BRINGING IT HOME

摘要

The race for the last mile has begun. Euro Car Parts and Ocado, the online grocer, are the latest to join the scramble for small urban-fringe distribution sites to handle the last logistics mile to the customer's door. Last month it emerged that Ocado was planning to extend its list of a dozen or more local depots on the urban fringe. It is understood to be looking for 2-3 acre sites within reach of larger centres of population. The sites will take smallish warehouses - perhaps up to 30,000 sq ft - along with parking and care for the local fleet of delivery vans. The disclosure came days after Euro Car Parts revealed it could grow its regional hub-and-spoke logistics network from 16 regional distribution centres to 25, as the business expands its retail network by another 100 stores up to 2020. Chairman Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia said the current network of regional hubs, each of around 50,000 sq ft, will not be adequate if the business continues to grow.