Logistics

The online giant is launching an Uber-like program, called Flex, that uses on-demand independent contractors to deliver Amazon packages.  The service is now available only in Seattle (and only to members of Amazon’s Prime Now same-day delivery service), but the company  expects to  roll it out  to other cities where Prime Now is offered, including Manhattan, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas, and Chicago.

Walmart has taken a big step towards becoming 100% supplied by renewable energy.

The discounter entered into a long-term power purchase agreement to buy the majority of the electricity generated by Pattern Energy Group’s new Logan's Gap Wind facility.

The 200 megawatt facility is in Comanche County, Texas.

The bankrupt Haggen supermarket chain has listed 111 locations for sale, many in California, as the company looks to refocus its operations on 37 stores in the Pacific Northwest.

Between new formats, e-commerce efforts and supply chain initiatives, interesting times are ahead for Bed Bath & Beyond – even if second quarter sales were weak and profits declined.

Life just got a little easier for merchants who sell goods on Shopify. The cloud-based e-commerce platform is partnering with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for direct, discounted shipping.

Retailers can now buy and print discounted shipping labels directly within the Shopify platform. Labels will be up to 60% off retail rates. In addition to saving money when purchasing shipping labels, merchants will now have the ability to either drop prepaid shipments off at USPS offices without having to wait in line, or they can schedule a free home pickup.

Burger King Germany deals with orders more complex than customers requesting Whoppers “their way.”

Operating 700 franchised stores, the Munich-based Burger King subsidiary must process 1,800 daily orders from a diverse set of franchisees. Thus the retailer needed a stable, centralized back-end logistics platform.

Front-end customer engagement is only as good as its back-end support. Realizing this fact, omnichannel specialty beauty retailer Sigma Beauty is enlisting eBay Enterprise to provide fulfillment and freight services. T

When it comes to keeping supply chain and logistics operations as efficient as possible, retailers are getting smart. Using centralized cloud platforms and business intelligence solutions, merchants can achieve real-time inventory awareness and supply chain operational data that improves overall front- and back-end performance.

Here are three examples:

Gap