by Walther Ploos van Amstel
Ahold Delhaize’s omnichannel strategy continues to deliver: six consecutive quarters of double-digit online growth. Ahold Delhaize’s latest quarterly results confirm what many in the retail industry already sensed: the company’s omnichannel ecosystem is hitting its stride. With online grocery sales up 15.4% in the U.S. and 11.9% in Europe, the group has now achieved six …
The global road-transport sector is speeding toward electrification. From delivery vans to heavy-duty trucks, the transition to zero-emission transport is gathering momentum. Yet despite clear climate ambitions and growing regulatory pressure, many operators still face the same fundamental obstacle: the high upfront cost of electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to keep them running. A …
Major food and grocery delivery platforms today launched an industry-led alliance to accelerate the shift to zero-emission food and grocery deliveries. The UN Deliver-E Coalition aims to switch to zero-emission two- and three-wheeler vehicles globally. The founding Members of the Deliver-E Coalition – Delivery Hero, DoorDash, iFood, Mr D, Swiggy, Uber, Wolt, and Zomato — are …
On 17 September 2025, ALICE, POLIS, and the European Parking Association (EPA) presented a Joint Statement during the EPA Conference in Brussels. It marks a new milestone in their long-standing collaboration on urban freight, curbside management, and sustainable mobility. Building on a shared journey The three organisations have worked together for years through joint workshops, …
Online shopping keeps growing, but so do problems with parcel deliveries. Missed drop-offs, misplaced packages, and confusion over where items end up are fueling frustration among customers. In Germany, the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) has taken Deutsche Post to court, arguing that its delivery rules are too vague. At the heart of the …
Food delivery platform Just Eat Takeaway.com has partnered with robotics company RIVR to introduce autonomous delivery robots in Europe. The first pilot has started in Zürich, Switzerland, where robots are now delivering meals from local restaurants. Expansion to other European cities is planned later this year, with possible applications in retail and convenience delivery. The …
The European Commission has greenlit a new support package that will see France’s national postal provider, La Poste, receive up to €531 million between 2023 and 2025 to help maintain its vast network of post offices and delivery services, even in remote or less profitable areas. This funding is part of La Poste’s public service …
Between September 2023 and February 2025, the City of Boston tested a new model for sustainable neighborhood deliveries through the Boston Delivers pilot project. This initiative replaced conventional delivery vans with electric cargo bikes to serve local businesses and organizations in Allston, Brighton, and surrounding neighborhoods. The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) partnered with Net Zero …
The postal market in the Netherlands is under serious pressure. Declining mail volumes, rising costs, labor shortages, and digitization are making it increasingly challenging to fulfill the universal service obligation (USO)—the statutory requirement to deliver mail nationwide—reliably and affordably. PostNL, which is responsible for this task, has for some time failed to meet the 95% next-day delivery …
Cycle logistics has seen impressive growth in recent years, emerging as a vital part of urban freight systems across Europe. Unlike app-based platform couriers, cycle logistics operators have evolved organically from a wide range of origins — from major logistics providers to cooperatives and even public institutions. This diversity in origins reflects the sector’s adaptability, …