E-commerce logistics in the age of Corona

Since the pandemic broke out, a major jolt has gone through all sectors of the economy. No stone was left unturned in fulfilment either.

Long-lasting lockdowns and restrictions have had a strong impact on sales in brick-and-mortar retail, as well as on the consumer behaviors, who are now ordering online more than ever. Even people who previously hardly shopped online jumped on the e-commerce bandwagon as a result of the Corona crisis, and are now used to this more secure, convenient shopping in the future.

This is nothing surprising: The trend has been steadily moving toward e-commerce for years, and it has become an absolute necessity for most companies to sell their goods online and use logistics services. Corona has further fueled this development and given digitization a proper boost. Smaller and traditional stores, in particular, have had to realize how important it is to be present on the internet and to tap into this huge distribution channel. This is where fulfilment companies like Logsta play a key role, as we help companies outsource their logistics and gain a foothold in the world of online retail.

"In Austria, online retail has climbed 20 percent this year to 9.6 billion euros due to the pandemic. This trend will continue."...,

says Rainer Will, Managing Director of the Austrian Trade Association, on the development of e-commerce in the pandemic.

This can be observed everywhere: Online retail sales are increasing, as are the number of customers and their spending. Likewise in Germany, the largest economy in the EU:

In 2020, sales in the e-commerce market grew by 23% to 73 billion euros - equivalent to an increase of 14 billion euros, or two-and-a-half times the growth of the previous years. Similar high figures are expected for the current fiscal year, which will of course pull the entire logistics industry along and present it with new challenges. 

As a bridge between companies and their customers, modern logistics platforms are undoubtedly among the beneficiaries of the pandemic, without which such a boom in online business would be inconceivable. These rely on comprehensive hygiene concepts to ensure the safety of all employees in fulfilment centers and to rule out the possibility of transmission of the Corona virus via parcels. At the same time, a sudden increase in the volume of deliveries had to be processed, which further increased the overall effort. As a result, logistics companies involving numerous shipping services were classified as vital services from the outset, as they supply people and companies - not only e-commerce ones - with the vital essentials they need.