German fulfilment market 'lags behind US and UK
The German home delivery market is lagging behind those of the United States and the UK, according to a new survey by the Nuremberg-based Fraunhofer Applied Centre for Transport Logistics and Communications. The report, Consumer direct the last mile, says for example that there are not yet any large-scale home delivery services for fresh food in Germany. And it says that whereas a large proportion of US companies source goods for home delivery from distribution centres, customers in Germany are served primarily from retail outlets.
The report adds that service providers in the US and elsewhere in Europe offer to deliver within tighter time windows than those in Germany, and tend to deliver more quickly. Where companies in other markets might deliver within 24 hours or even one hour, it says similar German companies would offer delivery in 24, six or four hours at best.
The publication of the Fraunhofer report coincides with a promotional drive for Transport Logistics, the eighth International Trade Fair for Logistics, Telematics and Transport, which takes place at Munich from 15 to 19 May.
