News Briefs

Online deliveries came faster for consumers in November compared to one year ago.

That’s according to a new analysis from supply chain platform Project44, which found that the average delivery time for November 2024 was 3.7 days, which was a 27% improvement compared to November of 2023. Overall, delivery times are expected to be lower for peak season 2024 compared to previous years.

On-time performance decreased 1% between October and November, but remained on par with the peak season last year. November on-time performance was 84%, which means peak season 2024 is off to the strongest start since the COVID-19 pandemic.

[READ MORE: Salesforce: Cyber Week digital sales reach $76 billion in U.S.]

Project44 says that over time, delivery times have decreased as online shopping grows and customer expectations rise, as Amazon’s standardization of two-day shipping reshaped the market. The report noted that shippers, including retailers, continue to diversify their networks, increasing the number of carriers used by 5% between October and November.

The most common last-mile complaints by consumers have remained consistent, with delays and “delivered but missing” packages tied as the top issues in 2024 at 28%, followed by complaints about the carrier (17%), and damaged items (14%). However, complaints about delays have dropped 8% since 2022 and are 1% lower than in 2023.

Brides-to-be can now have their wedding dresses delivered along with a food order.

David’s Bridal, Inc. has announced a new partnership with DoorDash to offer on-demand delivery, giving brides, bridesmaids and special occasion shoppers access to the retailer’s assortment of dresses, shoes and accessories delivered in under an hour. The partnership will allow for delivery from the 180 David’s Bridal locations in the United States.

"Whether you prefer the convenience of doorstep delivery to help save time during the planning process, need a perfect dress for a last-minute holiday party invite, a save-the-day solution to a suddenly stained bridesmaid dress on the big day, or a fabulous pair of ‘party-all-night' shoes, David's takes the stress away so you can focus on celebrating and feeling beautiful and confident for any special occasion,” said Kelly Cook, president of brand, technology and finance for David's Bridal.

David Bridal’s new on-demand partnership makes the company the first retailer in the wedding and special occasion category to join forces with DoorDash.

"We're excited to welcome David's Bridal to DoorDash as our first wedding and special occasion retailer," said Fuad Hannon, VP of new verticals at DoorDash. "Consumers can save time in their busy schedules and enjoy the convenience of on-demand delivery of shoes, accessories, dresses, and more. With David's Bridal on the Marketplace, consumers can rest easy knowing that they can get everything they need on DoorDash for important milestones and every occasion in between."

[READ MORE: David’s Bridal enters resale partnership]

David’s Bridal operates more than 190 stores located across the United States in Canada, and franchise locations in Mexico.

The construction industry had 249,000 job openings on the last day of October, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 9,000 for the month and are down by 164,000 from the same time last year.

“Construction industry job openings fell again in October and are down nearly 40% over the past year,” said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “While JOLTS data can be volatile from month to month, especially at the industry level, the decline in unfilled construction positions is undeniable over the past few quarters. “

On average, only 3.4% of industrywide positions were open over the past six months, the lowest rate since 2020, added Basu. Industry hiring fell to the lowest level since 2020 in October, while contractors laid off fewer workers than in any month on record.

“There’s reason to suspect that election uncertainty, combined with the expectation that borrowing costs will decline over the next several quarters, delayed staffing decisions over the past few months,” said Basu. “With industrywide employment growth industrywide outpacing the broader economy over the past few quarters and contractors on net expecting to increase their staffing levels over next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, it appears that construction job openings will rise through the early months of 2025.”

Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 that represents more than 23,000 members.

MG2 is expanding its services and increasing its footprint.

The global architecture and design firm MG2 has joined Colliers Engineering & Design, a division of the global commercial real estate and investment management firm Colliers. The partnership will allow MG2 to expand its geographic reach and add expertise in building systems and structural engineering, site development, civil engineering  and construction management.

MG2's current leaders will become senior partners within Colliers Engineering & Design, maintaining the company’s leadership structure and culture. MG2 will be rebranded at a future date.

“Joining a complementary professional practice with Collier’s Engineering & Design’s resources and expertise enables us take advantage of growth opportunities in the market immediately and maintain the pace of our strategic plan,” said MG2 CEO and chairman Mitch Smith, AIA, LEED AP. “Our greatest strength lies in our people, our clients, and our commitment to helping them succeed. This strategic step with Colliers Engineering & Design offers opportunities for our people to do their best work.”

MG2 has more than 400 architects, designers, and staff operating across seven offices in the U.S. and China: Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Irvine, Calif.; Minneapolis; Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Shanghai.  

Colliers Engineering & Design, headquartered in Holmdel, N.J., is a privately held company with 75-plus offices throughout the U.S. 

“We are thrilled to have MG2 join our team,” said Colliers Engineering & Design president and CEO Kevin L. Haney, PE. “Collier’s Engineering & Design invests in relationships to promote sustained growth and success, and this agreement will enable us to continue to drive market growth as a top-tier national commercial industry leader, provide clients with exceptional commercial design services, and accelerate communities nationwide.”

A new study reveals that retail breaches are an almost universal industry problem.

 Nearly all (97%) of the top 100 U.S. retailers experienced a third-party data breach in the past year, according to analysis from security services provider SecurityScorecard. While only 12% of retailers (including each of the top 20 U.S. retailers) were directly breached, these intrusions resulted from security compromises at 4% of retail vendors, indicating a single vendor cyberattack can affect large numbers of their retail clients.

In addition, 97% of the top 100 U.S. retailers suffered a fourth-party breach (resulting from a compromise at a vendor of a vendor) from just 2% of vendors.

"In the hustle to keep up with holiday sales, retailers must not let their guard down," said Ryan Sherstobitoff, senior VP of threat research and intelligence, SecurityScorecard. "Cybercriminals are lurking, ready to exploit any distraction. A single data breach could devastate a company’s bottom line and irreparably damage consumer trust. It’s imperative to prioritize security — not just for themselves, but for their vendors as well."

To help prevent third-party data breaches, SecurityScorecard advises retailers take steps including implementing automated scanning to detect IT infrastructure and cybersecurity risks across vendor and partner environments, mapping critical business processes and technologies to identify any single points of failure, passively monitoring vendors’ IT deployments to identify and resolve hidden risks, and scrutinizing external technology supporting e-commerce websites.

[READ MORE: The average cost of a retail data breach is…]

SecurityScorecard researchers analyzed the 100 top U.S. retailers based on 2023 worldwide retail sales, assessing over 14,000 domains, including third- and fourth-party vendors.

Academy Sports + Outdoors continues to grow its footprint.

The sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer is wrapping up 2024 by opening five new stores, including two locations in Florida, in Bradenton and Yulee. Academy is also opening in Searcy, Ark.; Meridian, Miss.; and Corsicana, Texas. As part of its commitment and investment in these local communities, Academy donated more than $25,000 in total to local non-profit organizations.

“Just in time for the holidays, Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to provide more customers with a new destination to find a localized assortment of gifts and merchandise that help their family and friends have fun out there," said Eric Friederich, senior VP of retail operations at Academy Sports + Outdoors. "These new stores are enabling us to grow.”

With the five new locations, Academy will have opened 16 new stores across 10 different states, including its first locations in Ohio, in 2024, giving it a total of 298 stores across 19 states. The expansion comes as the retailer is looking to open 160 to 180 new stores during the next five years.

Academy stores feature apparel, footwear, sports and camping equipment, hunting and fishing gear, outdoor cooking and more from top national brands as well as the chain’s private label brands. In addition, Academy offers free services such as grill and bike assembly, scope mounting, bore sighting, line winding/spooling and propane exchange. Hunting and fishing licenses are also available to purchase in stores.