Shipping
March 25, 2011
The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) issued its Advisory Opinion on a Postal Service plan to end Saturday mail delivery, collection and outbound mail processing. The Postal Service is required to ask the Commission for an Advisory Opinion on any change in nationwide service it proposes. The Postal Service advised the Commission that due to falling mail volumes and revenues it is considering eliminating Saturday mail collection and delivery except for Express Mail and existing post office box service.
March 24, 2011
L.L.Bean will implement free standard shipping to all United States and Canadian addresses effective March 25. L.L.Bean introduced the concept of free shipping in 1912 by adding “post paid” in catalog copy. As L.L.Bean nears its 100th anniversary, the tradition of free shipping returns.
March 21, 2011
eBay's changes to its fee structure will have a big impact on auction sellers — and they only have one month from the time of the announcement to adjust their auction-selling strategies. eBay will begin including shipping and handling costs into its Final Value Fees.
March 21, 2011
E-commerce in Canada generally sucks. The selection is crappier on the Canadian equivalent of U.S.-based stores, shipping is more expensive and the overall experience is much worse than in the U.S. And now, Zappos is shutting down completely in Canada.
March 8, 2011
Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to be up 11 percent in March over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
February 22, 2011
eBay is adding FedEx to the mail carriers it integrates with on its site. Sellers can now select FedEx Express and FedEx Ground services from the drop-down menu of shipping services when listing items on eBay.
February 1, 2011
A lot has certainly changed in a year. Following a dismal 2009, stock valuations at FedEx and UPS are approaching 2008 highs. Given the current environment, it's hard to remember that only a year ago FedEx froze bonuses and management salaries, rationalized networks, and suspended 401K contributions along with other measures to control costs.
January 25, 2011
A new free home-delivery service Amazon has been testing for months could ensure you never have to leave your house to shop again. AmazonTote is a program that delivers items to your home at a scheduled time each week, free of charge. The items, which include any good weighing 50 pounds or less that Amazon sells and ships, are left in "a sealed, weather-resistant tote bag up to twice a week," according to Amazon.
January 18, 2011
Patrick R. Donahoe took the oath of office in front of employees and family members to become the 73rd Postmaster General of the United States and the CEO of the U.S. Postal Service.
January 14, 2011
The USPS filed for an inflation-based rate increase that, if approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, will take effect on April 17. The overall increase reflects the current 1.741 percent CPI cap. As they did in last year’s rejected exigency rate case filing, catalogs fared better than most.
