by Walther Ploos van Amstel
Parcel delivery is structurally failing due to a race-to-the-bottom price war that undermines service quality, labour conditions, and customer trust.Consumers face unreliable delivery, poor tracking, and weak customer service, while retailers’ focus on the cheapest delivery shifts responsibility and accelerates the decline in service.The sector needs consolidation, fair pricing, stronger collaboration, and accountability from online …
City logistics is poised for major growth. Over the next decade, the city logistics market in the Netherlands is expected to grow from roughly €10–12 billion to €20–25 billion, with significantly higher-value-added services. This is no longer a niche play, but a full-fledged market with its own dynamics. And in the debate about zero-emission zones, …
With the new round of the Dutch AanZET subsidy now open, the electrification of heavy-duty road transport is getting another push. It is badly needed. Many carriers still underestimate how fast and how fundamentally the sector is about to change. Decarbonisation requires uncomfortable strategic choices: invest, cooperate, or outsource. Companies without a strategy risk being …
On 9 December 2025, ALICE and POLIS jointly organised the members-only webinar “From Movers to Enablers: the role of logistics in circular supply chains”. The session brought together logistics experts, researchers, and city representatives to explore how logistics service providers can move beyond traditional transport roles and become key enablers of circular economy models. The webinar focused on the growing importance of reverse logistics in enabling reuse, repair, …
Parcel lockers are rapidly becoming part of the everyday postal landscape, and nowhere is that more evident than in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail and Post Office have announced a partnership to pilot parcel lockers at Post Office branches across the country. Over the next six months, lockers will be installed outside selected stores, allowing …
City logistics faces mounting pressure from congestion, emissions, rising delivery volumes, and scarce urban space. The Physical Internet (PI) offers a transformative framework to address these challenges by applying the principles of digital internet architecture to the movement of physical goods. Instead of closed, proprietary logistics networks, PI envisions an open, interoperable, and highly connected …
The supply chain is often described as the invisible backbone of the global economy. As long as goods circulate, trucks roll, and ships dock, no one pays much attention. But as recent years have shown, when a link breaks, the world notices immediately. For decades, logistics has been a reactive industry, fixing problems after they …
As the European Commission prepares its new European Strategy for Housing Construction, POLIS has issued a clear and timely message: Europe cannot solve its housing challenges without integrating transport, sustainability, and regional cooperation into the heart of the strategy. POLIS welcomes the Commission’s ambition to strengthen Europe’s housing sector—not only as a driver of economic …
The European truck industry stands at a critical turning point. Transitioning to zero-emission (ZE) trucks is no longer just a climate ambition. It has become central to preserving the sector’s long-term competitiveness. McKinsey identifies three interlinked pillars that must advance together: a competitive and broad ZE-truck offering, a robust charging and refueling infrastructure, and enabling …
The electrification of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) is progressing far too slowly to meet Europe’s climate targets. That’s not just a policy issue—it’s something cities experience on the ground every day. Despite growing manufacturer investment and an expanding range of electric models, real-world adoption is lagging. ACEA’s new position paper makes it clear: at the …