E-Commerce: Paris is drowning in packages

The e-commerce sector is also on an unstoppable rise in France. In 2021, it surpassed the value of 129 billion euros, which is an increase of 15.1% compared to the year 2020. Paris had already developed regulations and rules for the transportation and delivery of goods within the city area in a main charter in 2006. 80 partners were involved in working groups for this project charter. To optimize the import and distribution of goods, the issues of urban logistics traffic, such as traffic jams and air and noise pollution, were discussed. This logistics charter was revised in 2013 and most recently updated.

Paris as an Experimental Field for Urban Logistics

A major problem in cities is the limited number of parking spaces. The city administration of Paris has therefore created 1,000 new parking spaces for logistics companies this year. However, the approximately 10,600 parking options are still insufficient due to the radical increase in e-commerce. In the 15th arrondissement, parking spaces for suppliers were privatized in a six-month experiment. A truck delivered the goods, and three e-bikes with trailers took over further package distribution in the neighborhood. This significantly reduced the overall number of trucks in the city area.

Storage options for redistribution are another point that is playing an increasingly important role in the urban supply chain. Various technologies for identifying free delivery parking spaces in real-time are in the testing phase to optimize the control and utilization of delivery areas. Providers of collection and delivery points have also expanded their distribution networks through partnerships with supermarket chains.

Urban Distribution Centers

Finally, there are increasing investments in urban distribution centers. For example, the logistics company Partners Valor Real Estate invested over 20 million euros in 2021 to develop an urban distribution hub in Paris. To this end, Valor acquired a 2-hectare brownfield site in La Courneuve for the speculative development of an urban distribution park of over 10,000 square meters. For the distribution of goods from the urban logistics centers to consumers or other businesses, electric vehicles or alternatively powered vehicles would be provided. The urban logistics center is also to include fueling stations for alternative fuels and charging stations for electric vehicles.