Retail Fleet In Focus: Embedding returns within the e-commerce offer
With a challenging 12 months ahead predicted to bring higher prices, retailers need to make radical changes to reduce costs and safeguard consumer loyalty and spending. Andrew Tavener, Head of Marketing at Descartes explores the opportunity to add returns collections to existing delivery schedules and the implications for cost control, reduced empty miles and customer experience… Spotlight on […]
Delivery efficiency is paramount for profitability during a challenging 2025
The outlook for 2025 is challenging for any business involved in the retail fulfilment process – from online retailers to logistics providers. The changes to National Insurance and the National Living Wage made in the November 2024 budget has had serious financial ramifications for companies already operating on wafer-thin margins. Furthermore, consumer demand has also […]
How retail fleet managers can improve sustainability and profitability in home delivery
Today, home delivery and sustainability are coming together in consumers’ minds. Descartes recently conducted a comprehensive study to help retailers understand not only how this convergence is changing consumer home delivery preferences; but also how retailers can take advantage of these evolving preferences to help themselves and the environment. The good news is that consumers […]
How delivery drivers became the centerpiece of the heatwave crisis
By Andrew Tavener, Head of Marketing, Descartes This year, the UK has become subject to heatwaves of record-breaking temperatures, widely attributed to climate change. Over the next week, parts of the UK are expected to hit highs of 30 degrees once again, encouraging many of the general public to stay indoors, work from home and […]
A cleaner, greener fleet – How Asda is reducing emissions through driver engagement
Partnering with Lightfoot – the UK’s leading provider of in-cab driver coaching and engagement technology – has helped Asda on its journey towards net-zero, with the supermarket now saving an incredible 2,482 tonnes of CO2 per year through its grocery delivery fleet. It’s all down to the unique technology offered by British green-tech company Lightfoot, […]
Can electric vans keep up with the pressuring demands of online shopping?
The courier sector is currently experiencing two major consumer demands – an ever-increasing expectation for rapid delivery times, and a growing concern for greener methods. Balancing these two requirements has been difficult, and the recent pandemic has only amplified the pressure, with more parcels and packages heading out onto the roads than ever before. Couriers […]