American Eagle Outfitters Launches US Delivery Network

Quiet Platforms, the logistics arm of American Eagle Outfitters, has launched a nationwide delivery network that aims to give small and mid-sized retailers access to more than 40 carriers covering all US postal codes. 

The network, which will use the company’s “plug-and-play,” open-sharing tech platform to optimize deliveries in real time and lower costs for shippers, is partnering with DHL to offer a “date-definitive” delivery service.

Quiet Platforms says the system can reduce delivery times by one to two days and lower costs by up to $1 per parcel.

“We’re reimagining the way retailers and brands deliver service to their customers, while taking on the complexity of logistics. We’re leveling the playing field by offering high-quality delivery experiences without prohibitively high investments in management and technology infrastructure,” said Shekar Natarajan, chief supply chain officer of American Eagle, in a statement.

“Our ecosystem also gives carriers the opportunity to reach a wide range of new customers without lengthy lead times or complexity,” Natarajan added.

The launching of the network coincides with the rapid expansion of the company’s fulfillment network, including the opening last month of a new multi-tenant “connected” distribution center in Atlanta, a project the company said was completed in less than two months.

The Atlanta fulfillment facility offers “smart containerization” and flexible sorting capabilities that enable carrier and courier consolidation, as well as robotic-augmented operations—the facility deploys autonomous mobile robots—that support multiple brands.

Quiet Platforms will use a universal delivery label that eliminates the need for multiple integrations, complex invoicing or lengthy contract negotiation, the company said in a release.

In addition to nationwide coverage, the service offers “redundancy in major markets to preserve the consumer experience regardless of individual carrier constraints or exceedingly high demand during peak periods,” the company said.

Quiet Platforms extends the reach of the carrier portfolio by deferring carrier assignment to the edge of the network-optimizing cost and service levels for shippers and carriers, according to the release.

“Providing the ability to dynamically adjust fulfillment and delivery decisions in real time based on an ever-changing set of constraints is something others have contemplated, but never achieved,” said Charles Griffith, CTO of Quiet Platforms.

Carriers working with Quiet Platforms include Asendia, GLS, Gofor and Veho.

Specialty apparel retailer American Eagle Outfitters also has established fulfillment centers dedicated to omni-channel retailing in Ottawa, KS; Hazelton, PA; and Mississauga, Ontario.