Recently, FedEx and UPS announced new rate hikes for 2019. These increases in shipping costs, averaging 4.9%, have sparked some anxiety among retailers. They’re another burden on already-thin retail profits, and now threaten one of the most important perks in modern retail: free shipping. (See FedEx’s full rate guide here; UPS’ here.) In my conversations with some of the world’s largest retailers at recent industry events, I found many are scrambling to find ways to weather the new costs…[Read More]
