Month: August 2020

With 144.7 million hectolitres in 2019, Europe produces 2/3 of the world’s wines. The total turnover represents 137 billion euros; Europe’s share is around 70 billion euros, so half is exported. Exports from France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Austria represent more than half of world wine exports. Accelerated by electronic commerce, the share represented by top-quality bottled wines with indication of origin is steadily increasing compared to bulk wines without a geographical indication. At the same time, the demand from producers for transparent, fast supply chains with a single controlling operator, including customs clearance and payment of excise duties is increasing. With ‘Wine & Spirit’, the European logistics network ASTRE has responded with a new service made up of more than 30 partners specialized in this segment, led by six international experts, based in the main production and import countries. Those are Gamba & Rota in France, Avanzini in Italy, Allied Express in Spain, A+M Transitarios in Portugal, KLG in the Netherlands, and Sachsenland in Germany.

The ASTRE Wine & Spirit solution includes optimal management of aspects specific to the sector and emphasizes E-Commerce, while relying on existing quality transport solutions like the pallet distribution channel and the Astre LTL and FTL network solutions. This includes local collection and grouping of pallets directly in the heart of each wine-growing region, a European network of certified logisticians, rapid and simple distribution both inside and outside the ASTRE network, including the services of customs and tax representation. The presence of members of the network in the main European ports also makes it possible to cover important foreign markets such as the United States and China. In addition, all specific logistics services beyond storage are available such as special packaging, the application of fiscal stamps or transport in special palletized containers. In addition, the shipment path is transparent for all users thanks to in-house tracking, with prices known in advance and short transport times.

Bettina Wietzel-Skakowski, responsible for the international network at ASTRE, explains the aim of the system: “Europe is the centre of production but also of consumption in the wine and spirits trade. With ASTRE Wine & Spirit, we are implementing a logistics system that meets the needs of the industry and considers the growing importance of electronic commerce. Faced with increasing quantities of high quality wines and spirits, we have created a transparent and fast logistics solution for both winegrowers and traders or importers, from independent wine merchant retailers, to mass distribution including all the players in the HoReCa sector (Hotels, Restaurants and Catering). Our goal is to position ASTRE as an indispensable and trusted partner of the European wine and spirits industry. ”

The solution is being tested since early July 2020. According to Julien Garioud, International Business Development ASTRE, 5,000 pallets are planned in the first months of the first year, which will be transported not only as part of the Wine & Spirit program, but can also be freely combined with the ASTRE Palet System and ASTRE LTL International distribution channels for part and complete loads. ASTRE thus strengthens its position as a versatile and reliable partner in Europe for its customers’ transport and logistics services.

Japan’s leading carrier, Yamato Holdings Co., has partnered with UK-based international ecommerce solutions provider, Doddle, to create a proprietary nationwide PUDO network, underpinned by Doddle’s software platform. The deal cements Doddle’s reputation as a partner of choice for the world’s leading postal services and carriers, coming on the back of the company’s long term partnership with Australia Post to power their Collect & Return network, and the growth of Doddle’s business in the USA as an authorised solutions partner to USPS.

The partnership represents one of the first times Yamato – which has a 42% share of the parcel market in Japan – has worked with an international software business to support its transformation plan ‘Yamato NEXT 100’ – a commitment by the carrier to co-develop sustainably focused future delivery solutions that are both efficient and customer centric. Japan is the world’s fourth biggest ecommerce market and one of the fastest growing ecommerce markets globally, with 75% of the population regular ecommerce users. Yamato currently ships 1.8 billion parcels annually, but with ecommerce demand in the country continuing to grow and with home delivery at 99% share, the need to provide more delivery options to consumers that are flexible, convenient and sustainable has become a strategic priority.

The partnership will enable Yamato to lead the way in sustainable fulfilment while delivering on its ‘all for the customer’ promise. Thanks to Doddle’s flexible, partner agnostic platform, customers will be able to choose to collect their parcels from some of the 240,000 Yamato partner shop network nationwide, with new partner locations expected to include some of the biggest retailers in Japan. Yutaka Nagao, President, Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. said: “Yamato Group has been seeking proactive partnerships with startups in Japan and abroad possessing innovative technologies and business models for transforming logistics and supply chains. The collaboration with Doddle, a U.K. startup, is one of the most important such moves, and we are elated to announce this initiative with the company. We believe that utilization of Doddle’s cutting-edge digital technology in the last-mile business of e-commerce will enable us to offer a completely new collection experience to Japanese customers in the future. We will aim to establish an e-commerce ecosystem that provides the best value to all who engage in e-commerce by accelerating digital transformation (DX) through further cooperation between the two companies going forward.”

Doddle’s end-to-end tech solution will enable customers to track the progress of their orders at every point of the journey from basket to collection and will enable Yamato Holding’s 33 million Kuroneko privilege club members to carry out in-flight diverts from home to a collection point or from one collection point to another, to offer the ultimate in customer convenience.

In March 2020, the first parcel left the modernized logistics site in Sonnefeld, Germany, after the scheduled completion of extensive migration and expansion measures. The BAUR Group had invested about 20 million euros to expand the logistics processing of the Otto Group in Upper Franconia. Since then, parcels have been sent from Sonnefeld to OTTO and BAUR Group customers, including the UNITO brand, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. By the end of the year, over 500 employees will have shipped about 25 million items – mainly textiles, shoes and jewelry. This amounts to about 10 million shipped parcels and bags.

With Sonnefeld, the services division of the BAUR Group expanded its logistics activities for the Otto Group in order to be able to handle increasing processing requirements within the Group. The traditional location in Altenkunstadt reached its capacity limits after the products of the rapidly expanding fashion retailer ABOUT YOU were successfully delivered throughout Europe from there. The go-live of Sonnefeld has another advantage: Altenkunstadt now has room for further growth in the services sector.

In Sonnefeld, Baur relies on a powerful and flexible warehouse management system from the logistics software specialist inconso, part of the Business Area Körber Supply Chain. The solution is based on inconsoWMS, which has already stood the test of time in Altenkunstadt and is optimized for Baur processes. In some cases, processes had to be tailored and changed. In detail: With 260,000 locations in the picking area and 305,000 locations in reserve storage, the system architecture is largely based on the highly optimized processes in Altenkunstadt. Order data is continuously transmitted to the WMS; orders are planned in waves using a highly flexible order control system. One part of the system architecture is a sorter that supports automated order processing. The new location in the shipping area was designed for efficient and user-friendly processes via Put-to-Light.