DHL has partnered with Volvo to trial an electric truck over longer than normal distances. The trial will see a fully electric vehicle, with gross combination weights up to 60 tonnes, used across the roughly 150km distance between two DHL Freight logistics terminals in Sweden. Starting in March, it will (more…)
Royal Mail has rolled out telemetry technology to its fleet, offering the potential to reduce carbon emissions. The system from Trimble will be introduced to 11,000 small vans before the end of this year. The technology monitors the driver’s acceleration, speed, turning and braking patterns and provides them with real-time (more…)
Deutsche Post DHL is introducing new machines in Germany which will allow customers to collect parcels. Called “Poststations”, the machines offer the majority of services which would be available from a post office. These include selling postage materials and the ability to deposit parcels to send. Within a few months (more…)
H&M has introduced a new low carbon, customisable parcel delivery service in the Netherlands. The service from Swedish courier Budbee allows customers to specify the delivery time of the order themselves and track the package in real time. The parcels are delivered in the evening, helping the courier to achieve (more…)
Multinational retailer Auchan is tapping into the delivery network of start-up Glovo in Romania to offer one-hour delivery. The service is available in the 18 Romanian cities where Auchan operates. Around 4000 products are hosted on the Glovo platform, including grocery, cosmetics and garden care. Glovo’s group of couriers collect (more…)
PostNL is allowing customers to specify a preference for where to deliver parcels when they are not at home. Parcel recipients can choose from delivery to neighbours, to a PostNL drop off point or specify a location near the home, such as a shed. The option can be specified through (more…)
Ryan Higginson, VP & UK/ROI Country Leader, Sending Technology Solutions, Pitney Bowes, discusses the impacts of the UK leaving the European Union and changes to Royal Mail policy. Sending parcels and letters is a critical operation for most businesses. The past year has reminded us just how important these traditional (more…)
Heineken is streamlining its supply chain by adding new demand planning capabilities which will allow it to automatically forecast future orders. The brewer will deploy Blue Yonder’s Luminate platform in five of its largest operating companies around the world. The technology uses automation to provide unique demand projections, taking account (more…)
Polish marketplace Allegro has introduced a new same-day delivery service and built a new distribution centre in Warsaw after Amazon announced it was launching a dedicated site in the country. The company is building the new 36,500 square foot site outside of the city at the A2 Warsaw Park. Making (more…)
Hermes and Ford have trialled a new delivery model which combines delivery vans with pedestrian couriers. In the trial, taking place in central London, loaded delivery vans use Ford’s software to identify safe and convenient locations to park. The drivers use a simple smartphone app which integrates this technology with (more…)
Amazon and GLS have both announced new initiatives in the Netherlands which will reduce their CO2 emissions. Amazon has signed an agreement with Dutch energy provider Eneco to buy energy from its new offshore wind farm. The ecommerce giant has agreed to buy energy from the Hollandse Kust Noord site, (more…)
Royal Mail is building a second major parcel hub in the UK as it seeks to transform to a parcel delivery-led business. The UK mail incumbent began work last week on the 840,000 square foot site in Daventry in England’s Midlands region. When fully operational in 2023, the site will (more…)
Lifestyle brand Urban Outfitters has introduced a new automated fulfilment solution in a US warehouse, after a successful pilot in the UK. The FlashPick system from TGW automates piece picking. When entering the warehouse, cartons are emptied into totes and transported to the storage warehouses. They are then transported to (more…)
Royal Mail workers in the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have agreed a new deal with the carrier after more than a year of disputes. Eligible CWU members voted 91.5% in favour of the new agreement reached between the carrier and union. The agreement includes pay increases effective in April last (more…)
DHL Parcel has become the latest delivery company to introduce electric vans in London as it seeks to hit its zero emissions target. The 14 Renault ZE Masters will operate from DHL’s Docklands depot, with a range of 75 miles. The vehicles can support a full day of deliveries in (more…)
Ocado has begun trialling zero emissions vehicles for its same-day delivery service in west London. The trial, which began on 28 January, involves electric vans, electric-assisted cargo bikes and pedal-powered cargo bikes. The bikes use new refrigeration technology which extends their range to 50 miles, allowing more orders per trip. (more…)
Amazon Prime customers in Madrid will now be able to its fast delivery Fresh service, as the ecommerce giant plans to extend it across Spain. The Amazon Fresh service offers over 10,000 items with same-day delivery in two-hour intervals. Delivery is free on orders over €50. Spanish supermarket chain DIA (more…)
Like many couriers, Hermes has seen a vast surge in shipments during the pandemic, buoyed by the global shift to ecommerce. The company is now looking to reach the “next level of excellence”, says newly appointed Chief Transformation Officer Fash Sawyerr. As a 10-year veteran of the private equity industry, (more…)
The world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler has signed up to a pledge to move its fleet to electric vehicles by 2030. Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), which handles the production and distribution of Coke and other beverages within Europe, will transition all 8000 vehicles in its light vehicle fleet to electric or (more…)
2019 saw French ecommerce sales of both products and services pass €100 billion to reach €103.4 billion. Based on analysis of the UK and Germany, property firm Savills projects that France is about to hit a major tipping point in logistics availability as conventional distribution centres become unable to handle (more…)