Renault has developed a new electric delivery vehicle for the last mile, which it hopes to improve through real-world tests with delivery companies. The carmaker said it was lending out a dozen of its EZ-FLEX vehicles to various companies and public authorities in an effort to gain data on the (more…)
Zalando has ended free delivery in three more European countries as the retail industry begins to take a harder stance on previously generous policies. Customers will now have to pay delivery charges on orders under a specified certain value in the UK, Ireland and Spain. The charges are set at (more…)
Clarks has implemented new software in its distribution centres to allow it to more quickly roll out new applications. The shoe seller will use software from WHISHWORKS to build an API-based network on which it can quickly launch new services without disrupting day-to-day operations. This will eliminate the need for (more…)
Amazon employees at sites at several distribution centres in Germany are striking to achieve a collective bargaining agreement. The strikes begun on Sunday and are taking place at sites in Rheinberg, Werne, Bad Hersfeld and Koblenz throughout this week. The United Service Union (ver.di) is leading the strikes, pushing to (more…)
The sale of new petrol and diesel HGV lorries should be banned by 2040, according to an advisory board to the UK government. The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) recommended the move to “provide the freight industry with the certainty it needs” to invest in green technology. The report said that (more…)
For retailers selling online via an ecommerce platform, the plugins they choose determine what kind of experience the customer gets. eDelivery looks at some of the top Shopify apps for differentiating on the last mile. 1. Gophr Claiming to be “super simple” to install, Gophr offers same-day delivery (more…)
Sainsbury’s is trialling a 100% electric van in areas of London ahead of a potential wider roll-out. The zero emissions van, named Evie, will deliver up to 30 orders per day to Sainsbury’s customers across central and east London. With an expected range of around 80 miles on a single (more…)
Online grocery companies will have to overcome consumer concerns around freshness and the cost of delivery to prevent a decline in the market, says new research. A report from Mintel found that the proportion of customers shopping online for groceries had fallen from 48% to 45% between 2015 and 2018, (more…)
ASOS said it can now process nearly 10 million orders and 3.5 million returns a week as it comes to the end of a long period of investment. The fashion retailer saw an 87% drop-off in profits in the six months to February to reach £4 million, which ASOS attributed (more…)
DPD has partnered with a new start-up to develop a new type of electric delivery bike. The company, called Electric Assisted Vehicles (EAV), opened for business today after creating an electrical cargo quadracycle called the Project 1. The Project 1 is powered by peddling with the ability to support this (more…)
The number of warehouse robots will rise from 27,000 to over 4 million by 2025, according to a new report. ABI Research claims that robots will be installed in over 50,000 warehouses, up from less than 4000 in 2018. On the demand side, the report says the growth will be (more…)
DHL will allow prospective employees to apply via the smartphone application WhatsApp to improve its high-volume recruitment capabilities. Rather than filling in online forms, candidates can receive a telephone number to register through WhatsApp. A chatbot will then ask for the necessary recruitment data step-by-step and sends it automatically to (more…)
Homebase will make use of carrier management and other services for its ecommerce customers through a new agreement. The DIY retailer will be able to access carrier management, invoice validation and drop ship vendor services. Wincanton will manage over 300,000 customer deliveries from Homebase’s distribution centres in the first year (more…)
Spanish postal giant Correos has expanded into the Portuguese market with the acquisition of a local express company, allowing it to offer quicker shipping across the Iberian Peninsula. The company paid €11 million for a 51% stake in Portuguese Rangel Expresso, allowing it to establish Correos Express Portugal in its (more…)
London has launched its ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ), which will impose charges on drivers of certain vehicles. Delivery vans that do not meet the Euro 6 emissions standard will be charged £12.50 per day within the specified zone, while lorries will be charged up to £100. The same as the (more…)
Royal Mail will now provide notifications to customers telling them when to expect deliveries the day before they come. The notification will be able to provide a delivery window of two hours, down from the previously offered four-hour windows. Royal Mail said competitor networks were only able to predict delivery (more…)
ASOS may take action against serial returns in a change to its policy which aims to make it more sustainable. The fashion retailer told customers in an email that it may “investigate and take action” if it notices an “unusual pattern”. It announced that it would increase its returns period (more…)
The Co-op has vowed to take a differentiated route to online selling from the start and the results of a trial of a Starship delivery robot are showing how effective this can be. Since April 2018 the UK convenience retailer has been operating a trial of delivery robots in Milton (more…)
Supermarkets are going to be forced to adapt to using a range of delivery methods to meet sustainability goals, according to a Sainsbury’s executive. Speaking at the eDelivery stage at InternetRetailing Expo, online operations development manager Max Conrad said the time when one solution would fit all delivery situations had (more…)
H&M has begun a recruitment drive as it prepares to open its first omnichannel DC for the UK and Ireland. Located in Milton Keynes, the site will service stores and online orders in the countries. H&M will close its existing distribution centre at Wembley, with all staff being offered a (more…)