FedEx’s recent acquisition of TNT is a great example of the old adage, “never say never.” Back in the 1990s, FedEx pulled out of the European market with over $1 billion in losses. However,... View More

Expectations have been set that FedEx and UPS will raise Ground rates on an annual basis. This year, however, rate increases have a stronger punch especially when considering additional changes, which... View More

Retail sales remained resilient in 2014 with an overall projected growth of 4.0% despite inclement weather, labor issues that plagued the West Coast ports and early inventory build-ups. FedEx cited the... View More

Despite the improvements in US economic conditions experienced in 2014, this year has been beset with a series of unforeseen events that have highlighted the complexity of supply chain planning and forecasting. ... View More

Parcel volumes are on the rise as noted in recent earnings reports from the two largest U.S. based parcel carriers, FedEx and UPS. Ecommerce is driving much of this growth and both parcel carriers, along... View More

Accurately forecasting and maintaining adequate inventory levels is an extremely challenging priority for businesses. Any hint of a disruption within the supply chain can have a negative impact, affecting... View More

In the last issue, I discussed “free shipping” and its growing importance as a means for e-retailers to attract customers. But as noted, “free shipping” comes at a cost, particularly... View More

As noted in my previous column, the holiday debacle was indeed that – a debacle for not only UPS and FedEx but also for those shippers that offered free shipping or other incentives to entice customers... View More

By now, we are all familiar with the sensationalized stories of UPS and FedEx starring as the “Grinches that stole Christmas.” Millions of holiday shoppers were negatively impacted by a slew... View More

The holidays will be here before you know it and so will 2014. Most companies are busy working on budgets, forecasts and tactical and strategic plans. Like most people I dread even the thought of these... View More

In last issue’s column, I discussed recent economic results as well as poor earnings announcements from the two largest domestic parcel shippers, UPS and FedEx. Wall Street continues to fly high;... View More

One of the primary ways shippers can streamline their supply chains is through mode optimization. While many companies have figured out the small parcel air to ground service level optimization, many of... View More

In my last article, I reported on recent positive economic trends as well as provided an update on the status of The Marketplace Fairness Act. This legislation provides a practical way for state... View More

In the first two Spend Perspectives columns of 2013, I focused heavily on how the health of the global economy was impacting retailers. I also discussed how lower shipping costs positively impact e-commerce... View More

By now most large shippers are either familiar with or utilizing one of the parcel services featuring final mile delivery by the USPS. UPS SurePost & UPS Mail Innovations, FedEx SmartPost and DHL Global... View More

Back in December, I emphasized how free shipping positively impacts customer satisfaction. When shoppers are happy with both product pricing and shipping costs, they reward the retailer with: more visits,... View More

Route 2013 is fraught with challenges for ecommerce vendors. Retail trendsetters Amazon, Wal-Mart, and eBay have rolled out new services designed to give them even larger market share, parcel shipping... View More

As 2011 draws to a close, retailers, suppliers and manufacturers all want to know what the New Year has in store for them. While the U.S. economy continues its tepid recovery, the upcoming presidential... View More

Logistics professionals have been hearing the same two words for years: “Cut costs.” But each year these words have a different tone. In 2009 the tone was panicky, which resulted in layoffs... View More

Are we in a boom economy? One might assume so based on the historic rate increases announced by UPS and FedEx for 2011. Unfortunately, the truth is that most shippers are still feeling the economic pinch... View More