E-commerce in focus at DHL

DHL Global Mail is rebranding itself as DHL eCommerce in response to projections of significant growth in e-commerce, especially in emerging markets, the company said.

DHL announced it is enhancing its services across the entire logistics chain to meet the rising demand for automated e-commerce solutions in such industry sectors as fashion, consumer electronics, media products and consumer pharmaceutical products. At the same time, DHL eCommerce will continue to provide customers with services for domestic and international B2C shipping.

“Robust growth in e-commerce is a critical planning element for retailers and all the enterprises that supply them, presenting them with a new range of opportunities and challenges,” said Lee Spratt, CEO of DHL eCommerce Americas. “DHL eCommerce will provide customers with the services they need to meet these challenges in the supply chain.”

New research by DHL shows that e-commerce accounts for 11% of all trading volume in the United States, and is expected to rise to 40% in developed countries and 30% in developing countries by 2025, depending on economic growth and other key factors.

Since the mid-1990s, many traditional retail companies have transformed themselves into brick-and-click retailers with an integrated multichannel strategy, making e-commerce a crucial element of their success. But this shift is being accompanied by rapidly changing needs for new technology, supply chain management, and shipping services -- and paired with rising user expectations for the seamless delivery of the goods they buy online.