Logistics

Last week, DHL eCommerce inaugurated its 100,000^th access point in Europe. Its parcel network now consists of 80,000 service points and 20,000 parcel lockers. This makes it the largest and densest parcel network on the continent.

Clevon, a startup from Estonia, claims a European first in the field of autonomous delivery. Several driverless carriers from the company are navigating public roads, delivering groceries in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.

European ecommerce fulfillment company Huboo has grown more than 130 percent in the last year. According to the company, it raked in over 23.4 million euros (20 million British pounds) in new business.

Lufthansa Cargo has the ambition to establish a ‘European same-day and ecommerce network’, centered around Frankfurt. Frankfurt Airport is set to become one of the world's most significant ecommerce hubs.

Starting on September 18^th, ecommerce giant Amazon will charge Prime members for same-day delivery in the United Kingdom. The fee will apply to orders under 20 British pounds (23.5 euros). Other delivery options will remain free for Prime members.

Amazon is making a fresh start with Amazon Shipping, the shipping service that online retailers can also utilize for orders beyond the platform. The service has been reintroduced in the United Kingdom and is now also accessible to online retailers in France, Italy, and Spain.

As of yesterday, Dutch fulfillment company Active Ants has been fully acquired by Belgian postal company Bpost. The acquisition was already announced in 2018, but at that time management remained in the hands of Active Ants. Now, the company has sold its remaining stake to Bpost.

TikTok started providing logistics services to sellers in the United Kingdom. The company is introducing a program called 'Fulfilled by TikTok', or FBT for short. Interested sellers will hand over a volume of their stock.

Amazon is pulling the plug on its specialized fulfillment program for small, lightweight, and low-priced goods in Europe, after the discontinuation in the US. Starting from September 26, these items will automatically be subject to new 'low-price FBA rates’.

Ecommerce giant Amazon has opened its first fulfillment center in the Netherlands. With the new location, the online marketplace will be able to deliver Dutch orders faster. The launch is part of a collaboration with Dutch logistics company Bleckmann.

DHL Group has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of MNG Kargo, one of the leading parcel service providers in Turkey. According to DHL, the acquisition secures a leading position in the domestic parcel market. “MNG Kargo complements our business portfolio and will help to strengthen our position in this sector”, CEO Tobias Meyer says.

LiBiao Robotics has opened a European headquarters in Frankfurt to bolster its growth ambitions on our continent. The new location offers a showroom and areas for demonstrations of the autonomous sorting robots.

From 1 August, Hermes Fulfilment will take over a dispatch center in Valdengo, Northern Italy. The center specialises in the logistical processing of low-volume product ranges. ‘By taking over the site in Valdengo, we can establish ourselves on the European market’, says CEO Kevin Kufs.

Swedish Logent Group has signed an agreement for a majority stake in Misi. The acquisition of this Dutch fulfilment company is expected to be completed next month. It is unknown how much money Logent paid for the majority stake.

Ocado has returned to profitability on a group level. The British online supermarket and solutions provider reported a gross profit (EBITDA) of 16.6 million pounds for the first half of this year. According to CEO Tim Steiner, Ocado demonstrates 'the potential for our international ambitions'.