Gary Rohloff, co-founder at Laybuy, explains how so-called free delivery and returns are not such a good deal for the retailer that offers them. Last year the press reported on a growing trend amongst Instagram users who simply buy clothes to wear once for an #ootd picture – then return (more…)
A new drone corridor in Bedfordshire could provide a testing ground for retailers to test and demonstrate new automated delivery systems, says the founder of the company behind the initiative. Since August 2018, autonomy specialist Blue Bear and the University of Cranfield have been collaborating on a site for conducting (more…)
eDelivery looks at some of the major trends that retail logistics professionals will grapple with in 2019. Automation, automation, automation Of those technologies generally seen as futuristic, automation already has the weight of evidence behind it. Retailers and logistics companies are already achieving demonstrable results from introducing automation both (more…)
While a number of technologies promise to disrupt retail logistics, there are only a handful of companies that are actually putting them to practical use. In this article eDelivery looks into some of the innovative new European start-ups that are already working to transform the sector. Vekia – predictive (more…)
With nearly half of British shoppers doing at least 50% of their Christmas shopping online, Julian Krenge, chief technology officer at parcelLab, looks at how retailers can learn from the master of speedy deliveries: Santa Claus himself. It’s no secret that the festive period is the busiest time of the (more…)
Romulus Grigoras, CEO at OneStock, reflects on how 2018 has raised the bar for order management. If I buy a new jacket, I expect my order to be fulfilled regardless of where it’s stocked and how I’d like it delivered. I might wish to shop online and pick up in-store (more…)
Bruce Fair, chief revenue officer at MetaPack, explains how retailers can use “ship from store” to make use of their real estate while cutting logistics costs. Peak notwithstanding, the retail market is in a state of flux and store closures have reached record levels over the past year. Many long-established (more…)
The decision on whether to buy a real or plastic Christmas tree usually depends on personal taste, with very few people if any thinking about the impact their choice has on logistics. But for Christmas tree suppliers such as Needlefresh, the current move away from plastics has led to a (more…)
By Andy Kaye, CEO, Bis Henderson Group Much of a retail business’ ability to remain competitive and relevant to a market depends upon the readiness of its supply chain to react and adapt swiftly to change. Smart technology and flexible processes may go some way to facilitate this, but organisational (more…)
Amazon has been disrupting the logistics industry for years, but its latest step may be a difficult one for retailers to follow. From the end of November to 5 December Amazon UK ran a “free delivery week”, in which its free delivery service was extended to all orders with no (more…)
By Ed Bradley, director and co-founder of Virtualstock Dropshipping is a supply chain management method in which the retailer does not keep goods in stock but instead transfers the customer orders and shipment details to either the manufacturer, another retailer, or a wholesaler, who then ships the goods directly to (more…)
December is a time of celebration, festivity – and for the logistics sector, intense pressure. John Perry, MD at Scala, writes about how retailers can cope with the seasonal spike. It’s Christmas, companies are scrambling to get their deliveries completed in time and order fulfilment is top of the agenda. (more…)
To talk to Tim Robinson, CEO of Doddle, the last mile is going to remain a major challenge for retailers for many years to come. In an exclusive interview with eDelivery, he outlined both the physical (limited roadspace and vehicles) and management challenges (disorganised and demanding consumers) that retailers face (more…)
Click and collect providers such as Doddle were “drunk on proximity” before the latter dramatically reoriented its business model, its CEO claims. Tim Robinson, who founded the parcel pick-up service in 2014, tells eDelivery that things have fundamentally changed since then – not least with the addition of competition from (more…)
Blockchain could prove hugely beneficial to improving accuracy and efficiency within the logistics market, according to James Robbins, CIO of ArrowXL. Here he explains how. Whilst those professionals working within the logistics sector will be very familiar with the inner workings of the supply chain, they may struggle when asked to (more…)
An event last week brought together business leaders big and small to back a new campaign for a second referendum on the UK’s exit from the European Union. The launch event for the Business for a People’s Vote campaign featured the likes of Sir Mike Rake, former president of the (more…)
When looking to grow a retail business a focus on delivery processes can help, according to Neil Cotty, CEO of Global Freight Solutions. It’s no secret that the retail sector, particularly the high-street, has faced significant disruption over the past few years. As technology continues to develop, and our lives (more…)
In a recent eDelivery webinar, Returns, Fact or Friction, CML’s business development manager Jane Smith and commercial director Kerry Delaney turned their attention to the issue of returns. Here’s a bulletpoint overview of the session. Jane Smith, business development manager at CML, opened the webinar by saying that when she buys online (more…)
As retailers complete the reviews of their peak period it’s a time that some may reconsider their choice of logistics partner. But picking the right one isn’t easy says William Walker, sales director of Walker Logistics. As the dust from the busy fourth quarter ‘online shopping season’ finally settles, now (more…)
Last week’s snow had a major impact on retail – halting home deliveries temporarily but having a longer felt impact on supermarket shelves where bread and milk shortages were just the start of the problem. Here Stuart Higgins, director retail at BearingPoint, explains more about why it happened. ED: Why do supermarkets (more…)