The new service kicked off in San Francisco and could be a reaction to competition from Amazon, which has begun what appears to be an initiative to get next day delivery up and running, and perhaps eventually same day delivery.

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Yihaodian promises next-day delivery for more than 180, 000 products, including groceries, electronics and clothing.

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The fulfillment center enables Urban Outfitters to provide fast and effective next-day delivery to the western states.

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Yihaodian operates next-day delivery service for essential daily goods at competitive prices.

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Sales reps calling on customers are trained to first talk up how Give Something Back can save both time and money, for instance, guaranteeing free next-day delivery on 40, 000 items.

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Changing those shipments to next-day service with afternoon delivery lowers costs with virtually no change in service.

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UPS' next-day air and "deferred delivery" volume still trails that of FedEx, but is gaining.

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The company offers free overnight delivery in the U.S. via Airborne Express Next Day service.

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