SUPPLY CHAIN

  • Online giant in big supply chain hiring push

    Amazon is making good on its promise to hire 130,000 workers by 2018.   The online giant announced Wednesday that it plans to fill more than 50,000 roles across its fulfillment network in the United States. Amazon is hiring “tens of thousands” full-time associates who will pick, pack and ship customer orders from its fulfillment centers. It will also fill supporting and managerial roles within its facilities, including human resources managers, IT specialists, and operations leaders, among other positions, the retailer said.

  • Discounter ups the ante on hydrogen fuel cells for lift trucks

    Walmart is stepping up efforts to drive energy efficiency across its distribution network.   The discount giant is adopting fuel cells and hydrogen stations from provider Power Plug — a move that will bolster its energy efficiency at up to 30 more locations. Walmart already has Plug Power fuel cells installed at 22 distribution centers, according to USA Today.  

  • Amazon’s fulfillment arm will pay full price to bolster global inventory
    Amazon is making its marketplace sellers an offer that is hard to refuse.   The online giant’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) division is rolling out a new program that will buy products from third-party merchants at full price, then sell them to consumers across the globe. The program is a move to build Amazon’s global inventory, according to CNBC.  

  • Office supplies giant adds robotics to fulfillment network
    Staples is making a bold move to modernize its supply chain.   The office supplies giant is adding a robotic material handling solution across its network of fulfillment centers. Designed by Great Star Industrial USA, LLC, the automated robotic storage and retrieval system incorporates two types of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) into a unified system that brings both high and low cubic velocity items to a single pick and pack station.  

  • Walmart opens massive online center
    Walmart is bringing 1,500 jobs to Florida as it continues to expand its e-commerce fulfillment network.  

  • Jet.com makes a move to streamline urban deliveries
    Walmart’s e-commerce arm is making it easier for New Yorkers — especially those without a doorman — to get their deliveries.   Jet.com is teaming up with Latch, a provider of smart building access technologies, to integrate a reader-style electronic access product in 1,000 buildings in New York City. The installation, which is being paid for by the partners, will give more than 100,000 residents the ability to retrieve orders electronically, according to TechCrunch.  

  • Online giant’s fulfillment network enters new territory
    Amazon is once again expanding its distribution fleet — this time in the Beehive State.   The online giant will open an 855,000 sq. ft. fulfillment center in Salt Lake City — the company’s first warehouse in Utah. The facility, which will employ 1,500 full-time hourly associates, will pick, pack, and ship smaller customer items, such as books, electronics and toys.  

  • Online giant plans to open robotics-based facility in South Florida
    Amazon is once again bolstering its warehouse fleet in the Sunshine State.   The online giant will open an 850,000-sq.-ft. facility staffed with robots and more than 1,000 workers in South Florida. The depot will reside in a vacant property that is currently being transformed into a 97-acre commercial center adjoining the county’s Opa-locka airport, according to The Miami Herald.  

  • Specialty retailer steps up unified commerce efforts
    Vitamin World’s commerce and supply chain operations are undergoing a digital transformation.  

  • Study: Consumers' shipping expectations higher than ever
    There is a major disconnect between retailers and consumers when it comes to shipping expectations.    Retailers understand that consumers want free shipping. But they are challenged by and grappling with the rising costs of shipping online orders, according to “The State of Shipping in Commerce,” a report from Temando, a shipping and fulfillment software platform provider.  
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