MBE Worldwide has recently succeeded in acquiring a majority stake in the GEL Proximity platform, the last-mile service provider born in Italy and specialized in e-commerce. 

Do you want to know more about international commerce, e-commerce, and also get all the tips and news that might give your company an edge? Subscribe to Cross-Border Magazine and get your digital copy now for free! 

Why GEL Proximity?

GEL Proximity is a platform dedicated exclusively to last-mile services. To this end, it operates with a technological connector that allows it to offer consumers an impressive diversity of pick-up points throughout Italy.

As a spin-off from Politecnico di Milano, in 2020 GEL Proximity became a fully owned company. The main objective is to significantly improve the sustainability and growth of e-commerce in the country. 

With an approach based on urban logistics and oriented towards the reduction of pollutant emissions and environmental impact in general, GEL Proximity is committed to the optimization of the parcel delivery and collection system. 

A strategic acquisition

The acquisition of a majority stake in GEL Proximity by MBE Worldwide represents a strategic step in its growth. This is because the development of the GEL Proximity platform will enable MBE Worldwide to strengthen its current competitive position as both a commercial and logistics platform for businesses.

In this sense, they have considered that the combination of one of the world's leading e-commerce platforms and an extensive network of service centers is what will make MBE Worldwide a unique alternative on the international scene. This will allow them to improve the services offered to their customers and, in turn, to better satisfy their own customers. 

According to MBE Worldwide, its goal will be to facilitate access to GEL Proximity's logistics services. This, through innovative and adaptable technology, with the understanding that today, the last mile represents the most sensitive phase of the entire distribution chain. 

The post MBE Worldwide acquires the last-mile service provider GEL Proximity appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

It still seems that, due to the current state of last-mile delivery practices, there still are darker ramifications, specifically the effects of deliveries on consumers' work-life balance. 32% of respondents who work full or part-time had to take official leave to wait for a delivery. Moreover, more than one in five said it cost them money as they could not go to work due to a service or parcel delivery. With 75% of the UK population currently in full or part time employment, having flexibility is becoming increasingly important.

According to the report, based on a statistically representative 2,000 respondents across the UK, 75% of overall respondents are available for delivery availability between 05:00, until 22:00. This extended window for deliveries is in contrast with the set up for delivery firms who typically operate between 07.30 and 19.30, a twelve-hour window which still misses out on 42% of shopper-acceptable delivery times.

Tim Andrew, CEO and Co-Founder of Localz, commented: “Today, delivering customer satisfaction means more than just delivering. As this research shows predicting and meeting individual requirements, aspirations and expectations are complicated. Each customer has his or her own ICurve and those delivery services which fail to take this into account can expect to go the way of High Street shops."

To read the full report, follow this link.

The post Research: Understanding what IConomy consumers want appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

DP-DHL hopes that having one operating division fully dedicated to the German post and parcel business will ensure a more stringent execution of the previously announced PeP turnaround plan. This plan includes improved yield management, indirect cost reduction, and productivity improvement measures. At the same time, by creating the DHL eCommerce Solutions division, the company aims at a better position to leverage opportunities within the booming e-commerce logistics sector in Europe and around the world. All changes come into effect on January 1, 2019.

The post Deutsche Post-DHL Group splits e-commerce division to drive global growth sector appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

As global e-commerce is growing rapidly and will continue to do so in the coming years, there will be an increasing number of online purchases that also causes an increase in the number of deliveries, delivery options and in higher consumer expectations. This means that there will be put extra pressure on an already complex last mile. New initiatives are being developed, including the concept of Green and Social delivery.

B2C Europe has written a whitepaper on this topic, which provides valuable insights in alternatives to the traditional delivery systems, the essential innovations in the field of sustainability and the involvement of the society, trends in sustainable e-commerce logistics, the views and attitudes of the European consumer and more. Download the whitepaper here.

The post Whitepaper: Green & Social Delivery Report appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.