I strongly believe e-commerce will continue to grow and have a lasting impact beyond 2020. In addition to the general trend shift from offline to online shopping we saw in the last decade, repeated lockdowns and store closures due to COVID-19 will accelerate this development further. In an effort to increase supply chain resilience, we expect logistics flows as well as warehousing strategies to become more regionalized. In terms of the actual modes of transportation, ocean freight as well as road or rail freight will become prevalent, as capacities for air freight will continue to be scarce. Moreover, the new VAT regulations for Europe as of July 2021 will have a significant effect on the way e-commerce shipments are moved, particularly those of low value. Instead of being shipped after-sale from Asia Pacific, a rising number of products will likely be stored and fulfilled destination-based in Europe.
In terms of serving digital consumers, we would have to make a differentiation between B2C and B2B. For the end consumer, there has been a strong development to increase ease-of-use and accessibility of the first and last mile. Automated packing/collection stations, shipment live tracking, and alternative drop-off points are only a few of the wide array of innovations. Due to the continuing rise of e-commerce, we are sure to see further transformational developments for the end consumer going forward.
For the B2B segment, finding ways to enhance the digital interaction with the customer is key. Beyond the actual movement of goods, logistics providers are expected to support retailers in offering a seamless on- and offline experience to their customers. Over the past years, a plethora of third party vendors (3PVs) has emerged to support business customers every step of the way in becoming online retailers. For us as logistics providers, in turn, we need to ensure that customers can use our services with a click of a button, which could range from getting quotes on an ocean freight shipment or synchronizing inventory across different warehouses to booking a pick-up request for ready-packed parcels. Seamless collaboration and integration with the aforementioned 3PVs is therefore of utmost importance.