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.
Waitrose is the first supermarket in the United Kingdom that will test the delivery of groceries to customers’ home addresses, while they aren’t at home. The supermarket, now officially called Waitrose & Partners, will test the ‘While You’re Away’ service with 100 customers in the south London area. Continue reading
Spanish pharmacy network Promofarma wants to deliver products to customers a lot faster than it currently does and is thus testing one-hour delivery. The new service will initially start only in Spain, but expanding to other countries in Europe is something they are thinking about. Continue reading
Bevh, the German association of ecommerce and mail order, wants to have more online orders delivered to home letterboxes. It will work closer together with VDBF, the association of the German envelope industry, to make this happen. Continue reading
HubBox, which runs a network of shops that operate as parcel collection points across the United Kingdom, will add 2,000 extra click & collect locations across the country. The expansion of its Collect Points network follows after forming a partnership with payment provider Epay. Continue reading
PostNord and Zalando have signed a three year logistics contract, thereby extending the partnership that started when Zalando entered the Nordic market eight years ago. Until mid-2021, PostNord will be the sole supplier of logistics solutions to Zalando in all of PostNord’s four markets in the Nordic region. Continue reading
The Otto Group is looking for a strategic partner for essential parts of its parcel delivery service Hermes. The German retail group is even ready to sell a majority stake in Hermes. And that might be interesting for major ecommerce companies such as Amazon and Alibaba, looking to gain a foothold in the European ecommerce market. Continue reading
Swiss Post will get some serious competition in the booming parcel delivery market in Switzerland. DHL, the subsidiary of Deutsch Post, will build a network of 1,000 pick-up points in the Central-European country. The goal is to become the number two in Switzerland, just after Swiss Post. Continue reading
Bol.com, the popular Dutch online department store, made some changes to its paid Select model. Subscribers will now get free delivery on all products, regardless of the order value. Previously, Bol.com Select offered free delivery only on 300.000 selected products. Continue reading
Customers of Marks & Spencer can now return their online orders at one of many Simply Food stores across the United Kingdom. Previously, consumers already had the possibility to collect their online orders at these stores, but now returning them can happen at the same location. Continue reading
It’s not uncommon for online shoppers in Switzerland to pay a shipping fee for their online order. This year, free shipping is, just like in previous years, still the exception. Less than a fifth of the top-selling online stores in Switzerland send orders without any shipping costs. Continue reading
UK Mail will become DHL Parcel UK. After Deutsche Post DHL Group acquired the British parcels and mail company in December 2016, it has now become time for UK Mail to fully integrate into the group’s network of European parcel companies. Continue reading
Fashion retailer H&M is experimenting with same day delivery. Currently, this delivery method is only being tested with customers who live in Berlin, but chances are H&M will roll it out in other cities or even countries, when the pilot is a success. Continue reading
Belgian postal company Bpost has raised 650 million euros. The transaction will serve to refinance the acquisition of Radial Holdings it completed in November of last year. Bpost is more and more becoming a full ecommerce logistics company. Continue reading
The Spanish startup HomyHub has, together with national postal service Correos, developed a service, called Safe Delivery, which allows consumers to receive their packages in the garage, without having to be at home. By using an app, consumers can control, monitor and manage access to their garage. Continue reading
Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn is currently experimenting with a smart door lock, so groceries can be delivered to a customer’s place, even when the customer isn’t at home. The test is part of Albert Heijn Online Labs, which invents and develops new concepts to improve the supermarket’s service. Continue reading