E-commerce market growth within the GCC has been expanding, with 64% of consumers in the region placing an online order at least once a week, compared to 40% globally. Furthermore, data from Euromonitor shows that the retail m-commerce market in the UAE is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.9% through 2025.
According to the report, consumers are browsing products online in order to have their purchases delivered to their door or easily picked up from nearby areas.
Online Shopping
As the pandemic has intensified the trend of online shopping, advances in software engineering of online delivery platforms and urban infrastructure and logistics have increased the efficiency and speed of delivery.
Paul Firth, Vice-Chancellor of CRTKL, commented: “Due to rapid urbanisation and excellent road infrastructure across the retail spectrum, the area is ideally suited for last mile deliveries. As hybrid shopping centres move towards experience, certain areas can be repurposed Used as a fulfillment center for online sales, with more emphasis on flexibility as health and wellness become more important.
“At CRTKL, we are reimagining mixed-use by improving retail capabilities and increasing the accessibility of future technologies such as drones. We are committed to planet-friendly design and enhanced connectivity by implementing innovative last-mile solutions sex, which is critical for an enhanced and convenient retail experience.”
Key factors driving the evolution of last-mile delivery technology include:
City Environment
Today, more than half of the population lives in urban areas, adding 1.5 million people to the global urban population each week. Companies are responding to the transformation of global cities to drive growth by changing the way humans consume goods and interact with online shopping.
The last mile is the most expensive and complex step in an urban infrastructure supply chain, and current options include bicycle couriers, robots, autonomous ground vehicles and drones. The use of robotics can speed up deliveries, providing greater flexibility and reliability in the way goods are delivered through smart integrated systems.
Retail Design
Adjustments to retail store design and delivery systems that support digital needs offer many advantages to the way consumers experience brick-and-mortar stores.
More and more companies are using technology and data from online orders to transform their front-of-house spaces into “enhanced fitting rooms.”
Integrating automated systems into their back-office areas can give retailers the opportunity to spend more time visiting stores with customers. Retailers are dealing with more compact and customized inventory in line with online shopping trends, with micro-fulfillment centers making pickup and drop-off easier and faster.
E-commerce Logistics
Newly developed logistics technologies, such as self-driving cars and drone technology, require reconfiguring existing infrastructure and urban elements, such as sidewalk design. Using an intelligent logistics management platform, businesses can reduce last-mile delivery costs by 14% and increase deliveries per driver by more than 13%.
Middle Eastern shoppers are increasingly affected by sustainability issues, with 83% of people in the UAE aware of their environmental footprint and the impact their buying choices have on the planet. With the emergence of new technologies and increasing implementation in the Middle East, there will be an upward trend in faster delivery and smart tracking to improve sustainability, the ability of different sectors to advance carbon emission reduction.
Drone Port
In envisioning the “mall of the future”, CRTKL developed a Droneport concept to make last-mile deliveries more compact and efficient, reducing energy consumption and increasing range. An automated drone heliport can accommodate drones of various sizes and store or rack the cargo underground, and then transport it to Sheung Wan via vertical conveyors to load the drones for distribution.
The future Droneport will have an arched beam supporting the tower top instead of the typical vertical structure, making it lighter and more structurally efficient, greatly reducing the need for manual work and creating a safer work environment. As technology improves, malls in the Middle East can be accessed by highway, and it is possible for online retailers to use overhead drones to adjust spaces for maximum satisfaction.
Source: https://uaetimes.ae/technology-drives-retail-last-mile-delivery-in-gcc-crtkl/