Industry News
Digital Commerce Finland launches, with Posti as a founding partner
Digital Commerce Finland, a societal and collaborative company founded to help digital commerce grow faster, has begun operations. The new community will include online stores and SMEs of the commercial sector as well as a wide range of parties interested in and influencing digital commerce.
“Our goal is to build the world’s most competitive digital commerce community,” said Ville Simola, who will start as the CEO of Digital Commerce Finland in November. “We want to use the entire network to spur market growth and Finnish competitiveness, as well as strengthen the attractiveness of the industry.”
Simola has diverse experience in digital business, innovations and startups.
Clevon’s robot delivers nearly 1,500 DHL Express packages
Autonomous delivery innovator Clevon and DHL Express Estonia are moving toward expanding their partnership, which began in the summer of 2022. In the project’s first stage the carrier transported DHL Express internal packages between three offices in Tallinn. Business customers were soon added, followed by private customers. It is now an everyday service, and Clevon’s Autonomous Robot Carrier (ARC) is part of DHL Express Estonia’s vehicle fleet.
“Initially there was a lot of uncertainty because neither our nor DHL’s global team had previously tested such a solution,” stated Kristina Laaneots, managing director of DHL Express Estonia.
Parcel+Post Expo – opens next month! This year’s event is set to break records
Parcel+Post Expo 2023 opens next month (October 24, 25 & 26) at the RAI Amsterdam in the Netherlands. With more than 220 international exhibitors showcasing the latest, most innovative technologies ranging from sortation systems and robotics to planning software and last-mile delivery vehicles, this year’s event is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet.
Tried-and-tested features will once again be incorporated into this year’s event, including the PIP Startup Innovation Award Competition and the Parcel and Postal Technology International Awards, both taking place on Day 1.
ANALYSIS: The last mile is gearing up for peak season again – what will be the keys to success this year?
Companies operating in the last mile are already getting ready for this year’s peak season.
What will be the key areas to manage this time out though? And what challenges will have to be overcome?
Regular co-hosts Marek Różycki (Last Mile Experts) and Gary Winter (Quadient) discuss.
UPS partners with Liverpool Football Club
Liverpool Football Club (FC) and United Parcel Service (UPS) have begun a multi-year partnership, with UPS becoming the UK soccer club’s first official global logistics and shipping partner.
The two brands will work together to expand the global distribution of LFC’s retail and e-commerce operations. The club will use UPS’s logistics experience and expertise, with UPS supporting Liverpool FC’s global retail and e-commerce channels, enabling them to deliver a better fan experience and get LFC merchandise into the hands of those fans quicker and more efficiently.
Scurri partners with ArrowXL extending two-person and bulky deliveries
Delivery management platform Scurri has partnered with two-person home delivery company ArrowXL to enable retailers on the Scurri platform to deliver bulky and larger size online orders across the UK.
ArrowXL’s network of hubs, outbases and modernized vehicles provides delivery coverage to 98% of the UK population six days a week and it complements its two-person home delivery services with a variety of in-house services, such as wet connect/disconnect, WEEE recycling and packaging removal.
EXCLUSIVE FEATURE: How postal operators are using their in-built logistical advantages to make serious profits in the financial sector
Allied Irish Banks (AIB) announced in July 2021 that it would close 15 bank branches in the Republic of Ireland by the end of the year – leaving a network of 170 remaining branches. Though the bank cited a 30% decrease in daily branch visits from 2019 to 2021, it experienced a public uproar over the announcement’s 8.11% decrease in branches. Regional access to cash services was argued to be vital to the vulnerable, the elderly and those on lower fixed incomes in local communities.
Harbor Lockers launches Harbor Connect ecosystem for on-demand locker network
Harbor Lockers, a division of smart locker manufacturer Luxer One, has launched an application programming interface (API) and software development kit (SDK), which provide on-demand locker access.
The solution, named Harbor Connect, was built for developers and organizations. It aims to improve operational efficiency for companies by providing locker-based solutions to their commerce needs. By integrating an app with Harbor Connect, users have access to its secure, shared locker network where service providers can deliver, store and pick up items without the hassle of purchasing or maintaining locker hardware.