The Future of European Logistics: Trends Shaping the Industry

Consumers are faced with an incredible amount of choice on a daily basis. When we enter a supermarket, there are literally thousands of options to choose from. When we shop online, we trawl E-commerce sites to find the best deal for the product we require. Retailers and companies are now in a position where being the lowest priced, or offering the fastest delivery can be crucial to remaining competitive. In order to achieve this, a company must find a cost effective solution to meet the demands of their customers.

The importance of logistics to the European sector is unquestionable, with 11.2 million people employed in the industry, which consists of warehousing, shipping, courier, road, rail and air freight. Every business now understands the value of efficient logistics and an effective supply chain. While many are managing their logistics internally, there has been a move towards outsourcing to third party logistics companies.

In this infographic, it was my goal to convey the importance of logistics to economies and businesses throughout Europe, while also illustrating the expected changes and developments in the coming years:

Although ‘road’ is the largest carrier of goods in Europe and continues to grow rapidly in Eastern Europe due to improved infrastructure and cheap labor costs, the future is uncertain. Increasing fuel costs and road taxes decrease the cost effectiveness of road transportation. Major changes are expected over the coming years, with a shift toward rail and water transport expected.

I believe that it is important to be aware and informed of trends from an industry that plays a part in the majority of our lives on a daily basis.

What other trends have you noticed in the European logistics industry?

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Guest Blogger – Julian Carroll:

Julian completed his Masters in Marketing and Management from University College Cork in 2000. After spending four years working in the marketing department of a multi-national in France, he returned to Ireland where he took up a position as a Senior Marketing Executive in the fast moving consumer goods industry. While in this position, he attained a Diploma in Digital marketing. Julian joined SnapParcel as Marketing Manager in 2010.