peak surcharges on Express and Ground shipments beginning June 21, the carrier announced in an update Friday. Increased surcharges include Peak - Residential Delivery Charge for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground domestic; Peak Surcharges on U.S. Express Package Services, U.S. Ground Services and International Ground Services; and a Peak Surcharge on…
May 18, 2021 at 3:46 pm
After a year of buying everything from patio furniture to groceries online, consumers are more reliant on Amazon.com than ever, and more positive about the company. For retailers to fight back, they’ll need a two-pronged strategy: meet what are now industry-standard expectations for convenience and shipping efficiency, and spotlight key offerings where Amazon lags. Even…
May 12, 2021 at 12:57 pm
Looking back on the last year, the retail sector underwent a massive change as consumers were confined to their homes, unable to shop in person. While e-commerce had been steadily growing over the last decade, the industry saw a significant surge in 2020, with online shopping growing 44 percent. Allured by promises of two-day and/or…
May 6, 2021 at 5:42 pm
In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Kristina Stidham discuss the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday and what retail trends we can expect to see this year. The UPS issued its first “UPS Pulse Perspectives: Mother’s Day Survey” to better understand how consumers are preparing for the first major gift-giving holiday of…
