Zalando is trialling reusable packaging in four markets in the hope of cutting carbon dioxide emissions in packaging by up to 2%. The four-week pilot will see 10,000 customers in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark receiving their orders in reusable shipping bags from RePack, which can be used for multiple (more…)
JD Sports is consolidating the distribution of several of its key brands through a new integrated hub in Middlewich, Cheshire. Provided by XPO Logistics, the new 353,000 square foot centre will consolidate the distribution of stock for the GO Outdoors brand with other JD Sports brands such as Black, Millets (more…)
Inditex has seen sales grow in the first half of 2019 as investments in logistics paid off. The Zara owner said sales had grown 7% in the first half of the year to reach €12.82 billion, while net profit rose 10% year-on-year to reach €12.82. Executive chairman Pablo Isla said (more…)
Shopify is acquiring a start-up specialising in warehouse robot technology, allowing it to further develop its fulfilment offering. The $450 million transaction of 6 River Systems will give Shopify new hardware and software technologies as well as access to in-house expertise. The start-up offers a collaborative robot called Chuck, which (more…)
Uber Freight is boosting its efforts to disrupt the industry by launching new headquarters in Chicago. The company plans to invest $200 million in the region annually through headcount, real estate investment and other local expenses. The new headquarters, located in the city’s historic downtown, will serve as the company’s (more…)
Courier Hermes has increased capacity by 40% at its Rugby distribution centre ahead of peak season by adding a new sortation tier. The £16 million investment at the 270,000 Midlands Super Hub will allow it to process nearly 70,000 items per hour or up to 1.35 million parcels per day. (more…)
UPS has introduced a new hybrid electric vehicle (EV) in the UK which will allow it to cover both urban and long-distance routes. Developed with EV specialists TEVVA and partly funded by the UK government, the range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) use a combination of technologies to offer the same capacity (more…)
DPD has completed a new parcel sorting centre in Germany which it believes will add 200,000 parcels to its daily capacity. The courier has invested more than €50 million in the new facility in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, which has taken one and a half years to complete. Set to open (more…)
Amazon is teaming up with click and collect network PayPoint to introduce new pick-up locations in the UK. Amazon Hub Counter is launching today in over 500 stores and thousands of shops across the country following successful trials. PayPoint operates out of high street shops such as supermarkets and convenience (more…)
Decathlon is building a new logistics centre in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The new site will offer 45000 square metres of space at the Kraaiven business area, owned by developer HVBM Vastgoed. It will initially have a staff of 150 employees and will offer office, mezzanine and warehouse space. Designers Dedato (more…)
An advanced type of distribution centre robot will be processing real customer orders at Zalando’s Lahr fulfilment centre as a test programme moves into pilot mode. The fast fashion giant will introduce eight TORU units from Munich robotics company Magazino, a specialised robot which can pick up individual products rather (more…)
Amazon plans to buy a stake in a Canadian air freight company as it seeks to expand its delivery network in the country. The retailer and marketplace will be able to buy 9.9% of Cargojet’s variable voting shares over 6.5 years, depending on it delivering C$400 million in business. It (more…)
The online grocery delivery sector has seen mixed fortunes this month as DHL exited a key partnership while Estonia’s Cleveron launched a new robot for click and collect. DHL confirmed in an email to eDelivery that it had stopped working with Amazon Fresh in Germany, citing concerns over the size (more…)
Nespresso has extended its doorstep recycling programme to China by partnering with local player JD Logistics. Customers across China will be able to schedule JD couriers to come to their door and pick up used coffee capsules either on the same day or the next day. To facilitate the service, (more…)
IKEA has opened a new automated distribution centre near Russia’s capital. The company contracted Jungheinrich as sole solutions provider and systems integrator for the centre at Esipovo, around 50km from Moscow. IKEA awarded the contract back in 2015. With length and width of 200m and 130m respectively and height of (more…)
Amazon has expanded its one-hour grocery delivery service to three new cities in the US. From 22 August, the ecommerce giant is offering AmazonFresh in Houston, Minneapolis and Phoenix. The service, which offers tens of thousands of grocery products online with one or two-hour delivery, is available for $14.99 per (more…)
Ocado has been forced to reschedule a number of customer orders after it was hit by another distribution centre fire, this time at its warehouse in Erith. The fire took place outside the building in a hopper containing waste packaging, with no material handling equipment being involved. Ocado was forced (more…)
The number of electric vehicle charging points in the UK has exceeded the number of fuel stations, according to a study. Car manufacturer Nissan analysed data from the Energy Institute and Zap-Map to find there are now 9199 EV charging locations across the country compared to 8396 fuel stations. Of (more…)
A new Amazon fulfilment centre is set to open in Utah, expanding the ecommerce giant’s footprint in the western United States. The new site is set to be sized at 1 million square feet and will be used to pack large customer items such as sports equipment and furniture. It (more…)
Robot delivery company Starship has raised $40 million in new funding as it announces plans to expand to new locations. The funds, which brings Starship’s total up to $85 million, will be used to expand to 100 further university campuses over the next two years. Starship offers an app, which (more…)