More than Brexit: UK innovation highlights
Get the latest on Brexit and what businesses can do. And a glance at dark stores and technology advances fuelling logistics trends in the UK.
Get the latest on Brexit and what businesses can do. And a glance at dark stores and technology advances fuelling logistics trends in the UK.
Prime Minister (PM) Theresa May held her long-awaited speech confirming further tangible information on Brexit plans, as reported by the BBC on 17th January. It was a simple and clear statement in line with previous announcements. The PM confirmed the following key points:
The same day, the UK’s Freight Transport Association (FTA) reported that the announcement still leaves freight forwarding executives with many questions:
Of course, all of this was quickly overshadowed by the UK’s Supreme Court’s ruling against the government on 24th January, as published by the BBC:
Make your business processes and logistics systems as efficient as possible. It is all well and good to say “let’s wait and see what happens”. But if you are not starting from a strong position, implementing change will be far more painful and costly than necessary.
Take customs management, for example: current priorities should focus on ensuring responsible employees are identified and trained, and flexible software is integrated to manage regulatory changes and cope with volume increases. If you are working with customs brokers or agents, engage with them to discuss how changes may impact your business, whether new requirements can be fulfilled, and ensure that a continued commitment to service and quality is in place.
These simple actions will support a far more robust approach to any “wait and see” strategy. Global trade is always on the move and it will not stand still waiting for Brexit to happen. Taking measures to prepare for Brexit will actually deliver immediate benefits in terms of efficiency and quality – and put you in the right position to keep your competitive edge if and when bigger change lands. If your current customs solution is not Brexit-proof, follow the links below to see how AEB can help.
Following latest tests, Amazon aims to officially start deploying delivery drones still in 2017.
The UK is also leading in trading foodstuff online. Market volume estimates for 2016 amount to about €11 billion and by 2020, this is expected to grow to no less than €17 billion . Almost half of UK consumers purchase foodstuff online – at least some of it.
And according to market research from Mintel, one in ten UK consumers does not leave the house to shop for groceries at all anymore. It’s all done online – 24/7. That’s quite impressive – especially considering that in addition, all major supermarkets are also physically open 7 days a week in the UK.
Costs for delivery services range from free (if you spend a certain amount) to about €6 per delivery. Many providers also promote “green delivery slots” by offering discounted delivery services within certain timeframes based on consolidated deliveries in the area.
Most supermarkets also offer “click and collect” services for customers who prefer to pick-up their shopping themselves. Special refrigerated vehicles are currently used to hold goods for pick-up at designated collection points or to deliver them on the same day, the next, or on a specific date.
At the moment, many providers still manage online order fulfilment from within existing branches, warehouse, and distribution centres. This is expected to fully shift to so-called “dark stores” in line with shifts in consumer purchasing behaviour.
Starship Technology, launched by the former co-founders of Skype, announced already back in March 2016 that the UK would be the first major country to host trials of its self-driving delivery robots – starting in Greenwich, London.
Its six wheeled intelligent robot was first launched in November 2015 and is designed for “last mile fulfillment”: local deliveries of goods and groceries directly to consumers. Travelling at slow speeds and with zero emissions, these robots use pavements like pedestrians. Limited to about 1-2 shopping bags, the delivery cost is about €1 per shipment.
The UK’s government clear commitment to development of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles not only makes the UK a world leader in new technology advances but also attracts businesses like Starship to launch new business models in the local marketplace.
I find these are very exciting advances and justify the UK’s third place ranking in the Global Innovation Index 2016. We will certainly follow the developments in all areas and share all relevant trends with you.
Take action to prepare for Brexit: All Customs Management solutions at-a-glance