Online Retail Giant Amazon Still Looking For Faster Delivery Options

Amazon.com continues to test new ways to speed delivery of products to customers, including taxicabs, Uber vehicles, bike messengers, USPS trucks, even drones. Now it is reported that the company is experimenting with ordinary people who would be paid to deliver packages while running their own errands. Unnamed sources say the project, code-named “On My Way,” would involve storing packages for delivery at retail stores in urban areas. The service could, if implemented, help cut shipping costs, but it’s not without its problems: how, for example, to vet potential deliverers, and whether retail competitors would cooperate with the online giant.

"Amazon Mulls Paying People for Deliveries", The Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2015

Unilever Launches Online Store On JD.com's E-commerce Platform

Unilever plans to launch a flagship store on China's online direct sales company JD.com, Inc.'s JD Worldwide e-commerce platform. Coinciding with JD.com's major anniversary sale, the launch of the flagship store will bring some of Unilever's global brands to Chinese consumers for the first time. Brands to be featured include Dove, Ponds, Vaseline, and Lux.

"Unilever Launches Flagship Store on JD.com's Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform", GLOBE NEWSWIRE , June 15, 2015

OTA Presents Most Trustworthy Online Retailers For 2015

American Greetings, Cabela's, and Drs. Foster & Smith are among the companies with the most secure e-commerce sites, according to the Online Trust Alliance's 2015 eCommerce Online Trust Audit and Honor Roll. Criteria for selection used by OTA include online security, privacy, and consumer protection practices of the companies. Other companies included in the top 10 most trustworthy online retailers are Fanatics, GameStop, The Honest Company, and Jomashop. OTA said 212, or 42 percent, of the 500 largest online retailers qualified for its Honor Roll, with the group reporting a 78 percent improvement in online retailers' security, compared with 2014 results.

"The Most Trustworthy e-Commerce Sites", Retail Info System News, June 09, 2015

Online Segment Grabs Bigger Share Of Total Market For Shaving Products

Online sales of men's shaving products in the United States doubled to $263 million for the year ending May 2015, according to Slice Intelligence. Data from the market research firm revealed online sales accounted for about 8 percent of the $3 billion market. In the first five months of 2015, online sales reached $141 million, more than double that of the same period in 2014. Procter & Gamble's Gillette brand accounts for over 60 percent of the retail market; however, it holds just 20 percent of the online market. Dollar Shave Club leads the online market for shaving products, after enlisting 2 million subscribers to its monthly mailings of razor blades. With its promise of savings for subscribers, the company is forecast to earn $140 million in sales in 2015.

"Razor Sales Move Online, Away From Gillette", Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2015

Retailers Expected To Acquire Vendors, E-commerce Firms, Analysts Say

Retailers are expected to acquire vendors and e-commerce providers starting later in 2015 and into the next year, as part of their efforts to provide seamless online and in-store shopping experience to their customers. Factors driving this trend include the stock market's demand for faster growth and fast-changing demands among consumers, according to market analysts and industry consultants. Also expected to further drive retailers to adopt consolidation moves is companies' efforts to extend their brands into the off-price sector.

"Scaling Up: M&A Activity to Rise as Omnichannel Retailing Grows", Women’s Wear Daily, June 17, 2015