Recent weeks have seen automation and robotics start-ups netting new funding from investors, in a sign that retailers may be embracing automation in the wake of the coronavirus disruption. Locus Robotics, a warehouse robotics company which counts DHL and Boots amongst its customers, netted $40 million in its latest funding (more…)
As the COVID-19 pandemic opens divisions between physical and online retailers, health food seller Holland & Barrett has accelerated its move to online and to a more flexible logistics model, according to its ecommerce operations head. Paz Khorana, [Head of Web Operations] says that the company has adopted a ship-from-store (more…)
Uber has announced two new services which put it squarely on the home turf of traditional parcel carriers. Uber Connect allows consumers to send parcels to each other. This service is available in 25 cities in Australia, Mexico, and the US. Uber Direct sees the company doing deliveries for retailers (more…)
Many non-essential retailers in the UK are now closing their doors to customers amidst the coronavirus pandemic, but online retail is seeing a surge in demand and in some cases, becoming a vital lifeline. eDelivery rounds up insight and best practice from the industry on how warehouse workers, drivers, and (more…)
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is already leading to changes in the way people shop, ranging from the minor to the fundamental. Within the industry, companies are already expecting these changes to long outlast the crisis. As citizens are encouraged increasingly to stay in their homes, many are opting for online (more…)
A number of UK retailers and delivery companies have announced new rules for how couriers behave on the doorstep as the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic grows in severity. Despite the UK government only telling people who show symptoms to stay at home, many citizens are changing their behaviour to avoid travelling, (more…)
With public health authorities warning that a widespread outbreak of the new coronavirus strain (COVID-19) in the UK is overwhelmingly likely, the retail logistics sector may be facing a severe test of its employment structures. At the time of writing, Worldometers.com lists the worldwide number of COVID-19 victims at over (more…)
Delivery is becoming an increasingly central way to connect with customers, particularly for those retailers which have traditionally been physical retailers but are moving more online. While in the past retailers could build and retain customer loyalty through strong in-store service, digital customers are more remote. David Walmsley, chief digital (more…)
In this extract from our recent Deep Dive into sustainability, available here, we look at warehouse sustainability. According to a report by the Carbon Trust, the overwhelming majority of energy usage in a typical warehouse comes from lighting, accounting for between 65 and 95% of the total. Some changes are (more…)
David Ashwell, MD of AO Logistics, the logistics and fulfilment division of online electricals retailer AO, discusses sustainability, recycling and carbon emissions. Comments from this exclusive eDelivery interview will feature in the post-purchase sustainability Deep Dive published in February. eDelivery.net: How can retailers balance customer demand for faster and cheaper delivery (more…)
September saw retail and logistics industry veteran Mike Hancox take the helm at parcel delivery company Yodel. He is hoping his wide-ranging CV, including time at Yodel’s predecessor White Arrow Parcels, Hermes and several retailers will help him to start delivering profits at the carrier. “What I bring is not (more…)
In an exclusive interview with eDelivery, the IKEA sustainable mobility head Angela Hultberg talks about the strengths and limitations of electric vehicles (EVs). eDelivery.net: What does the term “sustainability” mean to IKEA and how important is the issue to customers in your sector? Angela Hultberg: It means we want to (more…)
An unobtrusive premises in Monkton Park, Milton Keynes, hardly seems like a likely hub for a sophisticated robotics operation. But it is from here that Starship runs its fleet of delivery robots, which are currently delivering food and drink for the likes of Tesco and the Co-op. Pictures aren’t allowed (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…)
Like many other couriers, DPD is forging a deeper connection with the end consumer via the likes of mobile apps – but the company’s UK marketing director Tim Jones says in an exclusive interview that this is not intended to replace or challenge the retailer-customer relationship. “It’s the e-shippers or (more…)
UPS took a data-driven approach to introduce machine vision solutions to the problem of jams in its automated facilities, its enterprise director of advanced analytics explained in a presentation this week. Mohammed Chaara told the audience at the AI Summit in London that the company had generated a solution for (more…)
Accurate forecasting is key to online flower company Bloom & Wild’s ability to offer next-day and same-day delivery, its CEO tells eDelivery. Aron Gelbard is also co-founder of the start-up, which launched in 2013. The seller recently made headlines by replacing Interflora as Ocado’s flower partner. The company offers next-day (more…)
Zalando’s shift from being a wholesaler to a marketplace may be held back by brands’ reluctance to use its fulfilment service, according to a major investment firm. UBS downgraded the retailer’s investment rating on the basis of interviews with some of the biggest partners of Zalando Fulfilment Solutions (ZFS), claiming (more…)
The term warehouse automation can denote anything from the installation of conveyor belts to the fully automated picking and packing processes of Ocado. Process automation may provide a middle ground for retailers that want to reap the productivity gains without huge investments. An Aberdeen Standard Investments survey of supply chain (more…)
Warehouse management systems (WMS) are a tool to get more efficiency out of your logistics processes. eDelivery looks at Shopify WMS apps. Stock Sync Stock Sync is a tool for updating and managing inventory. It is especially designed for offline retailers who are looking to expand into ecommerce. The (more…)