Rapid and profound changes into consumer behaviour has led Austria-based freight forwarder Gebrüder Weiss to provide alternative delivery systems as the business to consumer market growth soars.
In response Gebrüder Weiss has opened a new €6.8 million (US$7.98 million) home delivery depot near to Vienna that will handle consignments to local consumers. According to the company during the coronavirus pandemic there has been a 40% growth rate in home deliveries in five Central and Eastern European countries.
“The number of consignments shipped to end consumers, comprising furniture as well as TV sets, washing machines, etc., by Gebrüder Weiss in the first half of 2020 rose from around 410,000 to 580,000,” said a Gebrüder Weiss statement.
In order to meet the growth in demand now and in the near future Gebrüder Weiss has increased its Maria Lanzendorf facility, near Vienna, by adding nearly 5,000m2 of handling space.
“Measuring 2020 by normal standards is naturally still difficult to do,” said Jürgen Bauer, Member of the Management Board at Gebrüder Weiss. In Austria alone the first half home delivery consignments increased to 235,000 in 2020 compared to 173,000 in the same period last year.
In developing the Maria Lanzendorf location the company is reflecting this development. “In mid-July we put the transhipment warehouse for the Home Delivery division into operation. In Maria Lanzendorf we handle around 40% of the total Austrian volume of shipments delivered to end customers,” said Karl Meiringer, Branch Manager Maria Lanzendorf at Gebrüder Weiss.
Gebrüder Weiss said nearly 110,000 more consignments were shipped to consumers in Croatia, the Czech republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Serbia in the first half of this year, compared last year.
Hungary saw a 75% increase in demand reaching 100,000 for the first time. Croatia recorded a 47% increase to 85,000 shipments.
The logistics said it “intends to build on this success by expanding its activities in Eastern Europe, eyeing the possibility of accessing new markets in other countries”.
