Online trade in Germany is growing steadily, in recent years yellow, brown and other colored delivery vans have become more conspicuous in the street scene, also parked in the second row. However, it is not their suppliers who clogged the streets in the cities; the online trade is responsible for other culprits, for example car sharing and commuters Online trade with private end customers, combined with the significantly stronger growth in parcel deliveries to commercial customers, has not led to a serious increase in delivery trips by shipping service providers compared to all other traffic movements in cities, explains the Federal Association of E-Commerce and Mail Order Germany (BEVH). The percentage of the shipment volume increased significantly less than the order turnover. In addition, more and more orders are being delivered to customers in the surrounding area or in smaller places.

“No problem case e-commerce” “From a ‘problem case e-commerce’ for the traffic situation in large cities on the basis of increased parcel deliveries is out of the question “, says BEVH managing director Christoph Wenk-Fischer according to a statement. He refers to the findings of market researchers at MRU, who specialize in parcel and delivery services. In the exemplary city of Hamburg, the number of delivery traffic for all commercial and private deliveries increased from 2.1 per year 2017 to 2.2 departures per square kilometer last year . In contrast, two years ago 28 there were daily departures per km 2 the deliveries of the stationary retail trade or the catering trade.

In addition, it has 2017 around 800, 2019 then 1500 car sharing Vehicles given in the Hamburg city area. The number of cars registered in Hamburg is between 2017 and 2019 around 25. 000 to slightly more than 795. , the number of the surrounding area commuting to Hamburg – Resident around almost 30. 000 ,

In the ranking list of parcel delivery traffic per day and square kilometer, Munich came first with 4.9 last year. It is followed by Frankfurt and Düsseldorf with 3.8 and 3.3. Berlin is on par with Hamburg with 2.9, has calculated the MRU.

Better logistics The BEVH goes indirectly in his communication on the problem of delivery vans as stationary traffic obstacles and has MRU managing director Horst Manner-Romberg comment: “There is still a lack of comprehensive solutions and the consideration of logistical requirements in urban planning.” There is a lack of delivery and loading zones, areas for micro-hubs or delivery time windows.

The Lower Saxony Association of Cities and Municipalities has already suggested more finely tuned price concepts. Not every online customer wants to be supplied immediately and personally – after all, the providers are using more and more parcel or delivery boxes in parallel. There are already a few ideas for refined logistics in cities: Apcoa is serving its parking garages, parcel services are experimenting with cargo bikes and, to the displeasure of their competitors, the Post has suggested a “consolidated delivery” from delivery competitors.

(anw)