Warehouse

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.

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.
 

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:

Supply chain and reverse logistics provider Genco has named Laurie Barkman as the new president and CEO of Genco Marketplace, Genco's wholly owned liquidation subsidiary.

Barkman has served as Genco Marketplace's chief operating officer since July 2013. In her new role, Barkman will be responsible for driving expansion into new liquidation markets and developing a world-class team.

A search is underway for a senior executive to lead Family Dollar’s supply chain efforts following the departure of supply chain EVP Jeffrey Macak who resigned from the company after just two months.

In a brief statement, Family Dollar said Macak resigned for personal reasons effective immediately. Macak joined Family Dollar in early September of this year after a 13-year run at Bed Bath & Beyond where he served as vp of global supply chain.

Glendenning, New South Wales, Australia – McAlpine Hussmann Pty. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hussmann Corporation, has acquired the assets of the former Austral Refrigeration case equipment manufacturing and distribution operations from Retail FM (a wholly owned subsidiary of Woolworths Limited). At the same time, McAlpine Hussmann Australia Pty. Ltd. has acquired the Suzhou China case equipment manufacturing and distribution business from Retail FM.
 

Gap, Pa. -- Urban Outfitters has awarded Vanderlande Industries a design and build contract for the automated material handling system at their new fulfillment center located in Gap, Pa. The new one million-sq-ft. facility will service their direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels. Urban Outfitters has also contracted Vanderlande’s Customer Services to provide monthly preventative operations and maintenance services.