Logistics scouting trip: BME in London 

At the end of September we went to scout the UK logistics market on a trip to London. The objective was to learn more about trends on the British market, and about how other Belgian companies address the UK market. It was a captivating trip and we want to share our experiences with you!

Why the UK?

Or better said: why not go to the UK. Albion, the sacred land of fish&chips, full english breakfast and cosy pubs! But aside of those assets, the UK has a lot to offer to logistics professionals.

For starters, there is a florishing market of small-to-medium enterprises that want nothing more badly then bringing their products to market in continental Europe. Both through online retail and through a network of brick-and-mortar shops. But for that they need a reliable, flexible fulfilment partner that understands omnichannel. Enter BME!

There’s also an interesting reverse trend. Companies on the European mainland consider the UK as a very interesting export market. Today already, BME ensures the fulfilment for a growing number of customers exporting to the UK.

We went onsite and talked to logistical and parcel delivery companies to discuss strategic partnerships and to see how we can organize an even better last mile delivery.

Chris at e-commerce expo

Insights

Two days is not a lot, so we had a very intense timetable in order to establish as many useful contacts as possible. 

Our British prospects and customers told us at the London E-commerce Expo that the Brexit is an obvious attention point for them. The upcoming Brexit has been for many an impetus to accelerate the process of making BME their fulfilment partner on the continent. But also without Brexit it is useful for them to have a logistical warehouse and fulfilment hub. 

When it comes to warehousing and fulfilment, Belgium and Flanders have the competitive edge, and our excellent reputation in logistics was clearly known in the UK. To no small degree this is the merit of Flanders Investment and Trade. We used the opportunity to visit FIT in their London office to brainstorm about the following central question: “How can we further market our high-quality services offering in the UK? 

Other entrepreneurs have already gone where we are going now, and have made the step from Belgium to the UK. Among others we met up with StoryMe, a promising Belgian scale-up that uses video to convert complex or important messages in snappy and clear one-minute videos. Since they have a London office this trip was the right moment for an enriching afternoon tea discussion.

Next steps

BME is not going to stop after this one trip. Brexit or not: Belgium and the UK are important trade partners, and we are going to contribute to that!

Soon we will announce sime great news regarding a significant expansion of our services offering. But you’ll need to be a bit patient, we’re still building up the tension.

So!

Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves! Do absolutely contact us if you have export plans from the UK to the European mainland, or vice versa. BME has the internal expertise, structures and partnerships to offer you an end-to-end logistical solution for e-commerce, digital B2B transactions and omnichannel.

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