Virtually no other market is growing as fast as the courier, express and package (CEP) sector. However, this growth brings with it enormous challenges in areas such as personnel recruitment and sustainability.
Market situation / market potential:
There were around 44 billion package deliveries in 2014. According to the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, the delivery volume had risen by almost 48 percent to 65 billion packages by 2016. Experts anticipate a growth rate of between six and eight percent per year between now and 2025. By then, the turnover of the sector worldwide is expected to have risen to 420 billion euros.
Global growth of CEP turnover in billion euros: 2015 2020 2025
North America: 60 90 105
Western Europe: 60 75 90
Asia-Pacific: 75 135 200
Rest of the world: 10 10 25
The forecast turnover development shows that the increase results from growth in all regions.
With a volume of more than three billion shipments per year (source: Bundesverband Paket & Express Logistik), Germany was Europe’s most important package market in 2017. Sector experts anticipate more than four billion deliveries per year in Germany by 2021. Around 140 000 CEP vehicles are on German roads, covering a total of 5.3 billion vehicle kilometres in 2016.
Challenges for the CEP sector:
Companies in the CEP sector are subject to enormous efficiency and cost pressures. The number of packages is growing year-on-year. Customers expect a flexible, transparent and, above all, fast delivery process. This includes flexibility in the selection of delivery time and place, reliable delivery within defined time windows or same-day delivery. Another challenge is the high level of returns in the shipping business – with the same customer demands as for delivery. Depending on the sector, the returns rate can be well in excess of 50 percent. Optimising last-mile delivery is also a core issue from a cost standpoint – up to half the sector’s overall costs are attributable to this part of the logistics chain.
Furthermore, an increasing number of cities are demanding sustainable mobility and want to ban, or at least significantly reduce, traffic in city centres. The aim is to reduce or completely eliminate noise pollution and CO2 emissions, address the lack of parking and stopping places and, of course, relieve congestion.
Usage scenario for Vision URBANETIC:
With the cargo module serving as a mobile package station, the Vision URBANETIC can serve as a flexible last-mile delivery vehicle. Customers can pick up their goods directly at an individually agreed collection point and time. This not only satisfies customer desires for flexible delivery times and a reliable, transparent service, it also prevents multiple delivery attempts. Load-space automation, optimised route planning and full IT integration into the CEP company’s goods management system deliver further efficiency improvements. Furthermore, digital connectivity enables fully transparent deliveries and last-minute changes to delivery time and place if required. Complete digitalisation and networking of all processes allows Vision URBANETIC to bundle all last-minute package deliveries and facilitate a cross-provider solution for all package delivery companies. Electric drive also enables it to drive in urban areas without generating either noise pollution or CO2 emissions.
SOURCE: Daimler
