E-commerce

Focused on resiliency and adaptability, companies are increasingly turning to software platforms that help them tackle their current supply challenges and also plan for the future.

DHL Supply Chain can help make your e-commerce vision a reality.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the supply chain industry has been completely thrown off, with ever-changing rules and regulations. As a result, it's getting harder and harder to plan accordingly.

In its “U.S. Industrial Outlook: Q2 2022,” JLL cited various factors driving continued market strength, paced by rents topping the $8.00 per square-foot (PSF) mark, at $8.01, its highest level on record, with annual rent growth up 21% annually. Average PSF rents for warehousing & distribution and manufacturing came in at $8.04 and $7.79, respectively, with special purpose at $11.07.

Itsaca, Ill.-based third-party logistics (3PL) services provider and global freight forwarder SEKO Logistics announced it has acquired Commerce, Calif.-based 3PL and fulfillment services provider Pixior LLC. Financial terms were not disclosed. Established in 2000, Pixior has seven West Coast locations along with a Connecticut location, too, with the company providing e-commerce fulfillment and retail services, geared towards high-end fashion brand shippers.

Fiscal year (FY) 2022 third quarter earnings for the United States Postal Service (USPS) saw total revenue post a 1.4% annual increase, to $18.741 billion. And it had an adjusted quarterly loss of $459 million compared to an adjusted loss of $41 million, for the same quarter last year, while posting $59.7 billion in net income, compared to a $3.0 billion FY 2021 second quarter loss.

Second quarter revenue saw a 15% annual increase, to $2.2 billion. Net income came in at $51 million, topping the second quarter of 2011 by 78%. Adjusted EBITDA—at $176 million—topped the $161 million recorded a year ago.

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The paramount importance of 3PL partnerships.

Following their late 2021 announcement, in which Vienna, Va.-based LaserShip, the largest regional e-commerce parcel carrier and last-mile delivery services provider, and Chandler, Ariz.-based regional shipping services provider OnTrac, announced they had entered into a definitive agreement to merge, with LaserShip acquiring OnTrac for $1.3 billion, the companies last week stated they are taking a major next step in the process.

Quarterly revenue—at $24.8 billion—rose 5.7% annually, and adjusted earnings per share—at $3.29—saw a 7.5% increase, topping Wall Street estimates of $3.16 per share. Quarterly operating profit was up 8.5% to $3.5 billion.

Memphis-based FedEx said that as economic conditions have shifted, it is making operational adjustments to suspend Sunday delivery operations in certain low-density, rural markets, effective the week of Aug. 15.

The trio of strong consumer demand, ongoing supply chain bottlenecks, and tight carrier capacity worked in tandem to drive air, ground, and ocean transportation rates to all-time highs in 2021, with shippers turning to third-party logistics (3PL) services providers on various fronts, including inventory replenishment and avoiding stock outs, according to a new report recently issued by Milwaukee-based supply chain consultancy Armstrong & Associates.

Planning for and ordering location labels and signage is an important part of e-commerce warehouses. So is determining how these items will be installed.

As Amazon Prime Day continues today, it comes at a time when the e-commerce supply chain continues to hum along and make needed adjustments on the fly, which has largely been the case going back to the onset of the pandemic in early 2020.