Click. Order. Pay.
Due to online shopping, parcel deliveries worldwide are now estimated to grow as much as 9% per year, according to Pitney Bowes, Access Intelligence and Accenture. Yet, delivering a package is no longer a task reserved for the national postal service or traditional services like FedEx, DB Schenker and DHL.
Four new ways to deliver a package
Now, online megastores are creating their own logistics services. In addition, businesses operating in the sharing-economy spectrum are exploring logistics possibilities. Three examples of new and disruptive business models:
Amazon is expanding their own logistics services in order to become less dependent on traditional freight services.
Alibaba has chosen to invest in a number of small logistics companies with the intention of setting up a logistics network.
Uber (and others) are developing the «freight-share model», which offer a way for private citizens to make money by delivering parcels.
The main criticism of these business models is that they potentially stimulate a «one package, one car»-mentality, neglecting to utilize the full capacity of a transport vehicle. That isn’t particularly Eco-friendly. Studies show that Uber-like services also tend to motivate people to drive around looking for work, leading to more cars on the road and added pollution.
However, there’s also a fourth way. A way to deliver packages both effectively and sustainably, based on a solution that ensures loading-unit optimization:
4. 3M Europe managed to reduce emissions by 50% and costs by 35% simply by switching to MIXMOVE logistics networks. Even in urban areas with city traffic, this solution produced similar figures.
