Logistics

FedEx has expanded its day-definite delivery service across Europe. After successfully launching International Connect Plus (FICP) in Italy and the UK last January, this service is now available in ten additional countries across Europe.

PostNord invests significantly in parcel boxes in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. The logistics company wants to have more than 12,500 of its own parcel boxes in the Nordics before the end of 2022. And after that, investments in additional parcel boxes are planned.

Sennder, a digital road freight forwarder from Germany, has raised 80 million dollars (65 million euros). This follows the first close of its Series D funding round in January and brings the total size of this round to almost 200 million euros.

Sameday, a courier company from Romania, is expanding in Hungary. It already offers delivery options to customers in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, but soon the company will expand its coverage nationwide.

Instabox, a Swedish company that offers same-day delivery through its network of lockers, has acquired Red Je Pakketje. This is a Dutch company known for its same-day delivery with short time slots and sustainable transport.

Last year, a lot happened in the world of logistics and ecommerce fulfillment. The coronavirus pandemic has boosted ecommerce in many ways, but also led to many companies having to make significant changes in the short term. What's the state of ecommerce fulfillment per country in 2021?

SmartRoutes, an Irish provider of delivery route planning software, has plans to expand its operations across Europe and the United Kingdom. It also plans to double its team for the second year in a row to meet the demand for its service.

Next year, DHL will have the largest parcel center in Germany. It's not building a completely new building to achieve this. Instead, DHL will expand its parcel center in Aschheim by building a new facility adjacent to the existing center. The two buildings will be connected through a tunnel for trucks.

ParcelSea, a last-mile tech startup from Estonia, has raised 935,000 euros to build a smart mailbox network in Estonia and foreign markets. The Tallinn-based company wants to expand production and continue building new features and services.

Chinese ecommerce giant JD will open a new distribution center in the Netherlands. The B2C online retailer will open a site that's 18,000 square meters big.

Logistics company Whistl has announced it will open three new fulfillment sites in the United Kingdom. To accelerate its expansion into online fulfillment, Whistl opens depots in Lutterworth, Northampton and Plymouth.

The coronavirus pandemic accelerated various trends in ecommerce logistics. Some things have drastically changed when it comes to shipments, consumer behavior, shipping fees and cross-border ecommerce. Here are some logistical developments to keep an eye on.

There has been a 40 percent growth in pick-up/drop-off points in the European Union and the United Kingdom since mid-2019. Especially in Poland there was a significant increase in the number of PUDO points.

Seven Senders, a German delivery platform for parcel shipping, has concluded a Series C financing round of 40 million dollars (33 million euros). The company wants to use the money to further support Chinese and US online retailers with their business activities in Europe.

Online shoppers from Denmark can now return their parcels by putting the box in a parcel locker from SwipBox. Logistics provider Bring, the international unit of Norway Post, is the first to offer this return service via the parcel locker.