The shadow fleet’s hidden liability: Oil spills and environmental risk
The Caroline Bezengi grounding and oil spill shows how shadow-fleet risk can build in plain sight. When an explosion was reported in June, the tanker was carrying close to one million barrels of crude. The damaged vessel later ran aground near Qabiliyah Island, where it became partly submerged. The resulting slick travelled across hundreds of square kilometres, […]
3PL & 4PL Logistics: What supply chain teams should compare
Outsourcing logistics can provide access to infrastructure, expertise, technology and transport capacity without an organisation having to build every capability itself. But deciding to outsource is only the beginning. Should a provider operate a warehouse or manage fulfilment? Should it also coordinate transport? Does the business want several specialist logistics partners, or one organisation orchestrating […]
The hidden cost of choice
E-commerce growth is a warehouse challenge. It has evolved from a convenience channel into a major fulfilment challenge, according to GEBHARDT lntralogistics UK. UK online retail sales reached £127.4 billion in 2024, up 3.4% on the previous year, and now account for roughly 27-28% of total retail spend. Driven by this sustained consumer shift, many brands are offering more: more sizes, morecolours, more categories, more delivery options and more returns choices. Every new option creates another physical task. Once an order is placed, warehouses must locate, pick, pack and ship goods quickly, often while managing thousands of SKUs within tight delivery windows that tighten further duringpeaks. On Black Friday, online sales share regularly exceeds 32% of total retail. Warehouses must […]