Logistics

Parcel companies could improve the efficiency of their delivery by 30 percent if they use What3words, the UK startup claims. With What3words, you don't refer to addresses the usual way ("Main Street 1"), but by pinpointing exact delivery locations using a unique combination of three different words.

During the Deliver #2 event last week, the online platform Deliver in Europe has been officially launched. This platform on cross-border parcel delivery services is a new EU-funded initiative that will help small online retailers by informing them about the range of parcel delivery service providers they could use to ship cross border.

Tesco, the biggest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, has launched its own one-hour delivery service, called Tesco Now. This app-based delivery service is meant to compete directly with Amazon, which delivers products within one hour using its Amazon Prime Now service.

Zalando has successfully launched Zalando Fulfillment Solutions, which gives fashion brands access to the company's logistics infrastructure and know-how. Zalando can take over the order fulfillment for partners, from inbound to return.

Zalando is ready to conquer the Nordic region. The online fashion platform successfully completed its location search and will open its first Nordic fulfillment center in Sweden later this year. The fulfillment center will be built in Brunna, near Stockholm, and is meant to meet the demand of its customers in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway.

Parcel service provider GLS has further expanded its international FlexDeliveryService. By adding new countries, FlexDeliveryService is now available in twelve connected countries in Central and Eastern Europe. With the service, online shippers will be informed of scheduled deliveries and can decide when and where they want to take delivery of the parcels.

The Swiss company TeleRetail has developed a delivery robot that is designed to cover long distances up to about 80 kilometers. The robot, which is still a prototype, could be used for suburban and rural deliveries.

Magento Commerce has launched its own multicarrier solution, called Magento Shipping, which automates shipping and fulfillment for online retailers and brands. With the solution, Magento users get access to regional and international carriers to automate their fulfillment.

European logistics service provider Hermes has announced a new international shipping solution, aimed at UK-based sole traders and small and medium-sized enterprises. Online retailers with a Hermes Business Account can now send their products to cross-border shoppers in 23 European countries.

AliExpress, the business-to-consumer ecommerce marketplace of Alibaba, has selected Dutch postal service PostNL as the delivery partner for the majority of its packages to the Netherlands. Sellers on AliExpress will get direct access to PostNL's distribution network, while Dutch consumer no longer have to wait for weeks to get their package.

Although 52 percent of consumers in the United Kingdom see next-day-delivery as their most preferred delivery method, still a fifth of UK retailers are failing to offer their customers next-day delivery. On the other hand, 65 percent of retailers offer click & collect, even when only 18 percent of consumers consider this their preferred delivery method.

Amazon is seeking a total of 1,300 warehouse units across Europe. The American retail giant is looking for small distribution facilities near major cities, so they can function as last-mile centers that receive and store shipments prior to their final deliveries to customers nearby.

Otto, the major German ecommerce company, is using artificial intelligence, with an algorithm originally designed for experiments at the CERN laboratory, to improve its online activities. Thanks to the technology, Otto has managed to drastically decline its returns.

Amazon Logistics is becoming more and more sophisticated. The American company is now testing its two-man delivery service in Munich, which would mean it's attacking Deutsche Post DHL and Hermes in just another business area. If the test becomes a success, Amazon could expand the service to other European countries, such as the United Kingdom.

Logistics management software Onfleet has gone international. The American SaaS platform is focusing more and more on Europe and other continents and has now made its driver app and website available in Spanish and French.