Croatian Post has used a drone delivery to reach an island off the mainland. The pilot product saw an autonomous drone, provided by AIR-RMLD, flying a distance of 6.8km between a port on the mainland to the island of Ugljan. The drone completed the 12-minute delivery route a dozen times, (more…)
Consumers care more about recyclable packaging than carbon emissions when receiving deliveries, according to a new global consumer survey. The report by International Post Corporation (IPC), which polled 35,700 respondents in 25 countries including the UK, the US, Germany, China and France, found that 81% of consumers would like packaging (more…)
Hermes is investing over £1 million in adding new branding to its parcel shop network. The courier will invest the unspecified seven-figure sum in new Hermes-branded exteriors offering clearer information about the parcel options available. The branding will be installed at 200 ambassador and branded stores, featuring a front fascia, (more…)
Yodel has deployed a new smartphone application that will allow workers to scan barcodes on parcels more quickly. The app, which staff will be able to use on their own mobile devices as well as company-provided devices, will allow delivery drivers to process deliveries while out on the road and (more…)
Royal Mail is adding 87 electric vehicles and new charging infrastructure to one of its largest London distribution hubs. The additions to the fleet include Mercedes-Benz eVito and Peugeot Partner vans, which have load capacities ranging from 3.7 to 6.3 cubic metres. The vehicles will operate from Royal Mail’s distribution (more…)
Amazon, IKEA and DHL have all joined a new corporate alliance in North America to further electric vehicle (EV) development. Spearheaded by sustainability industry group Ceres and also comprising major companies such as Siemens and AT&T, the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance will help member companies to electrify their fleets. It (more…)
Fast fashion retailer Zalando has begun shipping from a new fulfilment centre in Italy, set up to serve southern European markets. The 130,000 square metre site in Nogarole Rocca, near Verona, will help it offer quicker deliveries in Italy as well as southern France, Spain, Austria and Switzerland. Zalando’s site (more…)
UPS has created a range of plug-ins allowing users of ecommerce platforms to add its services to their sites. The new plug-ins will be available for users of WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart and Magento who have UPS accounts. Amongst the capabilities are label printing within the ecommerce platforms, full control over (more…)
DHL Freight has successfully consolidated its core business operations onto one IT system in France. DHL developed the EVO transport management system (TMS), which brings together all internal systems in an effort to increase efficiency and facilitate coordination across different markets. EVO combines functions such as order entry, invoicing and (more…)
UPS is enlisting students as researchers as it launches a new trial at the University of Dublin’s Trinity College. The delivery giant is building an “urban eco package hub” on the campus which will operate as a mini distribution centre for parcel deliveries to the staff and students. UPS will (more…)
Wickes has chosen Wincanton’s bespoke delivery model for its deliveries of kitchen and bathroom products. Wincanton will deliver products for Showroom, Wickes’s end-to-end design and installation service, across south western England, the Midlands and part of Wales. The delivery provider uses a bespoke model for home deliveries in which items (more…)
Emissions from last mile deliveries are on track to rise 30% in 10 years as the number of urban dwellers and online shoppers grows, a new report says. The analysis by the World Economic Forum said that demand for urban last mile delivery will grow 78% by 2030, leading to (more…)
Car manufacturers Hyundai and Kia have invested a combined €100 million into a UK electric van start-up. Arrival is a UK-based manufacturer of what it calls “Generation 2” electric vehicles, which are designed from the ground up to support electric propulsion, as opposed to being fossil fuel vehicles retrofitted with (more…)
IBM has announced a raft of updates to its Sterling supply chain solution, including new integrations with Salesforce’s CRM solutions. Sterling is IBM’s management platform for the supply chain, including data analytics and order fulfilment capabilities. Working with MuleSoft, IBM is developing a connector which will allow Sterling to integrate (more…)
Ford is taking part in trials of a new robot that could be used in both the first and last mile of package delivery. The automaker has bought two new Digit models, first unveiled in May, from Agility Robotics. It will test them in applications such as indoor logistics and (more…)
Amazon is set to use an electric van designed by DHL in Germany as it seeks to hit emission reduction targets. The online retail giant has ordered 40 StreetScooter WORK Box electric vans to use in Munich Daflfing and had 60 charging stations installed at its site. StreetScooter is a (more…)
UPS has introduced five ebikes to carry deliveries in Sweden and Denmark in a bid to reduce emissions. The cargo bikes will operate in the Swedish capital Stockholm, the Danish capital Copenhagen and Aarhus, also in Denmark. The bikes are electrically assisted and can carry up to 100kg in their (more…)
Local authorities in Oxford have unveiled draft proposals as they prepare to launch the UK’s first zero emission zone later this year. Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council are proposing two zones which will levy charges on petrol and diesel vehicles. The initial “red zone”, expected to be introduced (more…)
Lidl Belgium is asking for customer feedback after bringing its same-day bike delivery trial Simpl to an end. The discount retailer shuttered the programme on 20 December, thanking customers for their “enthusiasm”. Lidl specified in a note that the site was intended as a test to collect experiences and that (more…)
French supermarket chain Carrefour has acquired a start-up specialising in office lunchtime delivery. Founded in 2015, Dejbox’s online and mobile portals allow business employees to order from a range of prepared meals, priced between €5.90 and €8.90. Shipping over 400,000 meals per month, the company targets the 10 million French (more…)