by Walther Ploos van Amstel
A new McKinsey analysis describes the US distribution sector as entering a phase of “permanent volatility,” with AI acting as the defining force. While the findings focus on US distributors, the structural shifts—digital expectations, M&A dynamics, and the erosion of traditional advantages—carry clear implications for city logistics and supply chain players globally. Theme 1: AI …
The transition to electric urban freight vehicles is often presented as a straightforward vehicle-replacement exercise: replace diesel vans and trucks with electric ones, and emissions disappear. In reality, the challenge is much broader. Vehicle range, charging time, route planning, grid capacity, and charging infrastructure all become critical operational variables. A recent Italian study examines one …
What are strategic, tactical, operational, and hyperoperational decisions in a transport company? These four levels differ mainly in their time horizons, reversibility, and the granularity of the information they work with. Strategic decisions span years and shape the structure of the company: which markets and segments to serve (FTL, LTL, temperature-controlled, urban distribution), network design …
Cities across Europe are investing heavily in circular economy initiatives, yet one critical challenge remains unresolved: how to get products back. While enormous attention is devoted to recycling technologies, material recovery, and reverse supply chains, the weakest link is often the very first step of the process: collection. A recent guide from the INCREACE project …
Rabobank examines the state of online supermarket sales and its implications for logistics. Online grocery shopping has firmly established itself across Europe. That is the main conclusion of a recent RaboResearch report. After the turbulent growth years around the COVID pandemic and the sharp correction that followed, the market is now normalizing. Consumers treat online …
Lidl Netherlands is setting a world first: by 2027, the supermarket chain will replenish all its stores entirely by electric transport — the first retailer anywhere in the world to do so. The original 2030 target has been brought forward by three years, a milestone announced at the opening of a new fast-charging hub in …
Amazon’s European footprint just got significantly larger. The e-commerce and cloud giant invested a record € 60+ billion across Europe in 2025, including over €40 billion within the EU alone. For those working in city logistics and last-mile delivery, the ripple effects are hard to ignore. Jobs, infrastructure, and supply chains Amazon now supports over …
A new study from TU Delft researchers, published in Urban Planning (2026), offers practical insights into how cities can use urban space — including temporarily vacant plots — to keep materials circulating rather than ending up as waste. The research examines three cases in Amsterdam where the municipality used storage spaces of varying scales and …
When logistics professionals discuss supply chain innovation, companies such as Amazon, Zara, and Walmart usually dominate the conversation. Yet one of the most sophisticated supply chain innovators today may be a company better known for meal kits than logistics: HelloFresh. Behind its weekly deliveries lies one of the world’s most advanced food supply chains. Over …
How Do You Determine the Right Charging Infrastructure? What strategic, tactical, and operational questions do you need to answer? Electric vehicles require charging stations to recharge their batteries — stations that are located in the right places and sized to match the realities of daily urban logistics operations. Freight transport, where delivery predictability and low …