Royal Mail has added Alexa-powered voice control features to the Royal Mail app, allowing customers to track deliveries using a voice command. Using the app, customers use the option to track an item, which stores it to their tracking history and allows them to set an alias such as “birthday (more…)
UPS plans to add a number of natural gas powered trucks starting next year as part of a bid to reduce emissions. Working with partner Agility Fuel Solutions, the carrier will invest $450 million to add 6000 natural gas powered vehicles to its fleet between 2020 and 2022. The vehicles (more…)
Customers are willing to desert retailers over inaccurate stock availability data, according to a survey commissioned by MuleSoft. The report found that 80% of consumers believed out-of-date or inaccurate data on stock availability or delivery tracking would make them likely to shop with another retailer. It also found 58% of (more…)
DHL-backed StreetScooter has showcased new versions of its all-electric vehicles. Called the WORK and WORK L, the two new models offer greater battery capacity, space for four euro pallets and capacity of over a tonne. They allow higher speeds of up to 120 km per hour. They allow faster charging, (more…)
Several European retailers are taking part in a new EU-backed project which is evaluating the use of hydrogen vehicles to cut carbon emissions from logistics. The H2Haul project has received €12 million in funding from the European Commission and will test the viability of hydrogen vehicles. The tests will take (more…)
DHL plans to add 3000 new self-service parcel machines across Germany in the next two years. The 3,000 additional Packstations will bring the total up to 7000 across the country by 2021. The packstations sit alongside the company’s 24,000 other physical postal outlets and parcel shops. DHL introduced Packstations to (more…)
Royal Mail-owned logistics firm GLS claims it has reached carbon neutrality in its German operations. The company has been using electricity generated from renewables across its over 70 locations in the country since 1 October. GLS is using around 100 e-vehicles such as bikes and scooters in over 20 projects (more…)
Fashion retailers PrettyLittleThing and Farfetch have both invested in their logistics propositions as they seek to support business expansion. PrettyLittleThing has relocated to a new warehouse in Sheffield ahead of this year’s peak season. The 600,000 square foot site features sortation capabilities from BS Handling Systems, offering the retailer additional (more…)
UPS has flown a commercial delivery drone beyond line of sight after receiving a first-of-its-kind certification from the US government. The company was given a “Part 135 Standard” certification last week which permits UPS to fly an unlimited number of drones with an unlimited number of remote operators in command. (more…)
DHL has set out its strategy for the next five years, saying it will invest billions in digitising its operations to keep up with the demands of ecommerce. The new strategy will see the company spending around €2 billion on digitisation, which it says will pay off in annual benefits (more…)
Fossil fuel alternatives are becoming mainstream in ecommerce but action is needed from governments to encourage growth, says UPS’s head of sustainability in Europe. Peter Harris tells eDelivery that of the company’s 120,000 vehicles over 10,000 are now using alternative fuels. Next year a full-quarter of all vehicles UPS buys (more…)
DHL has completed a new carbon-neutral distribution centre in London. The new 51,474 square foot facility is located at SEGRO Park Newham and will serve the east London area. The site is part of an initiative to redevelop brownfield land by property company SEGRO, the Greater London Authority and Newham (more…)
Online delivery has rapidly evolved to accommodate customers but online returns policies are struggling to catch up, according to executives from Harrods, Unilever and ShopDirect. Speaking on a panel at Ecommerce Expo, Simon Finch, director of distribution at Harrods, said that the last five years had seen a dramatic evolution (more…)
The UK government’s transport department has invited transport technology start-ups to bid for a share of £960,000 in funding. Targeted at early-stage research projects, the Department for Transport (DfT) grant will offer £30,000 in funding in help projects get to market quicker. A spokesperson for the DfT said ecommerce delivery (more…)
IKEA is introducing electric vehicles and alternative fuels in Finland as it looks to reach zero emissions for delivery across its markets by 2025. Starting from 1 October, the electric vehicles will serve both online orders and in-store orders in the Tampere area. Customers will be able to receive products (more…)
Fast fashion giant ASOS is adding new DPD electric vehicles to its delivery service as it renews its contract with the parcel giant. The multi-million pound contract will see the carrier offering services across the UK until September 2024, extending a contract which has been in place for over 10 (more…)
DHL Express has introduced its first set of electric delivery vehicles in London as it looks to run 400 across the UK by 2025. DHL Express has introduced 10 Renault ZE Masters vans, which have ranges of around 75 miles and a payload capacity of around 10 cubic metres. The (more…)
Amazon is introducing 100,000 electric delivery vehicles to its fleet as part of a new climate change commitment. The company bought the technology from Rivian, a US-based sustainable transportation company, with the aim of getting the 100,000 vehicles on the road by 2030, saving 4 million metric tonnes of carbon (more…)
Johannes Panzer, head of industry solutions for ecommerce at Descartes, discusses best practices for taking on D2C logistics. Today’s modern shopping experience no longer relies upon a supplier, retailer and customer. Nespresso, for instance, has built its brand based on cutting out the middleman and selling coffee pods directly to (more…)
Netherlands-based lingerie brand Hunkemöller is aiming to double its sales over five years through a new inventory management tool. The Columbus Consulting solution will allow the retailer to accurately allocate stock to the right stores as it seeks to grow from 920 stores across 20 countries to 1300. The solution (more…)