Category «Business»

How can e-groceries be made a profitable business model?

Once more, Dutch online food delivery companies, namely Crisp, Jumbo, Getir, and Picnic, are grappling with substantial financial setbacks, further compounded by the recent closure of Dutch Pieter Pot. These financial challenges extend beyond mere teething problems associated with growth. In addition, the escalating minimum wages and the augmented expenses related to light electric vehicles …

The state of the postal sector 2023

The postal sector remains a critical element in the global ecosystem, transcending borders to connect people, businesses, and governments. It not only facilitates communication but also serves as the backbone of digital trade, logistics, and even economic resilience. However, the sector is grappling with many challenges, from the lasting disruptions induced by global crises, such …

UPS pursues greater delivery density to reduce emissions

UPS wants to improve its delivery density, or the number of deliveries made on a single route, to reduce its carbon footprint, according to EVP and Chief Digital and Technology Officer Bala Subramanian at the 2023 UPS Impact Summit on October 17, 2023. UPS is trying to increase its deliveries-per-stop ratio from 1.28 to 1.4, …

Some US malls now double as e-commerce fulfillment centers

Some US malls now double as e-commerce fulfillment centers. Changes brought by the pandemic and growing e-commerce have prompted many shopping center owners to convert some space into fulfillment centers, taking advantage of large parking lots and loading docks. A prime example of catering to ever-growing customer demand while keeping costs down lies in the …

Vertical farming Growy selects CTPark Logistics City Hub Amsterdam for international expansion plans

CTP has agreed on a deal with vertical farming company Growy for 4,750 sqm of warehouse and office space at CTPark Amsterdam City, the pioneering 120,000 sqm last mile multi-layer building in the Western Docklands district of Amsterdam. At CTPark Amsterdam City, Growy will build a full-scale urban farm for food production, and the office will house its …

E-commerce and logistics sprawl: a spatial exploration of last-mile logistics platforms

The rise of e-commerce helped fuel consumer appetite for quick home deliveries. One consequence has been the placing of some logistics facilities in proximity to denser consumer markets. The trend departs from the prevailing discussion on “logistics sprawl,” or the proliferation of warehousing into the urban periphery. A recent study by Fried and Goodchild spatially …

Ducktrain filed for insolvency

DroidDrive GmbH (Ducktrain) filed for insolvency with the Aachen District Court. A lawyer was appointed provisional insolvency administrator and is now looking for new investors. DroidDrive was founded in 2018 and specialized in developing a special transport vehicle for city logistics. It is the so-called Ducktrains a kind of electric trailer, which should automatically follow …

Shift to cargo bike deliveries could save UK taxpayers £4bn

Analysis suggests that if delivery companies switched to using cargo bikes instead of diesel vans for first and last-mile deliveries, it would save the UK NHS and other Government services more than £4 billion. The cost savings, claimed by cargo bike delivery firm Pedal and Post and researchers at Just Economics, are derived from reduced …

Net zero in 2050: how will transport companies survive?

The logistics sector must be net zero by 2050. But all measures proposed will create an uneven playing field with selective access to logistics capabilities, people, money, data, and energy. So how will transport companies survive? I was asked to lecture on sustainability for a group of CEOs from European transport companies. I hyperventilated. What …