Logistics

Designer clothing and accessories retailer Rent the Runway’s business is dependent on an advanced reverse logistics and transportation network, which is why the company just hired a leading logistic executive from an online competitor.

New York-based Rent the Runway named Chris Halkyard its first ever chief logistics officer to oversee the company’s just-in-time reverse logistics and vertically integrated operating systems.

Federal regulations governing unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, will be in place by this time next year.

Most retailers won’t be ready, but Amazon says it will be as soon as the feds are. Testifying at a congressional hearing on June 17, Paul Misener, Amazon.com’s vice president of global public policy told lawmakers it would be ready to deliver packages via its service branded as Prime Air as soon as federal rules are in place.

New York - Fashion retailer Rent the Runway has hired industry veteran Chris Halkyard as the company's first chief logistics officer, effective Aug. 1. In his role, Halkyard will oversee Rent the Runway's logistics platform, including the company's proprietary reverse-logistics operations and transportation network.

Los Angeles – Discount grocery retailer Smart & Final is offering on-demand Instacart delivery to customers in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. Delivery assortment encompasses Smart & Final’s full store offering, including club-sized items to stock households and offices.

Delivery will occur in as little as one hour and match Smart & Final’s normal in-store prices, excluding special offers.

A disruption in product flow because of the West Coast port dispute led to a drop in same store sales for Hancock Fabrics in the first quarter.

The company had net sales of $61.7 million for the first quarter ended May 2, compared to $63 million in the first quarter of the prior year. Same store sales declined by 1.9%.

Always on the hunt for quicker and less costly deliveries, Amazon is considering paying ordinary people (as opposed to shippers such as FedEx or UPS) to deliver packages as part of a crowdsourced delivery program, according to The Wall Street Journal. They would drop off the packages to customers on the way to their own destinations.

The service is referred to internally as "On My Way," the report said, and no other details are available. The report also noted that the plan may not move forward. 

Amazon is considering creating a network of drivers similar to Uber in order to speed up deliveries and reduce shipping costs, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Instead of using UPS or FedEx, Amazon.com is mulling a plan to hire ordinary people to make deliveries that are on the way to their destinations, the Journal says. The e-commerce giant is also looking at partnering with retailers to store the merchandise before delivery.

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Dollar General, which recently opened its 12,000 store, has named five executives to key leadership positions within its global supply chain functions and merchandising organizations.

The following promotions are effective immediately:

•   Mike Kindy has been promoted to senior VP, global supply chain with responsibility for transportation as well as inventory and demand management, demand planning and supply chain solutions. Kindy has been with Dollar General since 2007.