Tag Archives: Same Day Courier

Deliv Makes Chicago Acquisition To Expand Same-Day Delivery

Courier ServiceThere has not been a more competitive time for same-day delivery than right now.  Retail giants Google and Amazon are continually growing.  Robust Wal-Mart has same-day service in multiple cities, also in Canada.  Brick-and-mortar retailers like Petco and Ace Hardware joined in the race to move product.  Crowdsource-based Uber is transitioning beyond picking up people, into picking up packages, testing same-day delivery is several cities also.

The race continues to evolve, especially with the recent move by Deliv, making a huge impact on the actual delivery side of the service.  Deliv has officially bought WeDeliver, as it pursues to be the largest same-day delivery provider in the US.  WeDeliver was a huge competitor in the Chicago market, and now, Deliver essentially captures a good portion of control of the area.  Chicago is one of several major US cities that e-retailers and store retailers are establishing last-mile delivery services.

One of the big drivers for the acquisition is no other than Amazon.  Ingrid Bekkers, Deliv VP of Marketing, stated in the article, “Two-day delivery for retailers has become the norm, but retailers are feeling the need to respond to Amazon and its same-day delivery option”.  Amazon has made huge implementations, including roll out of same-day delivery in numerous cities, especially since last year.  Recently, the retailer has launched free same-day delivery in California and is planning to expand it into San Francisco Bay Area, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle-Tacoma, Tampa Bay, Washington DC, and Atlanta.

Deliv’s presence is purposefully unseen, partnering with a number of malls and well-known retailers to perform deliveries for them.  Stores inside malls like FootLocker, utilize Deliv to offer shoppers a way to make their purchases online and have them delivered to their front door fast.  Macy’s is the most notable Deliv partnership thus far.  Beginning last year right before the holiday season, Macy’s aggressively launched same-day delivery in eight major US cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Houston, Chicago, Washington DC, New Jersey, and Seattle.  In addition, Bloomingdale’s launched the service in 4 of them:  San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Chicago.

E-retailers, physical store retailers and local merchants are all seeing the growing opportunity to sell their products by obtaining the capability to offer a fast, convenient service option.  A nationwide courier like 1-800 Courier has established itself as a leader in same-day delivery also.  The Chicago Courier has partnered with hundreds of companies to provide superior same-day delivery.  Shoppers are more and more comfortable with shopping online, making buying things very easy.  Retailers need a courier like 1-800 Courier to assist in shifting into on-demand delivery.

Reference:  6.24.15, Al Urbanski, Same-Day Deliverer Expands in Chicago

Online Grocer Blue Apron Lands $135 Million funding, Same-Day Delivery Could Be Next

Courier ServiceIt is becoming an online feast for shoppers to enjoy making all types of purchases.  New retailers are entering a variety of markets and offering everything that a customer could think of, even make-at-home meals.  That’s right.  Blue Apron may have found a big niche and their recent numbers are showing it.

Blue Apron is a grocery delivery service that will deliver a recipe and the required ingredients for it to your front door.  They are based on seasonal ingredients.  Internet Retailer has reported that Blue Apron has now raised $135 million in a funding round led by Fidelity Management and Research, with participation from existing investors also.  Blue Apron is the fastest growing e-retailer on Internet Retailer’s 2015 Top 500 Guide.  Its’ sales surged to $65 million in 2014, which is an increase of 550.2% from the previous year.  Blue Apron was launched in 2012, and has raised $190 million to date.

What’s even more impressive is that Blue Apron currently delivers over 3 million meals per month.  Its’ volume is up 50% from six months ago.  The numbers indicate that online retail is moving beyond just a trend, but entering into a way of life, even with our very own groceries.  It saves the work put into going to the grocery store, finding all of the ingredients, and maneuvering through traffic to get home to cook.  When you arrive home, the food and recipe is there.  The report mentioned that the grocer company sells meals for two or a four-person family.  It will be interesting to see if Blue Apron will go same-day delivery to offer even more service options.

Blue Apron co-founder and CEO Matt Salzberg discussed its’ mission and what the company’s additional financing will enable Blue Apron to do.  He stated, “Our mission is to make incredible home cooking accessible to everyone. This financing will allow us to further improve the efficiency of our model, from sourcing to fulfillment, in order to bring our customers a level of quality that has never been available at scale before.”  This is a creative service for those who can cook and those that desire to learn, making home cooking not only accessible, but convenient.  Customers are looking to save their time and Blue Apron appears to have found a way to do so–in the kitchen.

With grocery delivery beginning to really make an upward swing, more and more online retailers will seek after sound delivery models to get their products to their customers on time.  A number of e-retailers and brick-and-mortar retailers have partnered with a same-day courier like 1-800 Courier to create an optimal same-day delivery logistics solution for small packages, electronics, household goods, and more.  A courier can also be a viable delivery option for online grocery shopping to meet their order fulfillment needs also.  The Los Angeles Courier has the expertise for not only local, but nationwide solutions for same-day services and can do the same within the grocery sector.  As online grocery demand grows, retailers will need a delivery service that can grow along with it.

Reference:  6.9.15, www.internetretailer.com, Thad Reuter, Fast growing online grocer Blue Apron raises $135 million

Amazon Goes Subway For New York Same-Day Delivery

Courier ServiceExpansion is what Amazon knows a lot about when it comes to same-day delivery especially in New York City.  The retail giant launched same-day delivery there late last year.  As it looks for innovation to maximize delivery costs and to optimize their service model every step of the way, Amazon has now turned underground to give the subway a try.

The Financial Times recently reported Amazon is utilizing the subway as a means of delivery for it’s new Prime Now mobile app.  On the new app, shoppers can receive their orders the same day. In New York City, the subway clearly has a speed advantage over drivers that have to maneuver their way through traffic. It certainly fits the infrastructure of the big apple too.  An Amazon representative told the Financial Times, “In Manhattan, our folks bike, walk or use public transportation.  They only drive if the item is large like a flat screen TV.”  With Amazon’s pursuit of fast same-day delivery, using other subway systems in other cities will probably be used if successful.

Prime Now competes with other retailers for quick last-mile deliveries.  Prime Now program is available to Amazon Prime members for $99 and the one-hour delivery service is $7.99.  Amazon’s two-hour delivery is free.  Amazon offers tens of thousands of products for its’ customers, from toothpaste to electronics.  Pricing for the service is similar to many other front line competitors, such as Google, Wal-Mart, Macy’s, and Pet’s Mart.

Google Express has partnerships with big name retailers and delivers everyday products to shoppers.  Macy’s has partnered with Deliv to elevate its’ physical store and online sales, launching same-day delivery in several major US cities before last year’s holiday season.  Uber utilizes a crowdsourcing approach to create a fast, on-demand delivery system.  Also, Postmates uses its’ own delivery messengers to get shoppers what they ordered online in a hurry.

The retail giant has been launching the service in multiple major US cities within recent months.  Baltimore and Miami are the newest cities to experience Prime Now, which more are to follow this year.  Amazon made a big push to enter big city markets by rolling out the service in hopes of big holiday sales.

Many retailers have really engaged into the science of same-day delivery and the best method to execute it.  Amazon’s recent move shows a city’s demographic is going to impact how out-of-the-box a company can get with fast deliveries. Either way, retailers can pursue product delivery themselves or partner with a same-day courier like 1-800 Courier to do it for them.  The advantage of outsourcing to this New Jersey Courier is the scale of service that it can quickly implement nationwide.  Major cities have the volume to sustain the service and a nationwide courier like 1-800 Courier can provide the optimal logistic solutions for same-day delivery to thrive.


Reference:  5.11.15, www.ibtimes, Brianna Lee, Amazon Same-Day Deliveries Go Underground In New York City

USPS Has $1.5 billion loss, Same-Day Air Delivery Can Boost Revenue

Courier ServiceUS Postal Service has incurred consecutive years with billions in losses.  In 2012, it lost $15.9 billion.  In 2013, the USPS loss $740 million during the April-June period and $5.5 billion in 2014.  The US Postal Service has attempted new business strategies, service innovations and more to turn their ship around.  With their adjustments, the mail company was looking to have a sizable upswing in revenue this year, however, it’s not looking very favorable overall so far.

The US Postal Service has reported a $1.5 billion loss during first three months of this year.  The mail giant says that it has experienced positive results with more consumers utilizing its’ shipping and packaging services; however, the challenge has been its’ costs and declining product sales.  The shipping and package volume increased by 14.4 percent increase in shipping and package volume, which equated to 1.3 percent or $223 million in higher operating revenue.  However, during the period, the Postal Service sent 420 million fewer pieces of mail in comparison to the same period last year.  It’s First-class mail decreased by 2.1 percent, in addition to its’ standard mail numbers falling by 1.1 percent.

“Shipping and package services are a key business driver. However, operating margins in this business are lower than in mailing services,” said Joseph Corbett, the Postal Service’s chief financial officer.  He went on to say, “And, while we’re pleased to see a small increase in controllable income, to improve our margins, we’ll need to make investments in our network infrastructure and delivery vehicles.”  The article mentions how if the retiree health benefit prefunding expense obligation via the government was excluded, its’ net loss would have been only $44 million versus a $447 million loss during this time last year.

New product innovation may help the US Postal Service recover from other declining mail sales.  One viable option the USPS is to begin offering a same-day delivery service to customers that need their packages delivered fast.  A courier service company like 1-800Courier can offer a time-sensitive shipping method for this market of consumers.

Couriers also consolidate packages which results in competitive pricing for same-day air as well.  The US Postal Service and other delivery companies seeking more product lines can easily count on 1-800Couier!

Reference:  5.8.15, The Daily Astorian, US Postal Service reports $1.5 billion loss

QVC Mobile Sales Up, Same-Day Delivery Can Help Grow Even More

Courier ServiceOne thing about the mobile devices being incorporated into day-to-day living is it definitely helps people shop.  Retailers are glad about it too, even those that are beginning to incorporate same-day delivery into their service options.  Television, web and mobile web retailer QVC would highly agree and its’ recent first quarter numbers show it.

Internet Retailer recently reported that QVC’s mobile sales accounted for 52.13%, or $813 million, of its’ overall sales in the first quarter of this year.  This is a big swing upward from 38.47% this same period last year.  Liberty Interactive, QVC’s parent company, also experienced growth with online retailers Backcountry.com and Bodybuilding.com.  “The expansion in mobile orders was exceptional,” said Greg Maffei, Liberty Interactive president and CEO.

The sales numbers from mobile devices equated to $423.81 million in the first quarter, which is up 42.5% from $297.37 million last year.  QVC’s e-commerce sales increased 5.2% and its’ web now accounted for 42% of total sales, compared with 39% in 2014.  The figures are clear that mobile devices are growing for QVC, as shoppers have become more comfortable with using tech gadgets to make their purchases.  It is also convenient when you have quick access to QVC and can take advantage of all of the discounts the retailer offers regularly.

The article went on to discuss how in spite of greater revenue this past quarter with mobile sales, QVC’s overall revenue declined by 2.4% to $1.938 billion, versus $1.986 billion last year. It stated that QVC blamed the strong dollar from bringing down the abroad dollar-denominated sales.  International sales declined by 12%, which equated to $81 million.  However, its’ US sales increased nearly 3%.  Also, US e-commerce revenue grew 7.12% to $632 million from $590 million a year ago.

Mobile sales appears to be proven to work with QVC, and they should only continue to be on the upswing ahead.  Consumers enjoy getting their online purchases fast.  QVC and other e-retailers could partner with a same-day courier like 1-800 Courier to enable themselves to produce same-day delivery for their online items, which will help market to ton-demand consumer sector.  When mobile shoppers can have their on-line shopping done quickly, 1-800 Courier is a New York Courier that can get it delivered in time.

Reference:  5.11.15, www.internetretailer.com, Katie Evans, Mobile accounts for more than half of online sales at QVC

Boeing Looking to Store Less Parts, Could Turn To Same-Day Delivery

Dallas CourierWhen you’re a company like Boeing, your costs can skyrocket producing your airplanes and jetliners.  Competition with Airbus is getting more intense and the right production systems needs to be in place to gain an advantage.  This is why Boeing is making strategic moves to implement a cost-saving approach to building planes, first beginning with Walter Odisho, who it hired in December 2013.

Reuters reported how the 52 year-old Odisho came from working with Toyota at its’ $6 billion plant in Kentucky and is an expect when it comes to auto manufacturing.  He is the company’s vice president of manufacturing and safety.  Boeing would like to convert to more of a standardized method of manufacturing, as auto makers do.  The first product in which Boeing is implementing a different building approach is with it’s new jetliner 777X.  The article mentions how the new jet is projected to pave the way for a new manufacturing process to flow deeper within its’ plants.

“I think the 777X will be our first opportunity to show the ideas that we have to date,” said Walter Odisho.  This new plane is the world’s largest twin-engined jet that is due to enter service in 2020.  Construction of the 777X has shown that this type of building can work with Boeing’s other products also, even within the assembly lines.  There are so many innovations that businesses are creating, as they begin to think outside-the-box to get ahead.  For Boeing, the article mentions how improving the sequencing of parts reduces inventory and eases cash flow, which has been a recent focus for its’ investors.

It also means less space is needed to store parts, which results in less overhead costs.  A wide range of businesses know that a huge chunk of their costs is overhead, and the less inventory you carry, the more efficient your operation is.  This is why same-day delivery has become such a staple for companies because it keeps costs down and limits inventory.

“The idea of achieving significant savings in a single action is a fallacy. We’ll take the opportunities and when you add them all up together, I think they will amount to quite significant improvements,” Odisho said.  With the changes Boeing is implementing, there will be an affect of inventory and parts delivered into its’ manufacturing facilities.  Here is where a same-day courier like 1-800 Courier can be an asset for Boeing.  The Dallas Courier can perform part distribution deliveries across the US and make sure on-demand parts are available for replenish the same day.  With time-sensitive parts, especially for operation machine breakdowns, 1-800 Courier can be Boeing’s one-source for all of their same-day delivery needs.

Reference:  4.28.15, www.reuters.com, Tim Helpher and Alwyn Scott, Boeing looks to car industry expert for jet production savings

More Amazon Same-Day Delivery, Expands to Baltimore and Miami

Miami CourierA number of retailers are competing against Amazon for more of the market online.  However, Amazon continues to aggressively plow forward with same-day delivery and advancing with its’ expansion plans.  The latest news shows that Amazon’s growth won’t be slowing down.

Amazon has just announced more expansion of same-day delivery with now officially offering the service in Baltimore and Miami.  Just late last year, the retail leader launched same-day delivery programs in several major US cities at the same time.  Those cities included New York City, Dallas, Indianapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Dallas, and lastly, Atlanta.  Bloomsberg reported how Prime Now members in the Baltimore and Miami area will be available in certain zip codes for the initial roll out.  It will then expand into more city areas.

Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations commented in the e-retailer’s original statement in regards to the new launch.  “Since launching, we’ve seen high demand on everything from essentials like water and paper towels to more surprising deliveries like getting a customer a hard-to-find, top-selling toy,” said Clark.  Amazon has tens of thousands of products for its’ customers, from household products and shampoo, to electronics and tools. Prime Now one-hour delivery is $7.99 and two-hour delivery is free.  Physical store retailers will have to compete with Amazon for shoppers, therefore, same-day delivery is more than just optional.

Amazon’s 40 million Prime members pay $99 annually and for the service, they will only have the additional charge for same-day delivery.  Online competitor Google Express, has its’ service priced at $4.99 per order or customers can pay $10 per month and $95 annually.  Newcomer Petco is charging $5 bucks for same-day delivery in 33 of its’ 4,400 stores in select cities in Arizona, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Maryland, and Florida.  Wal-Mart’s same-day service is a flat $10, regardless of the order size.

Amazon is forcing brick-and-mortar stores to invest in online retail growth via same-day delivery.  Macy’s is one retailer that launched same-day programs in a volume of stores, which included Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, Washington DC, and New Jersey.  Sister company Bloomingdale’s, also made the service available in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose.  Macy’s service is a flat rate of $5 for orders over $99.  It partnered with Deliv to perform the actual deliveries, a fairly new delivery company.

Department stores like Macy’s and e-retailers can partner with a same-day courier like 1-800Courier to provide last-mile deliveries.  Consolidated deliveries is what the Miami courier specializes in and is able to create cost efficiency for order volume.  A courier has the driver and logistical expertise to develop an optimal same-day solution for any retailer.  With Amazon’s pace, retailers will have to keep up and one way is by investing into a same-day operation.

With online retail’s projected growth of $500 billion by 2018, it’s no wonder why Amazon is in hot pursuit to establish its’ reach within major US cities.  Same-day delivery in Baltimore and Miami are only a few cities that Amazon will expand in, which more are reported to come on line this year also.

Reference:  3.19.15, www.bloomberg.com, Annie Massa, Amazon Expands Same-Day Delivery to Baltimore and Miami

EBay Shifts From Same-Day Delivery To In-Store Pick Up

same day deliveryAt first it was an issue of rethinking same-day delivery for eBay.  In December of last year, eBay made a move to officially pull eBay Now from the app store.  The e-retailer appeared to shift toward integration of the stand alone app into its’ main mobile app and website instead.  The app allowed mobile shoppers to buy from local retailers and have their online items delivered for $5 the same day.  However, recent moves communicate much more, even if eBay has turned away from same-day delivery toward a focus on store pick up.

A recent report by Yahoo Finance discussed how eBay may not be interested in same-day delivery.  EBay has signed a deal with Woolworths in Australia, giving eBay shoppers the convenience of making online purchases on its’ site and then pick up from Woolworths stores.  The e-retailer also has previously partnered with Argos in the UK to do the same thing.  Online retail is projected to increase to $500 billion by 2018, and in-store pick up will have a lot to do with these figures.  Wal-Mart and Macy’s are just two of the many big name retailers offering in-store pick up, pushing to meet shopper demand.

The article mentions how eBay feels in-store pick up meets the demand of not only customer convenience and speed, but also no shipping costs.  EBay feels customers will opt for faster delivery without paying for shipping.  A Harris Interactive survey of 2,241 US adults showed that 70% of consumers don’t want to pay additional charges for overnight or same-day delivery.  This means if given the choice to not pay for shipping, customers will opt to order online and simply pick up their items from their local store.

EBay also sees this model as being beneficial for returning defective items directly to a physical store versus shipping it back to them.  This minimizes the wait time for customers to get their purchase in their hands.  A same-day courier like 1-800 Courier is a viable option for shoppers that simply don’t have the time to return the damaged items to the store and bring the corrective items back.  The Chicago courier has a national footprint for same-day delivery and can perform last-mile deliveries for customers, as well as retailers like eBay.

In spite of eBay’s potential change in business strategy, other web-retailer leaders are still all in with same-day delivery. Amazon has a multitude of investments into the same-day delivery, including more than 50 fulfillment centers nationwide, expansion of the service into 8 major US cities before the holiday season last year, the opening of its’ very first physical store location in Manhattan, and the launching of bike service there as well.  The physical store location is primarily for online customer store pick ups, but also for last-mile deliveries.

Google offers Google Express with same-day or overnight delivery, competing with Amazon.  Consumers can place orders online for goods from retail stores like Walgreens, BestBuy, Toy-R-Us, and Staples, then Google Express vehicle delivers the items same-day or next-day to its’ customer’s front door.  As eBay makes it adjustments, there will be more online retailers making changes of their own to keep shoppers coming back for more.

Reference:  3.9.15, Yahoo Finance, Patricia Garner, Why eBay is not interested in same-day delivery

FAA Approves Amazon Drones For Same-Day Delivery

Same Day DeliveryIt may seem far-fetched to use flying drones to deliver online purchases to your front door. However, Amazon is pursuing to make it a reality. Same-day delivery has become a viable option for online retail growth and all types of retailers are abroad, even Ace Hardware is testing the service. Drone use is another way that Amazon has tested and finds it fits their business model. A new announcement by Amazon shows it is another step closer to the floration of drone delivery.

Bloomberg News recently reported that Amazon has received approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for launching its’ same-day delivery drone program. The FAA has given the retailer a waiver allowing flights as fast as 100 mph and 400 feet off the ground, according to a letter posted on Amazon’s site. Amazon vice president Paul Misener spoke to Congress, stating that an earlier FAA approval for using drones applied to an earlier drone model no longer used. Therefore, it isn’t beneficial for new drone implementation. With the new approval, Amazon appears to have high hopes that same-day delivery drones will be flying soon.

Last year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made it known on 60 Minutes that the retailer had plans to launch Prime Air via “octocopters” or same-day delivery drones. Shoppers would receive their online items within thirty minutes or less. 86% of Amazon’s orders are small package items and actually meet the drone delivery criteria. It makes sense for Amazon to be so adiment about implementing same-day drones. With the enormous amount of distribution centers the retailer has across the US, the drones will bridge the distance gap like no other online retailer is doing thus far. It would indeed be revolutionary, as more than likely, other retailers will follow.

The FAA approval appears to not have come at a more pivotal time. Amazon strategically launched same-day delivery in several major US cities right before the holiday season last year, including New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Atlanta. In addition, the service was released in Miami and Baltimore in March. There will probably be more same-day delivery in other US cities to come this year. Amazon could be headed towards these same cities being the first for drone use.

Amazon’s Prime members already have Prime Now, the e-retailer’s one-hour delivery service, at their disposal. Prime Now one-hour delivery is $7.99 and two-hour delivery is free, although Prime Air is set to be much faster. Members have tens of thousands of products they can buy online, from household items to electronics. Most of these are small items also, which will meet the drone carrying requirements.

A number of retailers won’t be able to deliver via drones due to costs; however, they can partner with a same-day courier like 1-800Courier to compete online and also for easy implementation in major US cities. The New York courier has a nationwide footprint and can create logistical same-day solutions as well. Either way, most retailers are going to need same-day delivery to meet today’s online demand.

Reference: 4.10.15, Internet Retailer, Bloomberg News, Amazon’s delivery drone test plan gets new OK from FAA

Ace Hardware Says Tools Have Same-Day Delivery Too

Same Day DeliveryWhen we see online products being delivered the same day, we normally aren’t thinking about tools.  However, Ace Hardware wants people to now think differently.  Ace now says that tools can have same-day delivery too.

The Chicago Tribune has reported that Tool retail leader Ace Hardware is rolling out a testing program for same-day delivery in 33 of its’ 4,400 stores nationwide.  These select stores are found in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Texas and Florida.  There is also one hardware store in Chicago that will be a part of the pilot same-day delivery launch also.  It appears that these pilot stores are just a start for Ace.  There will be more same-day service stores to come.

Your latest Dewalt power drill or Craftsman tool kit are now just a few of the unexpected retail item that we can now get delivered within hours.  Another retailer, pet food company Petco, falls into the same category.  Like Ace, Petco launched testing of same-day delivery in San Francisco and Boston.  Instacart is Petco’s delivery partner, set to pick up and deliver dog food, birdhouses, kitty litter and other well-known items for pet care.  For cost savings and delivery efficiency, most same-day retailers partner with a same-day courier like 1-800 Courier to perform the deliveries.  Currently, Ace store associates will perform the deliveries; however, as the same-day delivery program expands, Ace may very well follow suit.

For online orders placed by 1pm, customers can use Ace’s Express delivery service available within 5 miles of any of its’ participating testing stores.  Same-day delivery will be only an additional $5 fee to a customer’s order.  The pricing falls in line with most same-day pricing.  For example, Petco’s service fee as fast as within an hour, costs between $3.99 and $5.99.  Department store chain Macy’s launched the service in 8 major US cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, Washington DC, and New Jersey.  It’s service is priced at a flat fee of $5 for orders over $99.  Shoppers with smaller orders pay standard shipping rates, plus the flat rate.

Even Wal-Mart offers same-day delivery in multiple US cities.  Walmart To Go costs $10, regardless of the order size and in some parts of Canada the service is free, competing with Amazon there.  Good low pricing is attractive to online shoppers that are use to getting deals.  Like Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware have the advantage of brick-and-mortar store locations have enough locally-sourced products for low pricing to work.  This is exactly the outfit for malls, which in the Chicago Tribune, Woodfield Mall and Water Tower Place were examples that started offering on-demand car service last year.  Customers can make their purchases at the store, and have their items delivered home as they continue shopping or movie watching.

Ace’s new program began January 26th and is an extension of the tool company’s online order and pick up in store service currently available at 1,600 Ace stores.  The creation of omnichannels is what retailers are after, as online businesses can be more of a strength and help balance local store sales.  Online retail is forecasted to increase to $500 billion by 2018, therefore, this is the right move for Ace.  Other retailers in a wide range of industries are all setting up ways to make overall shopping convenient.  1-800 Courier is a Chicago courier that can help Ace Hardware and other physical store retailers optimize on same-day delivery as e-commerce grows.

Reference:  2.17.15, Chicago Tribune, Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Ace Hardware tests same-day delivery near some stores