Fast And Free: How Shipping Expectations Are Changing Retail

Delivery and fulfillment are top priorities for retailers, both big boxers and small merchants alike. Whether it’s speeding up delivery, cutting costs, utilizing stores for fulfillment or taking last-mile efforts in-house, the investments in this area are clear. When Amazon first unveiled its Prime membership in 2005 — and the promise of free, unlimited two-day shipping — it differentiated itself from the competition in the e-commerce fulfillment space. But as retailers like Walmart and Target began to match that, or offer alternative e-commerce fulfillment options (like buy online, pick up in-store), Amazon needed something to again set it apart from the rest. Read more at Retail Dive.