According to the International Air Transport Association, the global airline industry suffered a 25-percent decline in revenue last year due to the collapse in world trade. Carriers naturally responded by reducing capacity—and in some cases, by exiting the freighter business altogether.
Global airfreight traffic rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter of 2009, and in the first half of 2010, it continued to post double-digit gains over year earlier levels. As of this writing in mid- July, most carriers have reacted cautiously when increasing capacity in response to recovering demand; as a result, the supply/demand balance in many markets has tightened dramatically in recent months, causing rates to rise substantially.
Article Figures
[Figure 1] International and intra-Asia airfreight trafficEnlarge this image
This situation of increasing demand and limited supply may have supply chain managers wondering about the future availability and pricing of intercontinental capacity—and, if rates continue to rise, what other options they might have.
Unsustainable demand growth
How long will global airfreight traffic keep rising by double-digit percentages? My view is that the rebound in demand is largely due to inventory restocking and government "stimulus" spending in many developed countries. Both of these effects on demand are transitory. Thereafter, traffic growth will mostly depend on growth in consumption, especially in the United States and Europe, two of the largest markets for intercontinental air cargo. But personal consumption expenditures in both of those markets are likely to remain depressed because of persistently high levels of unemployment. As a consequence, airfreight demand growth will flatten out in the coming years. (See Figure 1.)
That growth may also be constrained by rising energy prices and competition from other transport modes. While air provides the fastest and most reliable way to transport goods between continents, it is also by far the most energy-intensive intercontinental transport mode. Rising energy prices will widen the unit-cost gap between air and ocean transport. Meanwhile, ocean carriers continue to expand daydefinite services in an attempt to persuade shippers to "downgrade" the least time-sensitive portion of their air shipments. These offerings will only grow stronger as ocean carriers shift from survival mode to competing on service—specifically, by resuming normal vessel speeds, which requires more fuel than "slow steaming" but reduces transit times and thereby makes daydefinite products more competitive against standard air freight. Additionally, there is the prospect of competitive rail freight service linking China and Western Europe, which would further encroach on air freight's share of the Asia-Europe trade.
For these reasons, we expect a steady but slow recovery in global airfreight traffic. Different markets will grow at different rates, with emerging markets such as Brazil, China, and India enjoying stronger economic and air trade growth than developed countries.
Dealing with capacity constraints
When air carriers responded to the downturn in demand by cutting capacity, many parked freighters and reduced the flying hours for their remaining fleets. Certain carriers, including JAL and Delta/Northwest, decided to exit the freighter business. Surviving freighter operators are under pressure to consolidate in order to improve financial performance. For example, Cathay Pacific and Air China have announced plans to combine their freighter businesses into a new joint-venture company.
The downturn also prompted many passenger carriers to defer delivery of new widebody aircraft. As a result, global belly capacity (which accounts for roughly half of total intercontinental air cargo capacity) will grow relatively slowly in 2010-12.
If cargo demand remains strong, carriers may decide to reactivate some of the dozens of large freighters that currently are parked. However, it will not make economic sense to reactivate all of them due to their age and/or the cost of maintenance work required to return them to service. Carriers could instead expand their fleets with new or converted freighters, but they may have trouble securing financing on viable terms because financial markets now view freighters as risky assets.
What are the broad implications of these developments for shippers? First, air freight may become significantly more expensive relative to surface transport, especially if energy prices rise significantly. Second, rising airfreight prices will likely spur additional modal competition as ocean carriers (and perhaps railroads in certain markets) improve the quality and expand the geographic scope of their day-definite products. Finally, if surface modes succeed in capturing a larger share of the standard airfreight market, freight forwarders and airlines may be forced to respond by improving service. Apart from much-publicized investments in automated booking, billing, and tracking systems, forwarders and carriers could change their business relationship in order to improve service. For example, they may revamp the current pricing model so that forwarders have less economic incentive to delay certain shipments in order to build up large consolidations that command the lowest prices from the airlines. In short, shippers should benefit from the results of intensifying competition between transport modes.
The venture-backed fleet telematics technology provider Platform Science will acquire a suite of “global transportation telematics business units” from supply chain technology provider Trimble Inc., the firms said Sunday.
Trimble's other core transportation business units — Enterprise, Maps, Vusion and Transporeon — are not included in the proposed transaction and will remain part of Trimble's Transportation & Logistics segment, with a continued focus on priority growth areas following completion of the proposed transaction.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed but as part of this agreement, Colorado-based Trimble will become a shareholder in Platform Science's expanded business. Specifically, Trimble will have a 32.5% stake in the newly expanded global Platform Science business and will receive a Platform Science board seat. The company joins C.R. England, Cummins, Daimler Truck, PACCAR, Prologis, RyderVentures, and Schneider as a key strategic investor in Platform Science along with financial investors 8VC, Activant Capital, BDT & MSD Partners, Softbank, and NewRoad Capital Partners.
According to San Diego-based Platform Science, the proposed transaction aims to enhance driver experience, fleet safety, efficiency, and compliance by combining two cutting-edge in-cab commercial vehicle ecosystems, which will give customers access to more applications and offerings.
From Trimble customers’ point of view, they will continue to enjoy the benefits of their Trimble solutions, with the added flexibility of the Virtual Vehicle platform from Platform Science. That means Virtual Vehicle-enabled fleets will receive access to the Virtual Vehicle Marketplace, offering hundreds of new and expanded applications, software, and solution providers focused on innovating and improving drivers' quality of life and fleet performance.
Meanwhile, Platform Science customers will enjoy the added choice of Trimble's remaining portfolio of transportation solutions which will be available on the Virtual Vehicle platform, the partners said.
"We believe combining our global transportation telematics portfolio with Platform Science's will further advance fleet mobility and provide our customers with a broader portfolio of solutions to solve industry problems," Rob Painter, president and CEO of Trimble, said in a release. "Increased collaboration between the new Platform Science business and Trimble's remaining transportation businesses will enhance our ability to provide positive outcomes for our global customers of commercial mapping, transportation management, freight procurement, and visibility solutions. This deal will result in significant synergies along with tremendous opportunities for employees to continue to grow in a more-competitive business."
The acquisition comes just five months after Platform Science raised $125 million in growth capital from some of the biggest names in freight trucking, saying the money would help accelerate innovation in the commercial transportation sector.
Nearly one-third of American consumers have increased their secondhand purchases in the past year, revealing a jump in “recommerce” according to a buyer survey from ShipStation, a provider of web-based shipping and order fulfillment solutions.
The number comes from a survey of 500 U.S. consumers showing that nearly one in four (23%) Americans lack confidence in making purchases over $200 in the next six months. Due to economic uncertainty, savvy shoppers are looking for ways to save money without sacrificing quality or style, the research found.
Younger shoppers are leading the charge in that trend, with 59% of Gen Z and 48% of Millennials buying pre-owned items weekly or monthly. That rate makes Gen Z nearly twice as likely to buy second hand compared to older generations.
The primary reason that shoppers say they have increased their recommerce habits is lower prices (74%), followed by the thrill of finding unique or rare items (38%) and getting higher quality for a lower price (28%). Only 14% of Americans cite environmental concerns as a primary reason they shop second-hand.
Despite the challenge of adjusting to the new pattern, recommerce represents a strategic opportunity for businesses to capture today’s budget-minded shoppers and foster long-term loyalty, Austin, Texas-based ShipStation said.
For example, retailers don’t have to sell used goods to capitalize on the secondhand boom. Instead, they can offer trade-in programs swapping discounts or store credit for shoppers’ old items. And they can improve product discoverability to help customers—particularly older generations—find what they’re looking for.
Other ways for retailers to connect with recommerce shoppers are to improve shipping practices. According to ShipStation:
70% of shoppers won’t return to a brand if shipping is too expensive.
51% of consumers are turned off by late deliveries
40% of shoppers won’t return to a retailer again if the packaging is bad.
The “CMA CGM Startup Awards”—created in collaboration with BFM Business and La Tribune—will identify the best innovations to accelerate its transformation, the French company said.
Specifically, the company will select the best startup among the applicants, with clear industry transformation objectives focused on environmental performance, competitiveness, and quality of life at work in each of the three areas:
Shipping: Enabling safer, more efficient, and sustainable navigation through innovative technological solutions.
Logistics: Reinventing the global supply chain with smart and sustainable logistics solutions.
Media: Transform content creation, and customer engagement with innovative media technologies and strategies.
Three winners will be selected during a final event organized on November 15 at the Orange Vélodrome Stadium in Marseille, during the 2nd Artificial Intelligence Marseille (AIM) forum organized by La Tribune and BFM Business. The selection will be made by a jury chaired by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the Group, and including members of the executive committee representing the various sectors of CMA CGM.
Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in August, though growth slowed slightly from July, according to the most recent Logistics Manager’s Index report (LMI), released this week.
The August LMI registered 56.4, down from July’s reading of 56.6 but consistent with readings over the past four months. The August reading represents nine straight months of growth across the logistics industry.
The LMI is a monthly gauge of economic activity across warehousing, transportation, and logistics markets. An LMI above 50 indicates expansion, and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.
Inventory levels saw a marked change in August, increasing more than six points compared to July and breaking a three-month streak of contraction. The LMI researchers said this suggests that after running inventories down, companies are now building them back up in anticipation of fourth-quarter demand. It also represents a return to more typical growth patterns following the accelerated demand for logistics services during the Covid-19 pandemic and the lows of the recent freight recession.
“This suggests a return to traditional patterns of seasonality that we have not seen since pre-COVID,” the researchers wrote in the monthly LMI report, published Tuesday, adding that the buildup is somewhat tempered by increases in warehousing capacity and transportation capacity.
The LMI report is based on a monthly survey of logistics managers from across the country. It tracks industry growth overall and across eight areas: inventory levels and costs; warehousing capacity, utilization, and prices; and transportation capacity, utilization, and prices. The report is released monthly by researchers from Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and the University of Nevada, Reno, in conjunction with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).
That hiring surge marks a significant jump in relation to the company’s nearly 17,000 current employees across North America, adding 21% more workers.
That increase is necessary because U.S. holiday sales in 2023 increased 3.9% year-over-year as consumer spending grew even amidst uncertain economic times and trends like inflation and consumer price sensitivity. Looking at the coming peak, a similar pattern is projected for this year, with shoppers forecasted to drive a 4.8% increase in holiday retail sales for 2024, Geodis said, citing data from Emarketer.
To attract the extra workforce, Geodis says it will offer competitive wages, peak premium pay incentives, peak and referral bonuses, an expedited payment option, and flexible schedules. And it’s using an AI-powered chatbot named Sophie to serve as a virtual recruiting assistant.
“We acknowledge the immense responsibility we have to our customers to deliver exceptional service every day, and this is especially true during peak season,” Anthony Jordan, GEODIS in Americas Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said in a release. “Because peak season is the most business-critical sales period of the year for many of our retail clients, expanding our workforce is vital to ensure we have a flexible, dynamic team that can handle anticipated surges in demand.”