Logistics

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly using robots from Kiva Systems at three distribution centers. According to the Wall Street Journal, the robots bring merchandise from shelves to warehouse workers and can potentially reduce the cost of filling an order by 20% to 40%, for an annual savings of more than $900 million.

Amazon purchased Kiva for $775 million in March 2012 and according to a recent financial disclosure now has 1,400 Kiva robots in service helping fulfill orders. The retailer declined to comment on the project.

Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 1.8% in December, compared to the same month last year, and the year should end with an increase of 2.3% from 2012.

According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.43 million 20-ft. Equivalent Units (TEU) in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

Arlington, Va. – Supermarket industry trade group Food Marketing Institute (FMI) will exclusively endorse and encourage the use of ReposiTrak among its food retail and wholesale members.

Under a new joint agreement, ReposiTrak will be the exclusive solution provider endorsed by FMI in connection with the food and drug safety traceability of goods and related services, including document management. FMI will introduce ReposiTrak to its members, which operate nearly 40,000 stores and 25,000 pharmacies.

Columbus, Ohio – Big Lots reported a net loss of $9.5 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2013, up from a net loss of about $6 million in the year-ago period. The retailer also said it will exit the unprofitable Canadian market, which it entered through an acquisition in 2011.

Net sales grew about 2% in the same period, to $1.15 billion from $1.13 billion, and consolidated same-store sales declined about 2.5%.

Amazon's fresh food delivery service may be expanding to San Francisco, according to published reports.

All Things Digital, a Dow Jones-owned website that reports on technology news, reported on several sightings in San Francisco of AmazonFresh trucks, as well as a recent job posting.

According to the site, Amazon plans to announce the service's launch on Tuesday. Amazon began offering the service in Seattle and recently expanded it to Los Angeles. AmazonFresh allows users to shop online for produce, dairy products, dry goods and others.

Kenco, a leading provider of integrated logistics solutions, real estate services and material handling equipment, has named Kevin S. Fletcher as SVP of Kenco Transportation Services.
 
In addition to his transportation-leadership responsibilities, Fletcher will be responsible for account management, business development and strategic planning.
 

Mountain View, Calif. – While shipping costs (21%) and registration (20%) were the features that users said needed the most improvement respectively, consumers felt very comfortable purchasing from the Web's top online retailers on Cyber Monday.

UPS is trying to capitalize on this year’s shorter holiday shopping season, which is six days fewer than last year’s, by touting the shipping services its UPS Store offers.

The UPS Store has a network of 4,300 employees at locally owned and operated centers ready to pack and ship everything from fragile glass ornaments to surfboards and golf clubs. The store also offers customers a Pack and Ship Guarantee.

Consumers who prefer packing their own gifts themselves can obviously still ship them via the UPS Store, but are asked to do the following: