by Walther Ploos van Amstel
The growth of e-commerce has reshaped retail and city streets. Today, more than 20% of global retail sales happen online, a trend that shows no sign of slowing. This has brought undeniable convenience to consumers and economic gains for retailers and logistics providers. However, it has also led to a surge in delivery vehicles on …
The strategic design of city logistics networks is fundamental to enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. Key dimensions of this strategic design include network structure, mode selection, fleet composition, governance, service design, regulatory adaptation, and digital infrastructure. The network is determined by balancing high service standards, economic efficiency, optimized network configuration, and market responsiveness. Network Structure …
In France, national and EU-level regulations guide the recycling of construction and demolition materials to foster a circular economy and reduce environmental impact. The Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC Law) was a key milestone introduced in 2020. This law established Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for building materials, making producers accountable for the entire lifecycle …
In collaboration with C Space, FedEx Corporation has released its annual FedEx 2025 E-Commerce Trends to Watch Report, offering key insights into evolving consumer expectations. As digital marketplaces become more competitive, businesses prioritizing convenience, effortless returns, and personalized engagement will foster customer loyalty and long-term success in the US Market. Convenience and Enhanced Post-Purchase Experience Take Center Stage …
The transportation industry is rapidly moving towards electrification, but are logistics providers ready to make the transition? A new PwC report, ‘Battery-electric trucks on the rise‘, highlights the key challenges and opportunities. Here are some core takeaways: With the new generation BET entering the market, more use cases are enabled, yet complete portfolio enablement requires …
DHL Express released a Whitepaper “The Ultimate B2B E-commerce Guide: Tradition is out. Digital is in“. The paper predicts strong growth for the B2B E‑commerce market in the coming years. By 2025, 80% of all B2B sales interactions between suppliers and professional buyers will take place in digital channels.
The COVID-19 disruption has accelerated the blending of brick-and-mortar retail and logistics real estate. This has resulted in the emergence of a new hybrid store model, one that takes omnichannel strategies to the next level, promising to revolutionize the retail and industrial & logistics industries.
The 2020 pandemic highlighted the importance of end-to-end supply chain visibility. Where were all the products missing from store shelves? Answering that question required visibility to the physical location, status, and condition of the product in motion. Visibility is more easily achieved within the four walls of a production or distribution facility; once a product is out …
The challenge for companies is to develop new revenue models for city logistics. Business models that link innovative processes and technology (stuff) to the smart use of data (fluff). This requires collaboration between the government, entrepreneurs, and research. In recent years, many cities have focused on developing business ecosystems around knowledge institutes and business clusters …
Despite more than 25 years of research in city logistics, it seems impossible to keep the growing number of, often half-empty, trucks out of our cities. City logistics problems seem unsolvable. Many initiatives fail, other initiatives only survive with subsidies or get caught in bureaucratic systems. But they don’t result in fewer trucks and vans. …