Wincanton wins Morrisons contract

Wincanton has won a five-year contract from Morrisons. The logistics firm will provide transport and warehouse services to support Morrisons' expansion of its convenience stores in the North. Wincanton already manages a convenience store distribution centre for Morrisons in London. Read more...

Morrisons could open 300 convenience stores, IT to be upgraded

Supermarket chain Morrisons could open as many as 300 convenience stores within three years. Dalton Philips, chief executive, said by 2015 the firm will be competing with rivals on equal terms as its multi-channel strategy is finally in place. Morrisons has been criticised for being too slow to roll out convenience stores and an online offering. Morrisons will invest £300m in a major technology overhaul at its 500 stores. Read more...

Sainsbury's to open more convenience stores

Plans to open more convenience stores have been outlined by Sainsbury's. The UK supermarket chain predicted its Sainsbury's Local convenience store portfolio will overtake the number of supermarkets it operates later this year. Read more...

Network Rail signs parcel locker deal with ByBox

Network Rail has signed a deal with electronic locker specialist ByBox. Some 62 sites in London will get ByBox lockers ahead of a national rollout. Online shoppers can have their goods delivered to their nearest ByBox if they cannot accept home or work deliveries. Read more...

Record growth for Port of Tyne

Record year-on-year growth was reported by the Port of Tyne, as well as cargo volumes and profits, for the third successive year. The port held on to its position in 2013 as the leading UK car exporting port. Cargo volumes have more than doubled since 2009, to 6.5m tonnes, with a fourfold-plus rise in profit before tax to £12m and turnover up by over half to £63m. Read more...

Schenker names new contract logistics director

Schenker Limited has announced the appointment of Simon Bruce as its new Contract Logistics Director with effect from 18 June 2013. Bruce joins from a similar role in the industry where he worked for 12 years and led his division to considerable growth. Read more...

Londonmetric Property announces deal for two warehouses

Two UK warehouses have been purchased by Londonmetric Property from WH Smith and Argos. The firm paid £10.1m for the 211,000 sq ft WH Smith Distribution Unit in Birmingham, reflecting a net initial yield of 7.9%. It has also exchanged on the Argos Distribution Warehouse in Bedford for £51.65m, a 7% net initial yield. Read more...

Road congestion expected to increase by 114% by 2040

The Department for Transport has warned that the UK's roads will become considerably more congested over the next 25 years. It forecasts that by 2040, average speeds will decline by 8%, whilw the average amount of time that is lost per mile due to traffic congestion will increase by 114%. Read more...

Hermes, ByBox to offer parcel locker delivery service

ByBox and Hermes have partnered to provide a parcel locker collection and delivery service for online retailers and SMEs. The service will be launched with 100 pick-up and drop sites in the UK. The carrier hopes to expand it to 250 by 2013-end. ByBox will be maintaining the lockers. Earlier in 2013, a parcel locker service was rolled out by InPost in the UK, with plans to launch 2,000 lockers across the UK by 2013-end. Read more...