Today’s Pickup: Amazon continues to blur the line between physical and digital

Good day,

Amazon.com [NYSE: AMZN] on Wednesday said it’s opening a new bricks-and-mortar store that will feature a selection of goods curated at least in part by local consumers’ online shopping habits, as it continues play an essential role in reshaping the way people shop, according to the WSJ’s Laura Stevens.

Amazon 4-star will open to the public today in the SoHo neighborhood of New York, the company said in a blog post. Items include those ranked four stars or above and will feature a variety of goods.

“We started with some of the most popular categories on Amazon.com including devices, consumer electronics, kitchen, home, toys, books, and games, and chose only the products that customers have rated 4 stars and above, are top sellers, or are new and trending,” the company said.

Did you know?

One in every 20 online orders are not delivered on the first attempt, costing U.S. carriers an average of $16.58 each or $5 billion per year. The industry has a term for losses attributable to theft, error, or fraud. It’s called shrinkage, and it costs retailers nearly $47 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation. A recent study also showed that 26 million Americans have holiday packages stolen.

Quotable:

“For us, pickles are extremely important. We’re not willing to change to a preservative-free pickle that has a different dill profile.”

—Marion Gross, senior vice president of supply chain management for McDonald’s USA

In other news:

A ‘particularly bright’ moment brings another fed rate increase

The Fed announced a widely expected increase in its benchmark interest rate and signaled that it planned to continue raising rates. (New York Times) 

McDonald’s removes artificial ingredients from burgers

McDonald’s reconfigures supply chain, as fast-food chain seeks to project more healthful image. (WSJ)

Trump metals tariffs will cost Ford $1 billion in profits, CEO says

Higher steel prices have brought “hundreds of millions of dollars” in new costs. (Reuters)

Shareholders aren’t gaining from tax cuts as much as some think

Corporate America isn’t using the Trump tax cuts to gorge shareholders with stock buybacks and dividends — despite the prevailing narrative. (Bloomberg) 

Maersk issues new rules for stowage of dangerous goods on its box ships

Maersk Line has announced it is deploying new guidelines for the stowage of containers on its vessels. (The Loadstar)

Final thoughts:

Americans are increasingly receiving more packages and home deliveries than ever before. Online grocery sales are predicted to capture 20% of total grocery retail by 2025 to reach $100 billion in consumer sales, according to study by the Food Marketing Institute conducted by Nielsen. U.S. E-Commerce Shipments are expected to grow 40% from 2017 to 2021. Outsourced healthcare logistics is expected to grow from an $85 billion market to $105 billion by 2021, driving home health care opportunities that require a vast residential network for secured deliveries.  

Hammer down, everyone!