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Hope for the High-Street: Over 60% of Online Shoppers will Return

Posted on 24 November, 2020 by David Priestman

There is hope for the high-street with nearly two-thirds (63%) of British shoppers will return to stores post-pandemic if they have a positive experience with a brand online, according to latest data.

Recent research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Manhattan Associates (supply chain and omnichannel commerce experts), shows that the fate of the Great British high street is not as bleak as some might have thought.

A survey of 2,000 consumers across Britain found that almost two thirds (63%) of online shoppers are either fairly or very likely to visit a physical store after having a great online experience with a brand: of the age groups surveyed, 18-24-year-olds were most likely to be influenced (80%) by positive online experiences, followed by 25-34-year-olds (65%).

This optimism from UK shoppers is positive for retailers that have endured a testing time over the last eight months. Despite many having to shut up shop and close their doors as part of the latest lockdown measures, these positive sentiments show that focusing on a positive online experience will pay dividends when restrictions are lifted, and that there is hope for the high-street when stores can reopen again.

Craig Summers, UK Managing Director, Manhattan Associates, commented: “The research is a ray of light for British retailers and shows how a great online experience can and (hopefully) will transcend into physical footfall.

While online might be the only channel available for many retailers right now, customers will be expecting the ease and seamlessness of their online journey to be mirrored when they return to stores in the New Year and retailers must be ready for that.

It’s things like having the ability to check in-store stock before visiting a shop, or the ability to deliver a variety of click-and-collect options are elements that all retailers will need to look at seriously if they are to encourage consumers to return to stores in large numbers in 2021,” added Summers.

When asked specifically about this year’s Black Friday events, the research rather unsurprisingly found that value for money (69%) and cheaper online deals (48%) were the two primary factors behind online purchasing decisions, but these were closely followed by the speed of delivery, which nearly two-fifths (37%) deemed important.

“Speedy and reliable delivery, plus the restraints of a second nationwide lockdown will add pressure to delivery networks and supply chains over the next six weeks. However, many retailers will have learned from the initial challenges experienced during the UK’s first lockdown and should be more prepared for this crucial time of the year,” finished Summers.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,066 adults, including 560 who plan to shop online this Black Friday. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th October -2nd November 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Hope for the High-Street: Over 60% of Online Shoppers will Return

Posted on 24 November, 2020 by Keith McKinley

The Beauty of a Reliable Order Picking System

Posted on 24 November, 202029 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

With e-commerce on the rise, customers are looking for their orders to be delivered quickly, often by the next day. A reliable order picking system is therefore vital.

Online beauty products company flaconi in Germany is using Wanzl’s KT3 order picking trolleys at their 10,000 sqm warehouse in Berlin.

“We put our all into offering our customers a complete beauty experience with a high level of service quality,” says Steffen Christ, member of the flaconi management team and COO of Logistics. “In addition to our broad product portfolio, we set the highest standards with an optimal supply chain, simple order processing and fast dispatch. In our warehouse we work according to the ‘man to goods’ principle, and therefore have high demands of our order picking trolleys when it comes to day-to-day operations. That’s why we opted for Wanzl’s KT3 model.”

flaconi has a total of 100 trolleys, provided by the industry expert, in use every day for both storage and picking. The goods are stored securely on shelves that are metres high with lots of organised activity going on around – not a problem for the easily manoeuvrable trolleys from Wanzl. Two order picking trolleys need to fit next to each other in the narrow aisles when goods are being deposited or picked. In addition to high weight-bearing capacity, flexibility is also essential. Trips around the warehouse are long because the 720 brands and 45,000 products occupy a lot of space.

“A total of 150 employees work here and the trolleys are with them all the time,” Steffen Christ reports. “We’re impressed with the KT3 in use not only because of its load capacity of up to 300 kg, but mainly because it’s so manoeuvrable thanks to the additional fifth wheel and lightweight design. The separately mounted ladder also means our employees can reach the higher shelves.”

The product range stocked by flaconi in Berlin is both extensive and varied – from natural cosmetics and luxury products to the traditional Nivea cream. Tubes, glass bottles and all kinds of fragile jars find their way into the trolley’s baskets and compartments. And the trolley needs to be equipped for these various products. Its system design has allowed the KT3 to be adapted to the special wishes of the beauty pioneer. “To transport our goods efficiently, Wanzl came up with a custom configuration of the KT3 just for us. Along with the fifth wheel and ladder, all the trolleys have an additional pair of handles so they can be pushed comfortably along the aisles. We’ve also fitted the model for storing goods with a lattice back panel and four hook-in shelves, whereas we selected six hook-in shelves for the model used for picking,” Steffen Christ explains.

We first needed to work closely with flaconi in order to then develop a solution that was optimally tailored to its needs. As a holistic solutions provider, Wanzl attaches particular importance to support and providing an all-round service – a claim that the industry expert also shares with flaconi. Satisfied with the service, Steffen Christ summarises the collaboration: “It soon became clear which features we need the KT3 to have to meet our many demands. We greatly appreciate this solution-orientated way of working and the excellent communication. It made working with Wanzl a very pleasant experience.”

Intralogistics Provider STILL announced Reforestation Project

Posted on 23 November, 2020 by Keith McKinley

Hamburg-based intralogistics provider STILL has announced it supports the reforestation project PLANT-MY-TREE. This month, the first of a total of 1,000 trees were planted in the reforestation area in Hohenaspe near Itzehoe in Germany. There, on the “STILL woodland”, they will grow in peace for at least 100 years and compensate for harmful emissions.

Environmental protection is currently one of the most important issues in the logistics industry and the subject of lively discussion in the industry. The Hamburg-based STILL GmbH turns words into deeds and actively participates in the PLANT-MY-TREE project, which contributes to CO2 compensation with nationwide reforestation campaigns.

“We wanted to do our part regarding the extremely important topic of sustainability and were looking for appropriate opportunities,” reports Michael Quest, Head of the STILL Branch Hanover/Bielefeld, on how the participation in the project came about. Sven Budelmann, his Sales Manager, brought up the reforestation activities of the PLANT-MY-TREE initiative. “We were immediately inspired by this idea, and the decision to sponsor 1,000 trees quickly matured,” says Michael Quest, adding: “In my opinion, the preservation of an intact environment is the basis of the existence of all of us. Accordingly, we feel an obligation to use natural resources responsibly. This is a principle that STILL already observes when developing new products by considering their impact on the environment at an early stage”.

Spread the word

However, there is more to it: the customers of the main branch in Hanover/Bielefeld are to have a share in the environmental protection campaign. “Customers who ordered new electric forklift trucks from us and shut down their IC engine-powered forklifts in return received personalised tree certificates as a small thank-you. These certificates can be displayed prominently at their company premises and thus underline their environmentally conscious attitude and actions,” explains Sven Budelmann. The STILL Branch Manager and his Sales Manager plan to give away further tree certificates during the upcoming Christmas season to those customers who remained loyal to them in recent months during the Covid-19 crisis.

His attitude towards ecology also prevented Michael Quest from personally participating in today’s tree planting campaign in Hohenaspe. Quest: “Of course, we would all have loved to have been there and taken a look at the site where our 1,000 trees will now stand watch for at least 100 years. But for this we would have had to travel several hours to get there. This, however, is anything but ecological and contradicts our attitude towards climate protection”. For this reason, Mikinari Oki, Head of the Hamburg/Bremen Branch, and Andre Jacques, Regional Service Manager, were on site as official representatives of STILL GmbH during the tree planting campaign in Schleswig-Holstein.

STILL celebrated it’s 100th birthday this year.

AR Racking kits out Cold Warehouse with Storage System

Posted on 23 November, 202029 July, 2025 by David Priestman

AR Racking has fitted a new cold warehouse with a storage system in France for AUTTA. AUTAA corporation specialises in industrial services for lifting and transporting heavy loads, transportation of production tools, stock management and storage.

With a history that dates back to 1964, AUTAA is one of the most widely present organisations in the heavy industrial loading services and management sector in France. The company has a 5,000 m² warehouse in Artix (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France), where it is based. The cold storage warehouse, will help improve AUTAA’s storage asystem and performance as a goods management and logistics warehousing specialist.

“Versatility defines us as a company, so we wanted a warehouse that would allow us to offer an even more complete service. AR Racking’s systems ensure we have immediate access to goods and high-density compact storage, while the logistics capacity has been strengthened qualitatively and quantitatively”, said Hervé Dupey, Logistics Manager of the AUTAA Group.

The new warehouse has 4 areas, three of which for cold storage with a positive temperature (between 0°C and 10°C). AR Racking has installed adjustable pallet racking systems both in the dry area of zone 1 and in zone 3 designed for cold storage, resulting in 2,132 europallets (800 mm x 1200 mm) and 1,128 positions respectively. The two remaining zones, which are also cold stores, have been fitted with pallet shuttle solutions: each with a capacity for 1,736 and 1,128 industrial pallets. In total, around 6,100 new positions.

“Areas with racking for the pallet shuttle have been designed for pallets of both 800 mm and 1000 mm deep, enabling two different types of loading management”, explained Christophe Braquehais (Key Accounts Manager at AR Racking France).

Adour Manutention, strategic distributor at AR Racking, has been assigned with supplying the shuttle for its long-term rental and will be responsible for the maintenance of the shuttle services on site.

AR Racking fitted out a new warehouse in Valencia a couple of months ago for a power electronics company.

Mansfields go Green with Lithium Ion Batteries for Machine Fleet

Posted on 20 November, 202025 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Hiremech has completed the delivery of 15 new Hyster machines, fitted with Lithium Ion batteries, to Mansfields.

The new fleet is a mix of four wheel forklifts and platform pallet trucks, which will be used to boost productivity at Mansfields’ 20+ farms across the South East region of the UK.

Mansfields have been in the fruit business for many generations and are currently one of the largest fruit growing, storage and packing operations in the UK.

Mansfields have now completed rolling out state of the art production across all its facilities. Alongside innovating its production, the company has rolled out a carbon zero scheme and an environmental strategy to match and these new machines will help achieve greater levels of performance and efficiency. The Lithium Ion batteries mean operators can use the machines for longer, whilst also making significant energy savings and helping to reduce their environmental impact. This technology also allows for opportunity charging, which is ideal for busy shift patterns that need to keep working.

This investment in brand-new Lithium Ion equipment shows their clear commitment to sustainability and understanding of their carbon footprint responsibility.

Lee Port, Head of Operations at Mansfields, commented: “Advancements in farming technology continue apace, which is why Mansfields are constantly looking ahead to plan for future investments that will continue to keep them sustainable and ahead of the competition, and indeed continuing its legacy of innovation dating right back to its beginnings”

Paul Green, Hiremech’s Managing Director, commented “We are delighted to have completed this latest delivery of Hyster equipment to Mansfields.

“From our initial conversations, they made it clear that any new equipment would need to be energy efficient. We were quickly able to present a suitable solution of Hyster trucks fitted with Lithium Ion batteries.

“The team at Mansfields were impressed with the energy savings, performance and opportunity charging that this offered and following agreement of the deal earlier in 2020, the equipment has arrived on-time, on-site and ready to go.

“We look forward to working closely with Mansfields and supporting their equipment requirements as their business continues to grow.”

For more news on Lithium Ion batteries being used to make energy savings, sign-up to our news here

PlayStation 5 Supply Problems – ‘Size does Matter’ According to Supply Chain Expert

Posted on 20 November, 2020 by Keith McKinley

Commenting on issues with the PlayStation 5 supply problems, Professor Richard Wilding OBE, Professor of Supply Chain Strategy at Cranfield School of Management, said: “Size does matter. The bigger the item the more logistics capacity is consumed. A large item such as a games console consumes more space and logistics providers need to understand the size of items to optimise logistics.

“In logistics, we talk about ‘cube’. The smaller the ‘cube’ the more items can be packed on a pallet and loaded onto a vehicle.If the item has a large ‘cube’ less items can be carried. For example, if you can get only one item on a lorry then all the capacity of the vehicle is consumed, all the costs of running that lorry and all the CO2 generated are assigned to that one item.However if one thousand items are loaded on a lorry then it consumes 1:1000th of the capacity and all the costs and CO2 are divided by 1000.

“Making products logistics and supply chain friendly is increasingly critical and linked to this is the science of packaging which impacts both profitability and the environment. For example, Apple has just shrunk the box on the new iPhone 12 to both improve logistics and help the environment.

“Controversially plastic should not be seen as an evil in all situations, plastic packaging can be better for the environment than using paper and cardboard, for the same level of protection the plastic package may have a smaller “cube” and reduced weight so more items can be placed in containers and on lorries without damage, which therefore reduces the amount of pollution and resources consumed through logistics. These are just many complex trade-offs both consumers and companies need to consider.”

PlayStation 5 Supply Problems – ‘Size does Matter’ According to Supply Chain Expert

Posted on 20 November, 2020 by David Priestman

Panel Discussions Schedule Released for Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition

Posted on 19 November, 2020 by Keith McKinley

At the Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition next year visitors and exhibitors will have a chance to engage in a series of live panel discussions.

The new virtual exhibition for the logistics and materials handling industry will be February 22nd – 25th.

This new digital show provides a platform for interaction between logistics, IT, transport and supply chain services, warehousing and materials handling manufacturing industries. The exhibition virtual marketplace enables visitors to source products online, request specific quotations, meet exhibitors on video calls & chats, networking, downloading documents and more.

There will be 6 virtual halls: Forklift & AGV Technology, Handling Automation Systems, Packaging & Pallets, Software & Computing, Transport Services & Equipment, Warehousing Equipment. Visitors will be able to browse halls and search for specific requirements from a long list of sub-categories.

If you are interested in participating in any of the panel discussions you can email show@logisticsbusiness.com

To register as a visitor click here

For more information about the show click here

Monday 22^nd:

Distribution Centre Project Management
Supply Chain Software-as-a-service Thought Leadership
Loading Bay & Warehouse Safety

Tuesday 23^rd:

Automated & Robot Warehouse Vehicles
Packaging for eCommerce
Contract Logistics & Freight Management

Wednesday 24^th:

Forklift Technology Innovations
Sortation & Conveying Suppliers’ Forum
Storage System Projects

Thursday 25^th:

Transport Management IT Platform Decisions
Wearable Devices and Data Capture in Logistics
Pallets & Palletizing for Green Supply Chains