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As e-commerce volumes continue to grow, customer returns of products ordered online also are rising at a rapid clip, a trend that is increasing the need for efficient reverse logistics processes to control costs.

The prevalence of e-commerce will intensify the need for good neighborhood roads in addition to well-fortified interstates, according to an executive with third-party logistics provider C.H. Robinson.

E-commerce keeps growing as consumers enjoy the convenience of shopping online and receiving packages at their door. One segment driving that growth is subscription-based online merchants marketing consumer goods ranging from household items to specialized products.

Two entrepreneurs are introducing an autonomous vehicle and electric cargo bike designed to reduce the costs arising from the last-mile delivery and returns of e-commerce merchandise in urban areas.

XPO Logistics Inc. will double its last-mile warehouses to capitalize on the rapid growth of e-commerce in North America, the company announced Sept. 12.

Global package shipping volume increased by 48% during the past two years, powered by growth in e-commerce, according to a report released last week by technology company Pitney Bowes.

Trailer makers Hyundai Translead and Strick Group are exploring options to provide equipment deliveries in the final mile as growth in e-commerce outpaces growth in retail sales overall, they said in separate announcements.

While the growth of e-commerce is widely viewed as a boon for last-mile deliveries, customer returns of the merchandise that’s delivered also are forcing change across carriers’ and shippers’ supply chains, industry experts said.

UPS Inc. is finally figuring out how to make money from the surge in online shopping.