Event | Webwinkel Vakdagen
On 29 and 30 March, the 16th edition of the Webwinkel Vakdagen took place at the Jaarbeurs. A lot has changed since 2007. Single channel became multichannel. And multichannel became omnichannel. The number of buying and contact moments continued to rise and customers expect the ultimate customer experience, always and everywhere. 'That requires precision logistics,' says Walther Ploos van Amstel, lecturer in City Logistics at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
With twenty thousandsquare metres of floor space, two hundred and fifty exhibitors and more than two hundred lectures, the Webwinkel Vakdagen has become the trade fair for e-commerce. The trade fair boom is undeniable. But at the same time, the golden days for e-commerce are over (for a while?). After years of growth, consolidation has set in. That does not alter the fact that customers still have the same high expectations of the services provided as a few years ago. A difficult puzzle to crack, especially now that the battle for space in the Netherlands seems to be entering a decisive phase. Parking spaces are becoming scarce. This is certainly the case in city centres: construction companies and the hospitality industry also need to park.
'The main trend in city logistics is car-free policies in city centres and residential areas, with a focus on road safety and clean air,' says Walther Ploos van Amstel. 'Climate and environmental measures are forcing cleaner city logistics. 'Every man for himself' is no longer possible. Logistics parties need to cooperate and bundle their flows of goods. Frontrunners like TSN Groen, TDS Logistics and My Pup show that it can be done. There is a challenge for transport planners, who have to take into account all kinds of local rules on zero-emission zones, loading and unloading points and window times. Logistics becomes precision logistics. Besides leading to clean transport, the renewal of urban logistics should lead to fewer transport movements.'