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Are you an online retailer looking for a solution to outsource your logistics near Cologne? Then you've come to the right place.
E-Commerce Market Cologne
With just under 1.1 million inhabitants, Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany. The district of Cologne, which includes cities such as Leverkusen and Bergisch Gladbach, even has 2.2 million inhabitants. Not least because of its large population, the city in NRW is an attractive target market for German and international e-commerce merchants.
The gross domestic product of the Cologne district already amounted to €107 million in 2018. The GDP per capita is a full 56% higher than the average for Germany, which also shows the great potential for retail and other business sectors.
As a central education location in western Germany and a lively culture and sports scene, Cologne also attracts many young people. This makes the market even more appealing for e-commerce companies because young people tend to shop online more than the average person.
Logistics Location Cologne
The Hanseatic city is considered an important trading location in Europe. In addition to the internationally known Cologne/Bonn Airport, the city has 4 inland ports and 3 long-distance train stations. It is also home to one of the largest container-handling stations in Europe. All this makes Cologne a central hotspot for logistics in NRW, Germany, and Europe.
The advantageous geographical location within Europe is another factor that makes e-commerce fulfillment centers in and around Cologne an interesting option for online businesses. After all, the carnival city is located in the middle of the so-called Blue Banana, an economic hotspot within Europe where 40% of the EU's gross domestic product is generated within a radius of 500 kilometers.
Fulfillment in Cologne and the Surrounding Area – Why is it Important?
In 2015, Cologne was voted "Germany's most digital city. Since then, the city on the Rhine has continued to develop and is still considered one of the German pioneers in the field of digitization. This is also reflected in the fact that renowned companies from progressive sectors are located in Cologne. These include the German branch of EA (Electronic Arts) and TrustedShops. The city has also established itself as a showcase for e-commerce, and online retail is playing an increasingly important role.
A smart logistics concept is crucial for success in e-commerce. After all, for online shoppers, fast and cost-effective delivery is now almost as important as the product itself. For this reason, a fulfillment center close to your customers is crucial.
With a fulfillment warehouse in Cologne, you can achieve exactly that. In addition to faster and more cost-effective order processing, you can also protect the environment through shorter shipping routes.
With a logistics center in NRW, you can also efficiently supply other important markets such as Dortmund, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt. Cologne is furthermore an excellent logistics location for shipping to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
What is E-Commerce-Fulfillment in the First Place?
E-commerce fulfillment refers to the process of order processing for online stores. In cooperation with a 3PL (Third Party Logistics) partner, the entire order processing is handled, from the storage of the products to the packaging and shipping of the orders, to the handling of returns.
With partners like byrd, the fulfillment process is automated and thus made more efficient, faster, and less error-prone. This method is especially interesting for online merchants above a certain shipping volume. This volume depends on the type and nature of the products, as well as the number of SKUs. As a rule of thumb, the amount of 100 shipments per month can be named as a threshold, from which outsourcing logistics makes economic sense. If you decide to outsource the logistics, it is possible to work more "on the company" instead of "in the company".
E-Commerce Fulfillment in Cologne
Anyone who is active in e-commerce will quickly notice that to be successful you'll also have to focus on local differences and characteristics. Nevertheless, this is still negated by many online companies, which gives you the chance to gain an advantage over the competition.
The offer of the desired parcel delivery company, for example, is a decisive purchase criterion for many online shoppers. Here is a list of the most popular parcel delivery services in Germany. If you also sell to the Netherlands, you can see the most popular shipping service providers in Holland here. In addition, you should also offer the most popular payment methods.
Fulfillment Solution byrd
So, if you are looking for a logistics solution in Cologne and the surrounding area, byrd could be just the right partner for you. We connect your online store quickly and easily to our so-called warehouse management system and take over the entire order processing at a fair price. Through years of close cooperation with the leading parcel services, we can always find customized delivery options for your business and bring your orders quickly and safely to your customers. Our logistics network consists of more than 25 fulfillment centers in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Austria, Italy, Spain, and France.
This also makes byrd an optimal fulfillment partner for growing companies and e-commerce businesses that want to push cross-border sales, but still offer fast and cost-effective delivery.
If this is of interest to you, simply click on "Request a Quote" to speak with one of our e-commerce fulfillment experts for a no-obligation consultation.
