eDelivery rounds up some of the biggest stories in the logistics and fulfilment sector this week.
FedEx speeds up European service
FedEx is improving shipping speeds on its Intra-European Economy parcel shipments, which it says are predominantly used by businesses.
Transit times will improve on around 40% of lanes in countries where the change is implemented. This will initially be Germany, the UK, Benelux, Poland and Spain, with the rest of Europe to follow in the first half of this year.
The new service is built around using the networks of TNT, which was acquired by FedEx in 2016.
Bert Nappier, president of FedEx Express and CEO of TNT: “This is an exciting development for our customers and our team members, as the benefits of integration are coming to life through a faster, more comprehensive service for businesses trading within Europe.
“Through integration with TNT we are building Europe’s premier logistics business, and the integration of our economy networks takes us one step closer.”
Amazon lists “transportation and logistics services” as competitors
A phrase in Amazon’s filing with the US investment regulator the SEC has sparked headlines this week, with the online marketplace seemingly admitting its ambitions in the delivery space.
In the section entitled risk factors, Amazon included “transportation and logistics services” within its list of competitors for the first time.
The end of January saw FedEx attempting to allay investor concerns about the impact of Amazon building its own air fleet, claiming that Amazon represented less than 1.3% of its revenue in 2018. FedEx’s share price fell after a Morgan Stanley analyst made the observation at the beginning of December.
However, it has risen again this week amidst speculation that Amazon could buy FedEx, which at the time of writing has not been publicly commented on by either company.
UK logistics service launches next-day Sunday service
A UK logistics company says it will now offer next-day delivery services seven days a week.
This means that orders placed on Sunday can be delivered on Monday rather than having to wait until Tuesday as is currently common.
The company’s sales director said the service would give online retailers an edge over rivals.
Walker is working with Royal Mail and DPD, who will operate Sunday collections from its Berkshire site.
