Logistics

New Orleans - Smoothie King Franchises Inc. has signed a five-store development agreement for Missouri with new franchisee Jackie Floyd. The smoothie chain currently has 21 locations in the state, including more than a dozen in the St. Louis area, with three additional stores planned to open in the market in 2014.

Carle Place, N.Y. -- 1-800-Flowers.com announced the closing of its acquisition of Harry & David Holdings, a specialty retailer and producer of branded premium gift-quality fruit, gourmet food products and other gifts.

“This combination will propel our total annual revenues to more than $1.1 billion and offers numerous opportunities to accelerate our top and bottom-line growth going forward,” said Jim McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com.

Shoe Carnival is leveraging eBay Enterprise’s integrated technology and services to streamline its omnichannel operations, including retail order management, payments, fraud protection, ship-from-store and customer care.

eBay Enterprise’s modular solutions will provide the retailer with a secure engine to accept payments, drive down fraud rates and consolidate inventory across many of its stores to increase product assortment, while lowering fulfillment transit time and expense, according to the company.

Bentonville, Ark. – Walmart  is testing a concept where shoppers order their groceries online, schedule a pick-up time, and then pick up their order at the Walmart Pick-up Grocery depot in as little as two hours without having to leave their car, according to local CBS affiliate KFSM-TV 5News. Shoppers also can schedule a pick-up three weeks in advance. The pilot Pick-Up Grocery location is in the chain’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas.
 

Newgistics, a leading provider of end-to-end e-commerce solutions for top retailers and brands, is making it easier for U.S. retailers to access the largest markets overseas — including the U.K., Europe, Asia, Australia, Russia, China and South America — by expanding its parcel delivery and return services and reducing the costs of cross-border delivery.

Key features of Newgistics’ international solution include:
Delivery to 34 key global markets with plans for future expansion
Full end-to-end tracking

Imagine it’s a breezy Friday morning and tonight is your nephew’s birthday party. It’s completely slipped your mind, and there just isn’t time in your day to go shopping. But you don’t panic because this solution is routine. You go online, find the hottest toy, and hit Amazon Prime Air. Not too long after, a small “Octocopter” touches down on your doorstep to save your day.

A captivating scene. But when you scrutinize the feasibility of this concept, there are many challenges that may push small package drone models into the realm of wishful thinking.

Dublin, Calif. - Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Southern California, on Oct. 11. The store is located in the La Mesa Center in the city of La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego.  

This new opening is part of the retailer’s 2014 expansion program, totaling approximately 75 new locations during the year. 

By Bill Davis, Director, MB&G Consulting