DHL Global Forwarding has launched a retail division to provide a specialist service to global retailers.
Mark Lau, previously senior director for the consumer and retail sector for Africa and Asia Pacific, has become the first global head of the retail sector business, based in Singapore.
The new operation focuses ono fashion and apparel, luxury goods, tourism, hotels, restaurants and catering as well as specialty retailers, general merchandise and supermarkets.
DHL estimates that the top ten import and export retail markets make up about 60 per cent and 80 per cent of total ocean trade volumes and 70 per cent and 80 per cent of total air trade volumes respectively. In addition to having to manage fast growth and multi-channel sales, global retailers face numerous new challenges in the local market such as infrastructural constraints and local buying behaviour.
Amadou Diallo, chief executive, Africa and South Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding, said: “The retail industry is changing fast with key trends powered by the multi-channel purchasing options customers prefer. The result is that retailers must seek new and specialized logistics solutions to meet customer demand. Developing such solutions for retailers has played a starring role in the excellent growth of DHL Global Forwarding over the past two years and we believe a dedicated global retail sector managed out of Singapore will allow DHL to be even more proactive.”
