Amazon

Robots are increasingly characterized as a panacea for numerous challenges in retail warehouses, but where does the hype end and reality begin? As with the adoption of all technologies, start with simple applications, learn from them and expand accordingly.

Three of our top parcel industry sources offer their respective takes on one of the most ubiquitous parts of freight transportation and logistics - parcel and last-mile delivery, and with providers and carriers continuing to have the upper hand over shippers, they suggest to leave no stone unturned when it comes to carrier selection and leveraging partnerships.

Global e-commerce giant Amazon introduced a new offering geared towards helping sellers on its platform utilize new purpose-built technologies for bulk inventory storage and automated distribution. Entitled, Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD), the company said its objective is to address critical supply chain challenges and help sellers grow and manage their businesses while cutting costs by a significant amount.

The eCommerce industry is constantly evolving, and this year hasn’t been any different.

Amazon is building fully-electric drones that deliver packages under 5 pounds to customers in less than an hour - watch how they rigorously test every aspect of the technology they build, learn from it, and update the system to keep improving the safety, reliability, and scalability of their delivery service.

A recent Bloomberg report observed that global e-commerce giant Amazon is saddled with excess warehouse space it accumulated over the course of the pandemic and is now vetting subletting a minimum of 10 million square-feet (MSF) worth of space.

In this podcast, Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Logistics Management and the Peerless Media Supply Chain Group, interviews Rick Watson, Founder and CEO of New York-based RMW Commerce Consulting.

In this podcast, Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Logistics Management and the Peerless Media Supply Chain Group, interviews Rick Watson, Founder and CEO of New York-based RMW Commerce Consulting.

The convenience of getting products delivered quickly will be greatly enhanced by the ideal of supporting local businesses and workers like Sam.

While most of the focus on cold chain logistics has been primarily on pharma and medical goods during the ongoing pandemic, the food logistics industry is also under enormous pressure and scrutiny.

Amazon has been planning and building out operations for this $1.5 billion investment over the last four years, and it said that this hub will serve as the central hub for the for the Amazon Air U.S. cargo network, “facilitating the rapid transport of customer packages across the country. And it added that this investment will result in creating 2,000 jobs, for people from various backgrounds, for positions involving load planning, management of package sortation, and robotics technology.

During this podcast, Rick Watson, Founder and CEO, RMW Commerce Consulting, discusses the ongoing emergence of Amazon as a competitive threat to the parcel duopoly of UPS and FedEx; Peak Season prospects; the impact of the e-commerce supply chain on all aspects of logistics; and pricing and service levels, among other topics.

The logistics industry could see a significant shakeup, as congresswoman Pramila Jayapal proposes new legislation focused on antitrust and accountability for anti-competitive practices.

Amazon reportedly has placed an order for 1,000 autonomous driving systems from self-driving truck technology startup Plus and is in talks to buy a stake of as much as 20%.

Retail behemoth Walmart is strengthening its partnership with the on-demand drone delivery startup DroneUp in an effort to speed delivery and meet increasing consumer demand to have goods delivered to their doorstep.