From Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, electronic retailers like Best Buy were happy at the pace of holiday sales. The recession appeared to be on an upward swing, however, it doesn't appear the flame lasted. Best Buy appears to be awaiting holiday sales figures they did not expect. Morningstar retail analyst R.J. Hottovy stated in a MPR News report that Best Buy will be disappointed with low sales this holiday season. "It really has not been a great holiday season for them in our mind.

Certainly, we have seen a continuation of a lot of the same trends that have put pressure on the fundamentals in recent periods, namely a lot of people shifting their consumer electronics purchases online", stated Hottovy. He stated Best Buy stores that were open 14 months had a 4 percent decline in sales. Amid aggressively pursuing sales growth through price matching and discounts, the company could suffer with low profits. Best Buy will be releasing their holiday sales results this coming month.

Their low holiday sales is no different from the overall holiday sales numbers for the retail industry as a whole. The Associated Press has already reported holiday sales increased only 0.7 percent, which is much lower than expected. Retailers and experts agreed holiday sales would go up at least by 3 to 4 percent, especially with the 4-day shopping explosion during Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Retailers experienced 4 days of $1 billion in sales. Even in 2011, still in the recession, retailers experienced a growth of 4 to 5 percent. Many are attributing the plummet of sales due to the uncertainty of the economy and the looming fiscal cliff this coming January.

Best Buy had high hopes, especially after stellar results on Cyber Monday. Experian Marketing released Bestbuy.com was the third most visited online retail site that Monday. They were good for Best Buy, however, were in no comparison to Wal-Mart and Amazon. The company has made a number of changes, even in leadership, to turn the ship around. Online retail sales continue to grow and is worth Best Buy pursuing different strategies like same-day delivery to achieve better results.

Retail giants like Wal-Mart and Amazon have begun to offer faster deliver of their products online. Wal-Mart currently provides same-day delivery in various cities and is testing the new service in San Francisco. Amazon Lockers are becoming more known, allowing their customers to have their online purchases delivered to these locations for pick up. Macy's and Target are also testing same-day delivery to capture some of the online market.

Same-day couriers like AQuickDelivery can assist online companies by offering the attractive delivery services shoppers want. From small packages to palletized freight, this Marietta courier can create courier logistic solutions that fit your business. Same-day delivery can be a huge advantage, even for Best Buy.

References: 12.24.12, MPR News, Martin Moylan, Best Buy reaps disappointing holiday sales; 12.26.12. Associated Press, US retailers report weakest holiday sales since 2008

The courier industry is demanded across the globe, yet it also is used illegally regarding drug trafficking. Whether cash or the drugs themselves, this is not a recommended line of work. The Huffington Post reported an alleged drug courier lost $20,000 in drug money while performing a delivery. Thirty year-old Demarco Alonzo Thomas was captured for money laundering and racketeering. The way Mr. Thomas was captured has baffled many.

Demarco had flown from North Carolina and had landed at the Tucson International Airport. In fear that the drug cartel would kill him for the money loss, he asked the police to write him an excuse note concerning why he doesn't have the money. The note essentially asked the police to show the drug cartel a phony receipt that they had seized the money instead. The police officer declined and arrested Mr. Thomas. After seizing the courier, the police found $17,000 in a pair of his pants and over $3000 in his wallet.

Demarco was use to making drug money deliveries on a consistent basis, getting paid $1,000 per courier run. It appears he was tempted to steal and he decided to do it. Now, Mr. Thomas finds himself in a life-threatening position when he is released from jail. Many people become drug couriers globally because they are poor.

Couriers put themselves in harm's way when they opt to engage in this type of work. In 2011, there was a highly publicized execution of three Filipino drug couriers caught in China for drug trafficking. It was stated best by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierd, "The nation sympathized with the families of the condemned, sharing their sense of looming loss. We sympathize with these families now. Their deaths are a vivid lesson in the tragic toll the drug trade takes on entire families".

A courier transports many things, from small packages to palletized freight. One thing most couriers should not transport is physical cash or drugs. A driver can get involved in all types of activities unawares, specifically drug dealing. Same-day couriers like AQuickDelivery assures our customers we do not participate in any drug trafficking, cash transporting, or any other illegal courier activities. This Atlanta courier carefully screens and manages their driver fleet. Every customer can be assured their packages will be safe, protected and secure.

Reference: 12.6.12, Huffington Post, Demarco Alonzo Thomas Loses $20,000 In Drug Money; Asks Police For Written Excuse; 3.3.11, www.abs-cbn news.com, 3 Filipino drug couriers executed in China

If we thought retail stores were going to lay down while Amazon and EBay pursue takeover of the online retail market, think again. Macy's is not backing down. They are in the race too. The Huffington Post recently reported Macy's has created a new order fulfillment system that will enable the company to perform same-day delivery of their products nationwide. Their effort is in response to competing in the online retail market with companies such as Amazon and EBay.

Macy's is the largest retail department store with a national footprint in the US. In 2011, Macy's actually began same-day deliveries via order fulfillment with 280 of its' 800 department stores to its' online customers and to stores needing inventory replenishment.

"If we decide it is an important need for the customer, I think we're going to be very well-positioned to do same-day delivery", said Macy's Chief Financial Officer Karen Houget. "We're much better positioned to do so, than [Amazon] will be." Macy's is not the average department store and has a large customer base. Their new store sales have risen 3% in 2012, utilizing their new order fulfillment system. In the report, Houget also mentioned they can not currently tell if this has to do with their new system as of yet.

Amazon, the largest online retail company in the world, appears to currently lead the competition in the same-day delivery race. The company is quickly building warehouses and distribution centers strategically throughout the country. Speculations are the company is preparing to offer same-day delivery. EBay is also in the hunt, announcing last week the testing of eBay Now. The new software will enable same-day delivery from retail stores such as Nordstrom's, Macy's, Target, Walgreen's, and Best Buy. Macy's appears to be right on track to do well with same-day delivery in the years to come.

Businesses are finding same-day delivery is the final piece to the puzzle for shoppers to buy online. For brick-and-mortar Macy's, which is an appealing company to consumers already, this would be revolutionary.

Because Macy's is a very large corporation, they have the ability to perform order fulfillment themselves. For the business that can not, competing in e-commerce, your company can perform same-day delivery as well. Courier services such as AQuickDelivery can assist your company meet the demand of online business. This same-day delivery courier can be created as a delivery option to within your online store and instead of choosing UPS or Fedex, customers can choose AQuickDelivery to deliver your product right to their front door within hours.

References: Huffington Post, 8.8.12, Alice Hines-Macy's Challenges Amazon For Same-Day Delivery

 

On Sunday July 1st, 2012 USPS will implement a ZIP code realignment change for approximately 1,104 residential and 80 businesses who currently have a 30114 ZIP code - their new zip code will be 30115. All people who will be affected by this change will be notified soon. Michael Miles, Atlanta spokesman for the Postal Service, said the realignment will impact people who live South and East of the Etowah River and East of Interstate 575 and that the change is being made to allow quicker delivery for customers.

Realigning these ZIP codes will geographically join two delivery routes with others in 30115, allowing for a more efficient line of travel for letter carriers to service customers in this area. While people may notify regular correspondents of their new ZIP codes, it is not necessary to complete a change-of-address order with the Postal Service. USPS internal processes will automatically update customer addresses. The Postal Service normally provides the updated maps, but the new lines are "a little confusing." USPS encourages any customer who was unsure whether they will be impacted to contact michael.r.miles@usps.gov.

AQuickDelivery is already aware of this change and all courier service accounts will not be impacted.

One of the first thing people notice is the mailbox when they are looking for the number of a house. In most cases, the mailbox is homogeneous and boring but every once in awhile, you see that one mailbox that makes you go hmmmm? Some homeowners use their mailboxes to show their personality. Whether they own a farm, fly planes, love star wars or are an artist, the mailboxes can truly be a work of art.

But is mailbox security an issue? We make sure to lock our doors, insure that our computers are secure, but in most cases we do not protected our mailboxes. Should we be concerned?

When you buy a new mailbox, read the USPS courier service mailbox guidelines first to make sure the box is USPS approved. Even if it's not, you can modify it to accommodate the regulations.

So with all of that said we have found the best list of creative mailboxes on the internet and wanted to share it with you :) Which is your favorite?

Unless you are shipping perishable items, live animals or other things that needs to be delivered ASAP, you can save a lot of money by avoiding having to send them via 2-day or next day air. If a package needs to arrive by a specific date, ship it in advance so you don't have to pay that extra rate. A good option is sending it Priority Mail through USPS. It's not as expensive as next day but packages can arrive within 2 to 3 business days depending on how far the destination.

You can save on postage by printing them online. The USPS website allows you to print postage and labels online at a discount. It may not be that much but when you are shipping a lot of stuff at once, every bit counts.

Re-use and recycle packaging materials. Don't throw your boxes away. Save the ones from the packages you receive and you can re-use them when you need to ship something. Just make sure that the boxes you are reusing are still in good shape. Also remove or cover the previous labels before reusing the boxes. The same goes for bubble wrap and packing peanuts.

Instead of shipping multiple packages to the same address, like when sending out Holiday gifts, you can save money by shipping them in one huge box. There is a minimum fee for every package you send and most often than not, it is cheaper to send one huge box than several individual packages.

Compare shipping rates. If you want to get the best price for shipping your packages, take time to look for a courier service that offers the cheapest rates.

Use media mail when shipping books, CDs or DVDs. This service is offered by USPS and is relatively cheap. However, this is not ideal if you want the package to arrive immediately as this option takes some time. But if time is not an issue and you just want cheap shipping, this is a great way to go.

Have your packages picked up. This service is usually free of charge and all you have to do is leave the package by your door and just arrange for them to come pick it up when they are in the neighborhood. This will save you gas money as well as time spent falling in line at the post office.

Use a courier service. If you need something delivered the same day and don't have the time to do so, you can call a local courier service like AQuickDelivery to pick-up and deliver the package for you. Alternatively, same day is also available using a National Courier Service like 1-800Courier

These tips, a bit of creativity and a lot of common sense can help you save a lot on shipping costs.

This past weekend on Christmas Eve and the day before, shoppers were still shopping.  Shippers were still shipping.  Bad deliveries were still being addressed.  UPS was handling one of their own similar driver mess-ups and reported on Christmas Day they have fired the employee caught tossing a package. On December 15th, One of their drivers was caught throwing a Zappos package and added some additional unprofessional behavior, flicking his middle finger to the security camera.  UPS spokeswoman Natalie Godwin stated to NBC News, "We don’t tolerate such conduct."  The delivery driver was a seasonal employee.

This follows the Fedex incident where a driver was caught flinging a samsung monitor over a 6ft fence, which sparked the wrong type of courier publicity during this holiday season.  This was the beginning of national close-up of delivery companies and their driver's day-to-day conduct.  Tremendous media attention caused customers to consider how couriers are handling customer's packages.  Sure, customers want them to be fast, but not that fast.  A fast delivery is no use if it is a damaged one.

It would be saddening for a delivery recipient if their packaged was damaged by the company delivering it, not to mention during Christmas time.  With a little of the holiday season left, there are other couriers customers can depend on for package delivery.  Couriers Services like AQuickDelivery promote safety and no tossing of packages.