Logistics service providers as trailblazers for e-commerce

Others can only dream of such growth rates. At the end of January, the German E-Commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association, bevh, published the industry figures for the past year 2017: "With an increase of 10.9% to EUR 58.47 billion, gross sales of goods in e-commerce saw double-digit growth in 2017. For the first time, pure e-commerce sales account for one in eight euros in the retail sector." The bevh once again differentiates between different retailer and sales types. According to the report, multichannel retailers were particularly successful. In 2017, companies with multiple sales channels increased their online and mail order sales by 21% to 20.1 billion euros. Online marketplaces were able to increase their volume by 4.4% to 27.9 billion euros. Online pure players grew by 12.6%, or almost 1 billion euros, to 8.56 billion euros.

Well-known customer in the omnichannel sector

The logistics service provider Schenker Deutschland AG works for well-known customers in the particularly fast-growing areas of omnichannel distribution and online pure players. Two current examples: DB Schenker has been the exclusive contract logistics partner for the leather goods of fashion label Fossil since June 2017. The Augsburg freight village serves the distribution channels of e-commerce, department stores and Fossil stores for the regions of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. A total of 6,000 square meters of warehouse space has been set up, as well as workstations for labelling, picking, packing and many other value-added services. On an annual average, around 8,000 products are processed per working day; on peak days, the volume can rise to over 30,000. DB Schenker has fully adapted Fossil's ERP solution and integrated it into its own IT system.

DB Schenker has developed a logistics concept for Casper, which was founded in New York in 2014, and acts as a logistics partner in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Casper produces and sells mattresses, pillows and comforter covers, primarily in e-commerce. Since 2016, the company has also been establishing itself on the European markets. When looking for a logistics partner, professionalism along the entire supply chain and highly dynamic fulfillment were required. It was strategically important for DB Schenker to be able to reliably offer the logistics capacities required for the planned growth over the long term.

Complete solution portfolio

Based on his experience with customers such as Casper and Fossil, Marc Clausing, Vice President E-Commerce Cluster DE/CH at Schenker Deutschland AG, describes the logistical customer requirements in online retail. Marc Clausing: "First of all, e-commerce is a wide-ranging task for the logistics provider along the entire supply chain. It's not just about the last mile. It's also potentially about supply logistics. And it's about providing IT interfaces along the entire distribution channel."

In addition, very high demands are placed on the logistics partner in terms of flexibility and growth. Marc Clausing: "In almost all bid negotiations, it was strategically important that we were able to prove that we had sufficient resources, particularly in terms of space and personnel, in addition to a coherent and innovative logistics concept. Firstly, to be able to cope with the strong seasonal and weekly volume fluctuations typical of e-commerce. And secondly, to be able to reliably support the annual growth forecasts of 100 to 200 percent that are not uncommon in this sector."

This is precisely where the strengths of a global player like DB Schenker come into play. Schenker Deutschland AG alone brings 15,700 employees at more than 100 locations and over one million square meters of logistics space into play. This means that even large-scale e-commerce projects can be optimally designed and customers can be supported in the growth phase over the long term.