This week saw Ocado reveal the impact of a warehouse fire in Andover. The incident in February had raised questions over the viability of its retail business and in a wider sense about automation which now seem to have been laid to rest, if the company’s share price is anything (more…)
The UK government announced today (13 March) that it would cut most tariffs to zero in the event of a no-deal Brexit, but certain retail sectors may be charged more. We have an exclusive interview with the MD of retailer Hattons Model Railways, who talks through how the company launched (more…)
FedEx announced its foray into the delivery robot space with the launch of its SameDay Bot this week. Telecoms equipment vendor Huawei has also integrated various forms of connectivity and software into a platform. The common thread is that technologies that the industry has been talking up for a while (more…)
Mobile may be the new battleground for delivery, if talks by DPD and Hermes at TDC 2019 were anything to go by. Both offered their new smartphone apps to retailers as a way of improving the delivery experience. But in an exclusive eDelivery interview, MetaPack CEO Patrick Wall warned that (more…)
This week eDelivery was in Amsterdam with logistics specialist DHL Express, seeing how the company is using the city’s canals to move parcels around and is already looking at replicating the same model in London. Last mile urban deliveries are an increasingly contentious issue due to their contribution to pollution (more…)
Are we heading towards a world where next day delivery or same day is the necessity? This is one of the themes that jumps out this week, as Waitrose rolls out its same-day service across London and a UK logistics provider launches a next-day service on Sundays. As this story (more…)
The head of logistics at Zalando has proposed creating new software which would allow robots at distribution centres to communicate with each other. The idea for an Android-like system, mooted as the German retailer opened a new DC to serve customers in the Nordics, would allow interoperability and data sharing (more…)
Being “boringly consistent” was the standout line from eDelivery’s interview with Neil Ashworth, the CEO of CollectPlus and chief commercial officer at its parent company Yodel. Ashworth explained the continuing value of click and collect as an “ingredient” in the retailer proposition well as addressed questions over Yodel’s reputation in (more…)
Automation is at the top of the agenda this week, as we report that Carrefour will deploy new data analysis tools in order to improve its forecasting and ordering processes. The story comes after a Capgemini report urged logistics companies to invest in automation as respondents to a survey admitted (more…)
We kick off 2019 by looking at some of the year’s main trends, including technologies such as automation and drone delivery as well as strategic goals such as sustainability. It’s a new year but the pressures on retailers are the same – offering shorter delivery times for the same price. (more…)
With the number of ecommerce deliveries rising so sharply, it’s no surprise that retailers are looking to cut costs wherever they can. With fierce competition on the supplier technology side, logistics is fast emerging as one of the best places to find efficiencies. One solution is new delivery models, with (more…)
Today eDelivery launches its end-of-year reader survey, which aims to put a spotlight on the biggest trends shaping retail logistics. Against the backdrop of a struggling high street, an uncertain international landscape and more demanding consumers, logistics is a potential area to differentiate on. Readers are invited to weigh in (more…)
With Black Friday done and Christmas now already less than a month away peak operations really are now in force. This week has seen Hermes make its Christmas delivery guarantee for the sixth year running as it pledges to deliver customers parcels in time for Christmas or it will refund (more…)
The logistics industry will be keenly watching the outcome of a key meeting today with the UK’s prime minister Theresa May and her cabinet. She will be hoping to win support for a deal on what the state’s future relationship with the EU will look like after sparring with Labour (more…)
As we have moved into November the ramp-up to peak has well and truly begun. Black Friday is just over two weeks away and there are only seven weekends left until Christmas! And so the Christmas tv adverts have begun. Amongst the launches in the last week has been the (more…)
Whilst Brexit (in whatever form it may take) may be impacting many businesses most logistics companies still expect growth, according to a new report from the Freight Transport Association this week. Many are still planning investment and have specific Brexit plans of some sort or another in place. However more (more…)
As delivery volumes grow so do the implications of those deliveries and so it’s no surprise retailers and their carrier partners are working hard on green alternatives. This week a report from ParcelHero suggests that home deliveries could be in danger of losing their reputation as the greenest way to (more…)
Last week’s InternetRetailing Conference provided interesting food for thought when it comes to delivery – one of the key points being that done correctly delivery is the new loyalty. It was a claim made by MetaPack in their presentation at the show and it’s a key point. Retailers that exploit (more…)
A great news story from Waitrose & Partners this week as it revealed the company is the first UK retailer to trial in-home delivery to customers whilst they are out. In the US a number of such trials have been attempted with retailers and lock manufacturers working together to provide (more…)
There’s a spate of investment and business change announcements this week as companies in the delivery space are preparing for their next stage of growth. In the returns sector ReBound Returns has revealed a multi-million pound investment into the business and the opening of a new office in Asia. It (more…)