Dennis expands with acquisition

Cross-border shipping rates will go up for many U.S. shippers on July 1. This change comes after countries began to self-declare postal rates based on the deal reached by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in September, Supply Chain Dive reported. Many postage sellers, consolidators and other cross-border service providers such as FedEx, UPS and Stamps.com, received new contracts from USPS last month, but many haven't yet alerted shippers of the change. Without direct communication from service providers, shippers may be confused when their rates go up, unsure what the increase is for. Supply Chain Dive reported that any business that is a bulk cross-border shipper will see a rate increase.

Amazon is set to significantly expand its digital and on-demand printing capabilities after reupping an existing agreement with Kornit, the Israeli manufacturer of high-speed inkjet printing equipment. Over the next five years, Amazon committed to buying $250 million in existing Kornit products, such as digital printers and inks, and $150 million in "future products." The deal totals $400 million. The move is a big one for Amazon, which has been steadily and methodically building its digital printing capacity over the last several years. Most of that capacity has gone toward its Merch by Amazon service, a print on-demand platform that enables sellers to create and sell custom apparel and other merchandise decorated and fulfilled by Amazon. We've covered Merch by Amazon and two related services—Amazon Custom and Amazon Merch Collab—at length, particularly where they stand in relation to the promotional products industry.

David Carey, the president of Hearst Magazines since 2010 and the architect of some of the most successful magazine launches at that company in recent decades, is stepping down at the end of the year, according to the company. Carey will serve next year as a fellow at the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative, a program designed to give business, government and other leaders a platform for social-impact initiatives. "Under David, we have become a preeminent global digital publishing company while continuing to launch innovative print editions," CEO Steven Swartz said in a memo to employees this morning. "Over the next few months, while continuing to run the group, David will help select the next leader of our magazine company. This kind of orderly transition is a hallmark of Hearst Magazines." Click Read More below for additional information.