XPO Logistics strengthens Last Mile service during Black Friday
XPO, a leading provider of innovative and sustainable end-to-end logistics solutions across Europe, expects to make up to 4,800 home deliveries per day in Spain as part of the company’s “Last Mile” service during the Black Friday shopping period. This represents an estimated 10% increase in demand from customers in the retail, electronics, furniture and sports sectors compared to last year.
To meet this increased activity, XPO will reinforce its fleet with 240 additional vehicles specifically dedicated to the last-mile delivery of heavy and bulky products, bringing the total number delivery vehicles to 720. Crews will include two people who are responsible not only for the delivery of goods, but also for their assembly.
In order to accommodate higher shipping demand during peak periods, such as Black Friday and Christmas, XPO operates one of the largest fleets in Spain. More than 3,000 semi-trailers carry out half-mile operations - the movement of goods between different warehouses - and more than 800 vehicles serve the company’s pallet distribution network, which is the largest in Spain. Seven XPO distribution centers – located in Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Valencia, Seville, Malaga and Zaragoza – are dedicated exclusively to last mile service, as part of the company’s total network of 72 distribution centers in Spain.
Carlos Rivero, commercial director - Southern Europe and Morocco, XPO Logistics, said: "XPO's Last Mile solution goes beyond just home delivery. Our priority is the satisfaction of the end consumer, who relies on us not only to get the product to the right place on time, but also to assemble it. We offer an innovative, exemplary and professional service, which is why Last Mile is one of the leading services we offer at XPO. We make close to one million deliveries per year in Spain and Portugal, demonstrating the trust customers place in us for our operational excellence, innovation and sustainability".
XPO Logistics launched its Last Mile delivery solution in Spain in 2018, specialising in home delivery of heavy and bulky goods. Over the past two years, this business has experienced double-digit growth year-over-year in the Iberian Peninsula. Currently, the company makes an average of 4,300 deliveries per day, which increases significantly during special shopping periods, such as Black Friday and Christmas.
Innovation and sustainability, an added value to the last mile
Innovation and sustainability are two key elements of XPO Logistics solutions. For our Last Mile service, these include applications such as the communication solution through the XPO WhatsApp channel to inform the end consumer about delivery of their products. Recently, this solution has been complemented by the last mile chatbot, which uses Artificial Intelligence to automatically call recipients to inform them of the exact time and place of delivery of their order. Since the implementation of this tool last May, up to 500 daily communications per day have been made in the Iberian Peninsula.
Normally, when an end-user places an order online, tracking platforms indicate the approximate day and time of delivery at home, requiring the recipient to adjust their schedule if they want to be present for the delivery. In the case of the XPO Last Mile service, the end-user chooses the exact day and time of delivery through the XPO Connect digital platform. This means the logistics company is adapting to the needs of the recipient, not the other way around, providing a higher level of flexibility and satisfaction for the consumer.
The end-user can also request other value-added services directly by mobile phone, such as selecting the preferred room for delivery, assembly, installation or removal of the old product. This reaffirms the high quality of service for XPO’s customers and provides greater security and peace of mind to the end consumer.
XPO Logistics is a leading innovative supply chain company in Europe, offering end-to-end logistics solutions that combine full truckload, less-than-truckload, pallet distribution, last-mile delivery, global forwarding, and warehousing services. The company tailors its solutions to the specific needs of its customers in a wide range of industrial and consumer sectors.