Month: November 2019

UK ecommerce solutions provider Doddle has helped launch Australia’s most comprehensive network of pick-up and drop-off (PUDO) locations for online shopping.

With ecommerce volumes set to grow by 55% by 2022, fulfilment capacity is reaching a critical point globally. Doddle says its deal with Australia Post “marks a milestone in the company’s drive to become the partner of choice for international carriers and postal services looking to diversify their ecommerce offering with more sustainable, customer focused solutions.” This year Doddle has opened offices in the US where the business is currently working on an emerging PUDO partnership with USPS – the country’s biggest consumer carrier – and Doddle also plans to launch a business in Japan in January 2020.

In Australia, Doddle is providing the technology and expertise to accelerate growth of new click and collect and online return services. As part of the arrangement, Doddle is responsible for extending Australia Post’s existing 4,300 post offices and 350 locker locations with a network of thousands of new locations including supermarkets, department stores, pharmacies and petrol stations. At launch, these locations will include selected Metcash IGA supermarkets, Priceline pharmacies and shopping centres owned by Aventus Group.

Currently, online shopping only accounts for 10% of total retail sales in Australia, compared to 18% of total retail sales in the UK with less than half (42%) of online retailers in Australia offering click & collect and click & returns solutions. With click & collect the fastest growing delivery option globally, it is expected the new deal will significantly accelerate the Australian ecommerce market.

Doddle already works with parcel carriers and top retail names in the UK.

Slip-resistant shoe company Shoes For Crews Europe (SFCE) has awarded GEODIS Netherlands a third multi-year contract, reinforcing the partnership that the two companies have built since 2012. GEODIS continues to take care of the entire supply chain process, from the incoming order to the delivery to the end customer across Europe.

Originally founded in 1984 in the United States, the European Division of SFCE was established in Shannon, Ireland in 2001, designing and producing one of the largest and most comprehensive slip-resistant shoe styles in the world. In 2012 SFCE moved its Distribution Centre to Venlo in Holland to meet the needs of its fast-growing European business.

In the last seven years SFCE has seen strong annual double-digit growth with volumes increasing by over 50% since 2015. GEODIS supports SFCE by offering a turn-key solution combining a variety of services from forwarding and warehousing to road transport. The investments made in process improvement and system optimization have led to a smooth-running operation. In the coming months a new Track & Trace tool will be implemented, giving SFCE access to real time information.

“Long-term relationships are what we aim for within GEODIS and we are therefore proud that SFCE has once again chosen us as its logistics partner,” says Mark van den Assem, Managing Director GEODIS Netherlands. “Innovation and continuous improvement will remain the focus of our collaboration in the coming years”.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has inaugurated the new Marseille global headquarters of CEVA Logistics, a subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group, alongside Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group.

With the acquisition of CEVA Logistics in May 2019, the CMA CGM Group chose to transfer the decision-making centre of its specialized subsidiary to Marseille and to consolidate all management teams and support functions. 170 employees of 25 different nationalities are already working at the CEVA Logistics headquarters and additional recruitments and transfers are planned to accommodate 200 people by the end of 2019.

Located in the heart of the Docks, the head office features modern premises and optimal working conditions with an area of 2,400 square meters, 5 meeting rooms, 200 workstations and 2 co-working spaces.

The proximity to the Jacques Saadé Tower, the headquarters of the CMA CGM Group located in the same neighborhood, will promote synergies and the exchange of best practices.

In his speech, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe stated: “Undoubtedly, CEVA’s installation in France and its future development is good news. It is good news for CMA CGM, which is a remarkable, family-owned company and one of the key players in global maritime trade. It is also excellent news for the company, the city, the French economy and therefore the whole country.”

Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, declared: “As soon as the acquisition of CEVA was finalized, we decided to relocate its headquarters to Marseille. CEVA will be able to benefit from the entire ecosystem of the CMA CGM Group, such as its incubator ZEBOX or its internal university. From France, we will build a world leader in logistics.”

UK-based ecommerce fulfilment specialist 3PL today announced the opening of a new flagship fulfilment & logistics centre in Wigan, Greater Manchester. It says the new facility will further enhance its range of fulfilment and logistics solutions to the eCommerce and wholesale sectors.

The new state-of-the-art Retail Distribution Centre is the latest addition to its growing warehouse footprint, now boasting over 250,000 sq. ft of Grade A warehousing, it says, across multiple sites both nationally and internationally. A 10-year lease has been agreed and the company says it will also bring an array of new jobs to the area with plans to hire more full-time employees and additional temp employees during peak season.

As the need for outsourced eCommerce fulfilment grows and businesses look to stockpile goods in response to the ongoing Brexit uncertainty, the company is creating extra warehouse space to cope with the surge in demand across the UK.

The company said that the increased capacity will usher in a move to around the clock 24-hour operations and the introduction of extended cut off times for next day delivery and enhanced same day dispatch, continuing the company’s commitment to helping aspirational eCommerce brands to thrive in the competitive landscape.

“To see the business, evolve into blue-chip logistics territory is a firm indication of real progress being made behind the scenes underpinned by long term thinking,” said 3PL Founder & Managing Director Ian Walker. “We recently secured our North West headquarters on a 10-year lease and the decision to mirror the new site on a 10-year lease was a logical decision. Both existing and future customers are at the heart of our long term thinking and it is essential we create an environment for them to scale their respective businesses on the back of our infrastructure commitments. Demand for outsourced fulfilment & logistics services is only going to increase and it is vitally important we stay aligned to supply & demand.”