Coronavirus - how it impacts your logistics business ?

20 Mar Coronavirus – how it impacts your logistics business ?

Posted at 13:14h in Actualities by FTL

This page is updated every day if there is any information to complete

How’s the business?

E-commerce is developing significantly and is set to grow further, in response to the containment implemented on Tuesday 17 March.

Since the implementation of the containment on March 17th, we have seen strong developments on some activities:

- Sharp declines in BtoB activities, and in some cases a complete shutdown of these activities.
- An increase in BtoC activity due to the fact that consumers have been flocking to certain sites.

Logistic activities

- Villaines-la-Juhel: activity maintained, no delays noted
[Updated 12/04]
We’re seeing some unusual delays at this warehouse. Sometimes a day late, rarely more. This is due to the difficulty in forecasting the volume of activity and some occasional absenteeism problems linked to family constraints.
- Le Mans: maintenance of activity, delays in returns processing
- Morangis: we have just learned that the activity is going to be stopped, we will see with our customers how to manage the problem.
- Dijon: (new partner for Futurlog) activity maintained

[Updated 24/03]

Business is down or even stopped for some customers. The logistics teams continue to maintain service and quality despite the difficulties.

[Updated 12/04]

It is difficult to draw generalities from our own clients. Some of our clients have stopped their activity, others, on the contrary, have seen their activity increase. In the end we are rather growing but with real difficulties to maintain the level of quality in terms of deadlines. FEVAD’s figures are obviously more relevant. Its press release on the impact of COVID-19 on e-commerce states :

94% of e-commerce sites are still open.
76% of the sites have recorded a drop in sales since 15 March.

Thanks again and again to the teams

Thank you again and again to the logistics teams and delivery people for continuing to work.

Thank you again and again for your understanding of the difficulties related to this crisis (shutdown of Mondial Relay, elimination of pick-ups, delays in deliveries, elimination of signatures when handing over packages).

Many thanks to those who have given us or our partners a message of support. This encouragement is obviously very well received by the operational teams in the field.

Transportation activities

Colissimo

Expert & Access

Implementation of an exceptional procedure for deliveries with signature (Colissimo Expert). As regards the delivery of parcels requiring a signature (Colissimo Expert), special provisions have been put in place to avoid any contact. The postman sends an SMS text message to the recipient customer asking for his agreement to deposit the parcel in his letterbox or in front of his door. Without the customer’s agreement, the item will be put on hold and a delivery notice will be left in his letterbox. Consequently, if you were using a Colissimo solution with Signature (Colissimo Expert), we recommend that you change this transport solution to Colissimo without Signature (Colissimo Access). This will save you from paying for an Expert service while obtaining an Access service. We can help you to set up automatic rules in this respect.

[Updated 24/03]
Colissimo has decided to stop collecting on Wednesdays. This means that orders placed on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning will take an extra day to be delivered to customers.

[Updated 27/03]
Friday evening Colissimo announces that collections, deposits and distribution of parcels will take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Their processing capacity during these 3 days will be 70% of the usual daily nominal. We advise you to switch quickly to an alternative solution. In our opinion Chronopost 13 is the most suitable to date.

[Updated 29/03]
We have been informed by the regional agency that the collections would no longer be made ONLY on Wednesdays. This information is to be confirmed.

[Updated 30/03]
This was obviously bad information. The collections and distributions will be done from Wednesday to Friday, without activity the rest of the week. Coliposte is in line with the functioning of the Post Office and the mail service of which it is a division. The file remains sensitive with the union SUD-PTT which has summoned La Poste in summary proceedings because 300 agents out of 250,000 would be contaminated. So to be continued…

Relais

- - 10,000 relays have been closed since the shutdown stop.
  - 8,000 relays are still available: food stores, tobacconists and post offices.

Warning: No compensation is to be expected in case of late delivery from March 16, 2020.

DPD

The Predict offer we use is with a 2-hour time slot. DPD is modifying its offer, this slot will no longer be announced the day before. On the other hand, before delivery DPD will send an SMS announcing the delivery and giving a 3 digit code. This will allow the deliverer to deliver a package without approaching him or needing him to sign a document.

[Updated 23/03]
Due to a significant decrease in activity and for reasons of profitability, deliveries and pick-ups will only take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

[Updated 01/04]
Following a postponement of activity from other carriers, notably Colissimo and Chronopost, DPD’s activity increased. Deliveries and pick-ups that used to take place only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays will now operate every day from Monday to Thursday.

Mondial Relay

Mondial Relay’s entire activity has been discontinued since March 18.

This also concerns their customer service. This means that complaints can no longer be filed and that current complaints are no longer processed. They will be processed when the activity resumes and it will be necessary to anticipate delays in the processing of claims when the activity resumes.

It is imperative that you no longer offer the Mondial Relay service on your online shops, whether for shipments to France or internationally.

For parcels that are currently on the Mondial Relay network:

- - Parcels that are currently in transit on the MR network will remain blocked in their regional branches until the chosen relay point reopens.
  - Parcels delivered to the Relay Points but which the customer has not had time to pick up are blocked pending until the Relay Point reopens.

Paack

Parcel delivery by courier in the Paris region with our partner Paack continues. The driver leaves the parcel at the door and then stands 2 m away while the customer signs next to the parcel label with his own pen. The driver will then take a photo of the signature next to the label keeping a distance of 2 meters with the customer. Paack does not guarantee a 100% signature and will deal with incidents on a case by case basis.

Chronopost

As many post offices and pickup relays have been closed, Chronopost is giving priority to home deliveries, « safe place » depots, i.e. at the neighbour’s house, in the garden, letterboxes, etc.). In the event of absence and impossibility of safe drop-off, Chronopost will systematically arrange for a second delivery.

Internationally, Chronopost delivers all of China excluding Wuhan and Hubei. Delays are to be expected on other destinations, particularly in North America, South America and the Philippines. Kuwait is no longer delivered.

[Updated 30/03]
Chronopost indicates that it is maintaining its activity with possible delays and with certain restrictions for shipments worldwide. For those who would like more information, here are the details

- International restrictions :
  - In Italy, the cities of Ariano Irpino, Polla, Sala Consilina, Atena Lucana, Caggiano, Medicina, Montebello Ionico and San Lucido are no longer served. Parcel distribution to the rest of Italy is operational. However, delivery delays may occur.
  - In the United States, VITI shipments are suspended. Wine and other alcoholic beverages can no longer be shipped. Other goods may be subject to delivery delays.
  - Canada, Paraguay and Honduras are experiencing delivery delays and some remote areas are no longer served.
  - In China, deliveries are being maintained throughout the country, with the exception of Wuhan and Hubei province, where no deliveries are possible until further notice.
  - In South Africa: only medical and sanitary equipment can be sent and delivered. Shipments containing other goods will be held on site and delivered until the end of the delivery restrictions.
- Several countries and overseas departments cannot be delivered until further notice:
  - In Asia: India, Nepal and Uzbekistan
  - In Africa: Comoros, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia and Sao Tome and Principe.
  - In the Americas: Aruba, Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
  - In Europe: Armenia, Northern Cyprus (Turkish part) and Greenland
  - In the Middle East: Iraq, Iran, Kuwait
  - In Oceania: French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna

[Updated 01/04]
Following a postponement of activity from other carriers, in particular Colissimo, Chronopost’s business increased without the company being able to increase its teams. The Chronopost network is therefore currently saturated and Chronopost has announced that the time taken to pick up parcels at the sorting centre and to deliver the parcels has been extended.

[Updated 12/04]
Chronopost still provides its services, but the delays remain longer than the usual 24 hours. It is important that your customers are informed of this.

UPS

No impact on France except for a delay in the 07 department.

Stopping deliveries to certain destinations in Italy and stopping deliveries on Saturdays in Italy

Certain postcodes in Spain and Austria are no longer delivered