Logistics

Preventing returns is a significant focus for online retailers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. On average, a return costs them between 5 and 10 euros, with some exceeding this range. Detailed product information is seen by entrepreneurs as the key solution.

Amazon is increasingly using rail and sea transportation in Europe, with a 50 percent growth in utilization this year. According to the company, rail and short sea routes are not only more environmentally friendly but often more efficient and even faster.

Ecommerce fulfillment company Huboo has raised 33.7 million euros (29 million British pounds) in a new funding round. This brings the company’s total amount raised to 141.8 million euros (122 million British pounds).

Dutch fulfillment company Salesupply has added another new fulfillment location to its global network. It is located in Lyon, France. The warehouse is 15,000 square meters, which gives the company the opportunity to process higher volumes in that country.

Last week, the European Parliament voted in favor of a revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. According to the revision, all packaging needs to be reusable or recyclable by 2030. The revision has been criticized by several parties, since the EU has not set uniform logistics standards across Europe so far.

Temu, the rapidly growing ecommerce player from China, has expanded its European delivery network through partnerships in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. More logistic collaborations seem to be on the horizon.

All boxes, bags and envelopes used by Amazon for deliveries in Europe are now recyclable. The company also states that an increasing number of products are being sent to customers without any additional packaging.

During November and December, the German courier, express and parcel industry is expected to transport around 715 million shipments. This comes down to around 10 million shipments less than the same period last year, which is a decrease of 2 percent.

Earlier this year, H&M introduced a return fee of 0.99 euros for shoppers in various European countries, including the Netherlands. Starting from November 1, the rate will increase there by 1 euro, more than doubling the fee. H&M club members will no longer be exempt from this.

Amazon announced plans to use drones while delivering packages to customers in the United Kingdom and Italy starting next year, with services set to commence at undisclosed locations before the end of 2024. Selected customers will be able to have items weighing up to approximately 2 kilograms delivered to their gardens by a drone.

At more than a fifth of the largest German online retailers, phone numbers for customer service are either not available or difficult to find. Shoppers with a phone number often only have support during business hours.

Zalando launched ZEOS: a brand-new service designed to provide fulfillment solutions to fashion and lifestyle retailers. Zalando is now extending its logistic services to both affiliated and non-affiliated sellers.

Ochama, a retail concept from the Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com, has announced the expansion of its home delivery services to an additional 19 European countries, bringing the total to 24 countries on the continent.

Parcel delivery service Instabox is discontinuing its services in Germany. According to the company, its volumes in the market are not high enough to sustain its operations. Just a year ago, the company already went bankrupt in the Netherlands.

During the year-end holiday season, Belgian postal company Bpost will charge online sellers an extra euro to send packages. The company claims that this is to compensate additional costs during this busy period. It runs from Black Friday, this year on November 24th, until Christmas Day.