How the Final Mile Is Changing for Fleets

摘要

"We're seeing an acceleration in the consumer trends that were already underway before the pandemic hit, especially the growth in e-commerce. This is evident in our area of specialty in the last mile business - namely big and bulky goods that require in-home delivery," said Mario Harik, Chief Information Officer at XPO Logistics. Last year, consumers spent $601.75 billion online with U.S. merchants, a 14.9% increase over the $523.64 billion spent the prior year, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported. The first quarter of 2020 also saw growth, with the Department of Commerce estimating U.S. retail e-commerce sales of $160.3 billion, an increase of 2.4% from the fourth quarter of 2019. "Consumers are more urbanized, more connected, wealthier, and shop more than ever before. They now prioritize products and services that lighten the day's tasks, fulfill errands quicker, and generally make their lives more convenient to enjoy," DHL reported in its whitepaper, "Shortening the Last Mile: Winning Logistics Strategies in the Race to the Urban Consumer," which is produced by Euromonitor.