DHL Parcel UK has partnered with returns platform ZigZag giving access to DHL’s Just Right Returns service for ZigZag’s network of more than 100 retailers, including Selfridges, GAP and Superdry. ZigZag retailers will be able to offer their customers the option to return their parcels at any one of DHL’s 3,500 (more…)
British shipping technology company Shipster has secured investment from Manchester-based Fearless Adventures to help grow its business. Shipster claims to make what it calls “extremely bespoke” shipping software more accessible to growing online retailers through a “no-price-per-shipment” model and a technical support team that can make same-day shipping rule changes (more…)
DHL has added what3words functionality to its consumer app, allowing its customers to share their 3m x 3m what3words address with delivery drivers. Customers will be able to enter their precise what3words address into the delivery preferences section of the app, allowing them to direct drivers to the exact doorstep, (more…)
WHSmith is partnering with Deliveroo in an exclusive trial to deliver a range of 600 WHSmith products including stationery, home office products and books direct to customers within Deliveroo’s 20-minute target. The service launched today in Reading and will be rolled out to a further nine stores across the UK (more…)
Morrisons has announced a new partnership with rapid delivery platform Gopuff to enable delivery to customers within 15 to 20 minutes. The multi-year partnership means that customers can now order from thousands of Morrisons food and grocery items, including both branded and own-brand products, through the platform. Gopuff is a (more…)
Lidl has begun recruitment for its new Luton regional distribution centre which is due to open in 2023 and will be Lidl’s largest globally. The new site will also be the first Lidl distribution centre to feature automation. The automated storage tower will be seventeen stories high – compared to five (more…)
Wickes is to roll out new distribution and supply chain initiatives across its business after reporting that both its store and distribution environments handled record levels of throughput last year. Revealing its full year results for the year ended 1 January 2022 today, Wickes said it had worked hard to (more…)
Next is to extend its Platform Plus service to 40 additional clients this year. Platform Plus allows Next to sell items stocked in its clients’ warehouses to customers on a two-day delivery promise. Through the platform items are collected daily from partners’ warehouses, consolidated with other items in the same (more…)
Amazon has launched electric Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) into its delivery fleet for the first time in the UK. Five of the 37-tonne fully-electric vehicles are now operating from Amazon’s fulfilment centres in Tilbury and Milton Keynes, replacing diesel HGVs. The company claims that this will result in up to (more…)
The UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) has criticised the Chancellor’s Spring Statement for not doing enough to support the warehousing and logistics industry. UKWA CEO Clare Bottle said that more needed to be done to support the sector, especially following its efforts in lockdown. “While the contribution of warehousing and logistics (more…)
DHL Express has announced the roll-out of 270 new electric vans, which will become part of its last-mile fleet. The company has committed to having a 100% electric UK-wide courier fleet by 2030. It follows the introduction last year of 50 electric vans. The 270 new vans will go live (more…)
Kingfisher has accelerated its use of store assets for faster click and collect and last-mile delivery, the company said in its latest results this week. Its initiatives include launching one-hour delivery with Screwfix Sprint which launched in August 2021, offering delivery direct to home or site within one hour. ‘Sprint’ (more…)
Product out-of-stocks are worse than they were during the period of panic buying seen at the start of the pandemic, according to UK shoppers. A survey of more than 1,000 UK shoppers by Retail Insight, showed over half of consumers (56%) felt out-of-stocks are now worse in-store compared to when (more…)
This year will be the first time many people across the UK will be celebrating Mother’s Day in person in two years. And although it means hugs are back on the agenda, delivery issues are threatening to spoil any gift plans, says Rob van den Heuvel, CEO at Sendcloud. Retailers are (more…)
DPD has partnered with HubBox to allow retailers to offer the option of delivery straight to a customer’s nearest DPD Pickup shop at checkout. Previously DPD parcel recipients have been able to divert parcels to their chosen Pickup shop via the DPD app or from their parcel notifications if delivery (more…)
Deliveroo had more than 11,000 grocery partner sites live globally at the end of the year, the company has revealed. In the UK, Deliveroo has nearly 6,000 grocery sites live across major partners as well as smaller independents. That number is an increase of more than two-thirds compared to the (more…)
Supply shortages will increase inflationary pressure this year and such shortages are unlikely to clear until 2023, according to DP World. The company commissioned a report that showed that 29% of companies that export are concerned about the risk of rising inflation due to supply chain disruption and 30% of (more…)
Consumers are increasingly frustrated by slow supply chains and late deliveries, according to a new report from Wunderman Thompson Commerce. Its research found that nearly half (45%) admit to getting angry about low stock levels. This was even worse during peak periods such as Black Friday, where 45% say their (more…)
AO has launched the first of its trunking fleet to operate on natural gas. The online electricals retailer has signed a five-year, full-service contract hire agreement with Fraikin for 10 new CNG-powered tractor units. It comes as the retailer looks to reduce its carbon footprint and improve sustainability across its (more…)
Pre-empting supply chain issues by stocking up early and managing stock efficiently has allowed Virgin Wines to keep gross margin largely in line with expectations whilst being able to successfully deliver customers the wines they want, when they want, the company said in its interim results this week. Virgin Wines delivered (more…)