Postal Hub podcast Postal Hub Podcast

Belgian postal operator bpost has launched its carbon calculator, which estimates the carbon emissions associated with domestic parcels. Karin Enzlin, Head of Sustainability at bpost, discusses how the carbon calculator works and what it could mean for e-commerce delivery.
Background on bpost’s environmental and sustainability strategy and ambitions Electrifying the last mile and using out-of-home delivery Emission-free delivery in Ecozones Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive Lowering emissions Reporting bpost’s emissions to e-commerce retailers How bpost’s carbon calculator tool works Validating the carbon calculator and complying with standards Applicable for bpost parcels in Belgium Predicting parcel emissions and future improvements to the carbon calculator Helping consumers understand the environmental impact of different delivery options How the carbon calculator tool will help bpost reduce its own emissions Standardisation and regulation of last mile delivery emissions reporting, including conversations with Belgian regulator BIPT  

Axel Dekker, CEO and co-founder of Packaly, discusses delivery optimisation, reducing emissions, and reporting emissions.
Overview of the Packaly network
Freelance riders and local partners
Consolidating orders  

Ship-from-store and ship-from-hub
Choosing the right vehicle for delivery routes
Managing volumes (size) and routing for delivery vehicles
Working with retailers and delivery partners to improve data
Delivering to low-emission zones
Sharing delivery hub infrastructure
Giving retailers greater visibility of last mile emissions
Calculating emissions at a granular level
Need to standardise of emissions reporting
 

Kati Nevalainen, Director, Parcel Services at Matkahuolto, discusses parcel delivery across Finland and the Nordics:
History of Matkahuolto carrying parcels Matkahuolto's public transport roots B2B, B2C and C2C deliveries Interacting with C2C via mobile apps as well as in-store Residential delivery and out-of-home delivery Matkahuolto's service point network Finnish consumers' delivery preferences Size of Matkahuolto's parcel locker network and service point network Density of out-of-home network Location of Matkahuolto parcel lockers Cross-border delivery and delivery partners, including Omniva, GLS and Bring Matkahuolto's sustainability commitments Customer experience and parcel lockers Using agnostic parcel locker networks and own parcel locker network Smartmile acquisition Publishing parcel locker data Redirecting parcels to nearby PUDO points  

Peter Dunn, Director of European Relations, Cullen International, discusses the USO, how European postal operators are reacting to falling letter volumes, and more.
The purpose of the Postal Services Directive, including letters USO and quality of service How local universal service obligations can be changed Flexibility provisions in Postal Services Directive Changes to letter delivery frequency in Italy (Poste Italiane) Letter volume declines in Nordic countries Introducing alternate-day letter delivery Lack of standardised EU approach to USO scope definition Parcels in the USO Local variations in letter volume declines Review of the Postal Services Directive State aid and government support for postal operators Letter trends and USO review worldwide Varying national responses to falling letter volumes Cultural and operational differences between postal operators and markets  

Professor John Colley from the Warwick Business School discusses developments in gig economy delivery and ultrafast grocery delivery (q-commerce). We cover:
Demise of rapid, ultrafast delivery Difficult economics of ultrafast delivery High costs of q-commerce never passed on to consumers Supermarket chains acquiring failed rapid delivery startups Availability of venture capital funding Gig economy delivery model Regulation of the gig economy Workers' rights and driver strike action Lack of profitability and growth in gig economy delivery Difference between markets Affluence vs low minimum wages as an indicator of gig economy delivery History repeating itself with ride hailing Batching of fast food orders  

Rob King, CEO and co-founder at Zedify, discusses customer experience in the last mile, sustainability, greenwashing, and cargo bike delivery.
Creating better delivery for customers and the environment Large vehicles vs small vehicles in urban delivery Microhubs in cities The last mile as an extension of the online retailer's brand Retailers paying more attention to delivery emissions Key factors in getting the customer experience right in delivery Estimated delivery times and electronic delivery notifications The human interaction at the doorstep Retailers' concerns about greenwashing in delivery Reporting emissions Cargo bike delivery trends Difficulties in decarbonising delivery