No ecommerce without logistics. Because whenever a consumer orders something online, that product has to be shipped from one place (a warehouse or fulfilment centre) to another (the consumer’s house, a pick-up point, et cetera). So logistics play a very important role in the whole ecommerce process. In order to achieve success in the online retail industry, one has to have a very solid logistics plan in place.
French supermarket chain Carrefour is busy extending its home delivery service across the whole of France. By 2020, all cities with a population of at least 10,000 people will be able to make use of the service. Later this year, Carrefour also lets customers pick up non-food items they ordered online at a hypermarket within two hours. Continue reading
Consumers in Germany receive more packages per year than every other citizen in Europe. Per capita in Germany there are 24 shipments per year. That’s twice as many as in the Netherlands for example. Continue reading
Supermarket chain Lidl has extended its online grocery shopping and home delivery service in Ireland. The service, operated by grocery delivery startup Buymie, was already active in Dublin and now extends into the commuter counties surrounding the capital. Continue reading
Many top retailers in the United Kingdom and Germany have a long way to go when it comes to customer centricity. A lot of major ecommerce companies in these European countries don’t meet the expectation of online shoppers, something which could damage loyalty and revenues. Continue reading
Sorted, a delivery software startup from the United Kingdom, has raised 17 million euros in a funding round that was led by Praetura Ventures and NVM Private Equity. This follows after a year of 400 percent revenue growth. Continue reading
In France, ecommerce accounted for a 7.1 percent share of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sold last year. That’s the highest share in Europe, ahead of a 6.3 percent share in the United Kingdom and a 1.4 percent share in Germany. Continue reading
Zalando wants to make the shipping of its packages even more sustainable. The online fashion platform is planning a pilot for reusable packaging. The customer can return the transport carrier, ie the carton box or the plastic bag, to Zalando so the German ecommerce company can use it again. Continue reading
Online retailers who offer free delivery don’t seem to experience having more items returned to them. Although many consumers often don’t pay for delivery, when they do return purchases, most of the time it’s not due to free delivery. Continue reading
Farfetch has introduced Farfetch Second Life: a new initiative to give designer bags a second life. Customers can exchange their beloved handbags for credit they can use to fund future purchases on the online fashion store. Continue reading
Migros has made it possible for its customers to collect online orders in one of many Migros stores across Switzerland. The supermarket giant has partnered with Swiss Post to make this new service available. Continue reading
The number of returns in Europe this year has increased by 8 percent compared to the same period last year. At the same time, free shipping has shown a 3 percent rise and goods purchased using a short-term promotion grew 29 percent. Continue reading
Zalando is slowly ending its free delivery service in Europe. It started last November in Italy and now more and more markets are starting to ask for a delivery fee. Latest markets to be hit by this decision are Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Continue reading
Online retailer VidaXL has started the realization of its second distribution center. Just like the first one, this building will go up in Venlo, in the southern part of the Netherlands, near Germany. The new dc, which will measure 80,000 square meters, is set to open in March 2020. Continue reading
An Post, the state-owned postal company of Ireland, has reported a jump in revenue last year. The company’s sales increased by almost 7 percent to 897 million euros. Although there was a predictable decline in its traditional mail business, the company’s parcel volumes grew further. Continue reading
Last year, project planning company Smart City Loop entered the market to revolutionize transport on the ‘last mile’. And now real estate developer Four Parx has commissioned Smart City Loop to carry out a feasibility study in Hamburg, to see if parcels could be delivered underground in the near future. Continue reading