by Walther Ploos van Amstel
The city is the new battleground for food retailers. This playing field is constantly expanding due to population growth and the increasing number of workers, students, and tourists in urban areas. These consumers are a diverse group with different consumption patterns compared to traditional families who do their grocery shopping weekly. Cities are characterized by …
Cities are the new battleground for food retailers. In the following years, traditional food service channels, such as the hotel and catering industry, will face fierce competition from supermarkets, city stores, and micro markets in cities that focus on the needs of the growing number of consumers, workers, students, and visitors. While a 1-3% net profit …
The rapid growth of e-commerce has transformed urban logistics, raising concerns about congestion, pollution, and the impact of delivery vehicles on city life. Some argue that home deliveries are overwhelming our streets and that pick-up points and cargo bikes are the ultimate solution. However, the reality is far more nuanced. Home delivery myths : One-size-fits-small? from …
We need to do more with fewer resources. However, nearly 90% of our clothing still ends up as waste, less than half of electronic products are recycled, and furniture is discarded as bulky waste. Our old toys gather dust in attics, basements, and garages. That is not a good story. Valuable product flows must get …
The growth of parcel logistics presents challenges for municipalities striving for a livable, sustainable, and safe urban environment. Do parcel lockers contribute to these goals? Municipalities need a concrete action perspective: what role can parcel lockers play? A research project for Dutch Top Sector Logistics provides a neutral framework that offers both strategic and practical …
Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled the new London Safety Standard for Cargo Bikes, fulfilling a key commitment from its Cargo Bike Action Plan (CBAP) published in March 2023. The standard was developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders and aims to promote safe practices as cargo bike usage grows across the capital. Raising Safety Standards …
Cities are becoming increasingly crowded. Keeping them livable and accessible is a major challenge. Cars, in particular, occupy a significant amount of the scarce urban space. That’s why municipalities aim to encourage residents and visitors to travel differently—by raising parking fees. If you want to park in downtown Amsterdam (NL), you’ll pay €7.50 per hour, …
One of the causes of congested city centers is the increase in traffic movements for catering supply. According to a study by Topsector Logistiek, the more than 52,000 food and beverage establishments in the Netherlands receive an average of up to twelve weekly deliveries. Governments are implementing zero-emission zones and delivery time windows to reduce …
During a consortium meeting of the Circular Foam research project, there was a vigorous debate about digitalization in the circular supply chain. Participants view digitalization as a critical factor for success (alongside other crucial aspects such as regulation and technology). But what exactly does digitalization mean for circularity? There are barriers to digitalization for large-scale, …
Vans are the pillar of urban logistics. In the UK, they account for 89% of urban road traffic from commercial vehicles (2023). However, they are predominantly fuelled by diesel. They are responsible for 14% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from inner city traffic in European cities and 12% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road transportation in the European Union and …