Investments to optimise the entire logistics chain, in particular to accelerate the last mile to reach the customer, let the Austrian online retailer Unito be optimistical about the future, and profit from the increased competitive pressure in the parcel market.
Within 2 years, the company has reduced its delivery time by 50 per cent. Thanks to a cooperation with the Austrian Post since October, the last mile to the customer has been cut, and services such as delivery on Saturdays and 24-hours delivery can be offered as a decisive competitive advantage.
Since September 1, Unito has been partnering with Gebrüder Weiss forwarding in the strategic segment of nationwide distribution of heavy and bulky machines of the white goods and consumer electronics segment aswell as furnitures. The Management expects a volume of more than 100,000 shipments per year.
“The competition in e-commerce goes far beyond a price strategy, in particular shipping and delivery time are critical for purchase decisions. Thus fast delivery plays a central role within our continuous optimisation process. The faster the delivery, the lower is the returns quota“, Mag. Harald Gutschi, Managing Director Unito group, emphasised in a press talk.
The Unito Group based in Salzburg and Graz is a subsidiary of the Baur Group, which is part of the Otto Group, and is present in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, South Tyrol, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary with 645 employees, generating annual sales of EUR 330 Million in the 2014/15 financial year. In Austria they operate the brands Universal, Otto, Quelle, Lascana and Schlafwelt, as well as Oko, a financial service provider.
