Global supply chain problems escalate! Walmart, Target and other companies rent private boats to deliver goods!
According to MarketWatch, as supply chain disruptions and shortages intensify, Walmart and Target are renting private ships to transport goods to better improve their competitiveness, occupy the retail market, and prepare for the peak shopping season.
According to reports, manufacturing shutdowns have slowed production since the epidemic began, a shortage of shipping containers has caused shipping prices to be 10 times higher than a year ago, and a shortage of labor has limited the number of truck drivers or workers delivering items to warehouses.
Analyst Janine Stichter of financial services company Jeffries said that supply chain problems are continuing to worsen, and a key factor for retailers' success in 2021 is their ability to supply products on time or relatively on time. However, leasing ships is only a temporary solution and will significantly increase financial expenses for retailers.
Janine Stichter further stated that the cost of leasing a ship is US$1 million to US$2 million per month, and renting a container will add several hundred US dollars, while the largest retailers will use 500 to 1,500 containers per month, and the expenditure is huge. For mid-sized retailers or emerging fashion brands, renting a vessel to ship goods is extremely difficult.
Currently, global supply chain issues have escalated to a new level. In addition to Walmart and Target, Costco has also previously rented three ships containing thousands of containers to transport items from Asia to the United States and Canada. However, currently in the United States, many ships are parked in ports because they cannot unload cargo, and major ports can be described as "overcrowded."
Oil prices are skyrocketing! Domestic freight and container shipping companies have announced price increases, and UPS and FedEx have increased fuel surcharges.
html Starting from 24:00 on October 9, domestic refined oil prices will be raised according to the mechanism. The prices of gasoline and diesel (standard products) will increase by 345 yuan and 345 yuan per ton respectively. 330 yuan, continuing the "two consecutive rises" in oil prices in September, and the "three consecutive rises", and this increase in oil prices has set a new high for a single increase this year!Various expenses such as oil prices have been soaring, which has had a serious impact on the container transportation market and logistics market. Many freight and container shipping companies could no longer sustain the situation and took the lead in issuing negotiation letters for freight rate adjustments. It is understood that the Shenzhen, Ningbo and Shanghai Container Shipping Associations have all issued adjustment suggestions.
In addition, UPS and FedEx have also announced increases in fuel surcharges. Among them, FedEx fuel surcharges will also hit a new high, reaching 21%!
Amazon US site: Fashion category sellers require free returns for self-delivered orders
Amazon US site issued an announcement a few days ago, announcing that starting from October 26, 2021, all self-delivered product listings of fashion category sellers will have a free return logo.
’s announcement is as follows:
Starting from October 26, 2021, all quotes for fashion products self-delivered by sellers will carry free return information. Sellers on the US site will no longer be able to deduct buyers’ expenses on clothing, shoes, and jewelry. and return shipping charges for fashion items listed under watches.
Amazon fashion category buyers are less satisfied with the current return experience for seller-fulfilled orders. For fashion product orders shipped by Amazon FBA, we have provided free return services. Buyers hope that the same can be achieved for seller-fulfilled orders. Return experience.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that our return policy already requires sellers to have a return policy that is at least as favorable as Amazon’s return policy.
AliExpress establishes its largest logistics center in Europe in Poland! Will be put into use before Double Eleven
According to foreign media reports, AliExpress has opened its largest logistics center in Central and Eastern Europe near Lodz, Poland. The logistics center was completed in early October, covering an area of 10,000 square meters, and plans to Put into use before the Double Eleven promotion.
According to reports, the logistics center not only supplies orders from AliExpress in Poland, but also orders from AliExpress in neighboring countries to the south and west. Goods from the new logistics center will be delivered throughout Poland within three days, and in major Polish cities in just two days.The center will also become one of the most important logistics hubs for deliveries to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Germany.
reported that the logistics center is AliExpress’s largest investment in Central and Eastern Europe ever. AliExpress said it hopes to start shipping from the new logistics center before November 11 for this year’s annual sale.
AliExpress is preparing for its peak sales season and announced at the end of September that it would update its Polish mobile app. During Double Eleven, product prices on the platform can drop by up to 80%.
Gary Topp, chief operating officer of AliExpress Central and Eastern Europe, said that not only the logistics center, AliExpress is also exploring the possibility of creating its own network of automatic parcel machines in Poland.
To attract more sellers to settle in! Amazon launches "Made in France" store!
According to foreign media reports, Amazon recently launched a "Made in France" store on its platform. The store will offer products produced in France and bearing the "Made in France" label, including 230,000 products in fashion, groceries, DIY, stationery and home appliances.
According to reports, consumers can check the "Made in France" option to find products through the Amazon search engine. At the same time, the store will also be displayed on the Amazon website homepage so that customers can find it easily and quickly.
Zena Siraudin, a member of the Amazon France site management committee, said that launching a "Made in France" store will help attract more French companies to the Amazon platform. Amazon will also provide French companies with a range of tools to support the development of their online businesses, helping them accelerate their digital transformation and achieve success.
It is reported that as early as before, Amazon Italy launched a store dedicated to selling products made in Italy on its platform. It can be seen that Amazon specifically provides support for some excellent and distinctive local businesses, which can not only increase its reputation but also improve its customer base.
In recent months, e-commerce platforms such as Fnac, Darty, Cdiscount and other e-commerce platforms have also developed sales spaces specifically for French products. This is because products made in France enjoy a huge reputation internationally, and French products account for the largest share of sales in France. and more than 50% share of global sales.
Zalando launches repair and waste recycling platform! Carry out recycling to the end!
Recently, Zalando announced the launch of a repair service and waste disposal platform to better promote circular and sustainable development. The company has set a goal to extend the service life of at least 50 million pieces of clothing by 2023.
Through this platform, consumers can go to local factories and tailors designated by the platform for repairs, but the collection and return of repair items must be handled by Zalando's own logistics service.
Zalando hopes to promote more circularity within the fashion industry, that is, to make the current manufacturing, use and discarding a circular chain. The idea is to make reuse replace discarding.
Zalando said that currently only 1% of total clothing is recycled. In the future, they will cooperate with the open source platform for textile waste management to change this situation: this cooperation will use near infrared (NIR) technology, and the sorting company's textile waste can be better matched with suitable recyclers. The company recently announced that it is also investing in Infinited Fibers, a company that uses textile waste to produce a new fiber.
In addition, Zalando is also focusing on developing the second-hand goods market. Since the launch of the second-hand platform Pre-owned in September 2020, its product coverage has increased from 20,000 items to more than 200,000 items, a 10-fold increase.
