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.
Starship, the startup company that got lots of press coverage when it revealed it wants to deliver packages with little robot buggies, is ready to challenge today’s distribution giants. It has been running experiments for over six months in Estonia and it thinks it could take over the parcel business. Continue reading
Royal Mail has announced it acquired eCourier, a same day delivery company that operates mainly in the Greater London area, although offering nationwide distribution. Royal Mail already has Royal Mail Sameday, but by combining eCourier and its existing courier business, the British postal service company can become a significant player in the UK same day delivery market. Continue reading
If your shipments are damaged or lost during transport, who covers the loss? One might think the carrier covers the full value of the shipment, but this is far from the truth. And also, it depends on in which country the shipment takes place, how big your loss as a retailer will be. Continue reading
Amazon has launched its one-hour delivery service, called Amazon Prime Now, in Italy. Consumers who are Amazon Prime members can schedule a same-day delivery for free and have goods delivered within the hour for 6.90 euros. Italy is now the second European country to offer this Amazon service, after the United Kingdom got the scoop in July. Continue reading
The good old delivery to a consumer’s home or workplace may still be the most important delivery option for most online shoppers in Europe, there are more and more alternative delivery options becoming popular as well. Click-and-collect services, delivery to a local shop or delivery to designated lockers are among the most demanded delivery methods. Continue reading
Consumers should have more delivery choice when they are about to pay for products of services they found online. This could reduce the proportion of purchases abandoned before they are completed. Parcel and carrier management company GFS reported a 10% rise in completed orders since it introduced GFS Checkout, which offers shoppers a choice of delivery or collection services. Continue reading
Sennder thinks it has the solution for getting packages from one place to another in a short time and with low costs. It wants to do this by using long-distance buses. The newly founded startup already has some investors on board and more will follow at the end of the year. Continue reading