14
de Febrer
de
2017
Act.
14
de Febrer
de
2017
"Seeing drones delivering parcels will be as common as seeing lorries on the roads." This is what the future will be like, according to Amazon, which at the end of 2016 began delivering products with these small unmanned, remote-controlled flying devices in various places in the United Kingdom. They could also be seen in Barcelona in 2018 through the logistics company, Ara Vinc, Amazon's logistical partner in this country, according to what the Catalan group's general manager, Josep Ribera, told VIA Empresa.
The American online retail giant, which is building a new 63,000 square metre distribution centre in Prat de Llobregat, which will provide work for more than 1,500 people and that will start sending out parcels from October 4, has already begun its aerial adventure in the English city of Cambridge. Amazon sources suggest that first deliveries with drones are a way for the company to "test, learn and improve, if necessary, this type of delivery." However, it will require changes to regulation so that this service can be expanded to other countries.
Drones making delivery easier
Online sale have grown greatly in the past few years and this has contributed to the saturation of the logistics sector, which is not ready to deal with the high number of individual deliveries at the busiest times. Therefore, the Catalan firm Ara Vinc, which delivers for Amazon through its subsidiary Instapack, is looking at incorporating drones into its fleet in order to help with deliveries.
"Leaving aside the challenge of changing the existing legislation, the delivery of parcels by drones could be a reality in Barcelona from May 2018," says Ribera. "Even though the volume of deliveries is larger in Madrid, we want to start in Catalonia," he adds.
Nevertheless, Ara Vinc's general manager points out that delivering with drones "is better suited to delivering parcels to far-flung places and those that are difficult to get to." Ribera insists that "the cost of drone delivery to these areas is cheaper than sending a person."
Xavier Rivera, professor at the Escola Superior de Comerç i Distribució (Escodi) concurs: "Drones are the solution for delivering parcels to remote towns; DHL already uses them in certain places in Canada."
Amazon has not said which cities it has chosen to expand the delivery of parcels with drones. However, sources at the company point to the Catalan capital: "Delivery services like Prime Now, which guarantees one-hour delivery, were launched in Barcelona before many other European cities, such as Rome or Vienna."
Buying, paying for and receiving an order in less than an hour
Yet trying to break the time barrier has a price. Prime Now gives Amazon customers the possibility of receiving their items an hour after they were bought. This option, available in Barcelona and nearby towns like Sant Cugat del Vallès or El Prat, costs 5.90 euros. Consumers can also receive their goods within two hours totally free.
"Deliveries in a short time is a concept of added value and the user pays," says the Escodi professor. "Sometimes it is part of the product's final price, an added delivery fee or through an annual fee for being member of a club, like with Amazon," he points out.
Meanwhile, the logistics sector complains about the chaos caused by delivering online sales to individuals, with saturation levels during peak times, as with the Black Friday campaign or during the Christmas shopping period, when Ara Vinc and MRW smashed delivery records.
Before drones are in place, Rivera suggests other solutions: "We will see growth in the box concept: a locker where you can go to pick up the parcels whenever you want." This service already exists in Amazon Lockers. For its part, the Spanish Post Office has launched the CityPaq and Homepaq services.
The American online retail giant, which is building a new 63,000 square metre distribution centre in Prat de Llobregat, which will provide work for more than 1,500 people and that will start sending out parcels from October 4, has already begun its aerial adventure in the English city of Cambridge. Amazon sources suggest that first deliveries with drones are a way for the company to "test, learn and improve, if necessary, this type of delivery." However, it will require changes to regulation so that this service can be expanded to other countries.
Drones making delivery easier
Online sale have grown greatly in the past few years and this has contributed to the saturation of the logistics sector, which is not ready to deal with the high number of individual deliveries at the busiest times. Therefore, the Catalan firm Ara Vinc, which delivers for Amazon through its subsidiary Instapack, is looking at incorporating drones into its fleet in order to help with deliveries.
"Leaving aside the challenge of changing the existing legislation, the delivery of parcels by drones could be a reality in Barcelona from May 2018," says Ribera. "Even though the volume of deliveries is larger in Madrid, we want to start in Catalonia," he adds.
Nevertheless, Ara Vinc's general manager points out that delivering with drones "is better suited to delivering parcels to far-flung places and those that are difficult to get to." Ribera insists that "the cost of drone delivery to these areas is cheaper than sending a person."
Xavier Rivera, professor at the Escola Superior de Comerç i Distribució (Escodi) concurs: "Drones are the solution for delivering parcels to remote towns; DHL already uses them in certain places in Canada."
Amazon has not said which cities it has chosen to expand the delivery of parcels with drones. However, sources at the company point to the Catalan capital: "Delivery services like Prime Now, which guarantees one-hour delivery, were launched in Barcelona before many other European cities, such as Rome or Vienna."
Buying, paying for and receiving an order in less than an hour
Yet trying to break the time barrier has a price. Prime Now gives Amazon customers the possibility of receiving their items an hour after they were bought. This option, available in Barcelona and nearby towns like Sant Cugat del Vallès or El Prat, costs 5.90 euros. Consumers can also receive their goods within two hours totally free.
"Deliveries in a short time is a concept of added value and the user pays," says the Escodi professor. "Sometimes it is part of the product's final price, an added delivery fee or through an annual fee for being member of a club, like with Amazon," he points out.
Meanwhile, the logistics sector complains about the chaos caused by delivering online sales to individuals, with saturation levels during peak times, as with the Black Friday campaign or during the Christmas shopping period, when Ara Vinc and MRW smashed delivery records.
Before drones are in place, Rivera suggests other solutions: "We will see growth in the box concept: a locker where you can go to pick up the parcels whenever you want." This service already exists in Amazon Lockers. For its part, the Spanish Post Office has launched the CityPaq and Homepaq services.