This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
On September 18, 2019, Africa Logistics Properties (ALP) CEO Richard Hough emphasized the importance of adopting international logistics best practices in East Africa to stimulate business growth.
According to Hough, e-commerce firms should focus on their core business and move away from traditional land ownership, which is costly to acquire and develop.
Grade-A warehouses can act as logistics and distribution centers, leased out to firms, reducing distribution fleet costs due to their central location.
For instance, the ALP Nairobi North center is strategically located along the Northern and Eastern bypasses, providing convenient and reliable access to goods.
By leveraging planned logistics and distribution centers, e-commerce firms can eliminate shipping and transportation challenges, allowing them to concentrate on their core business and establish effective use of technology.
One such firm reaping the benefits of a planned logistics and distribution center is Copia, which enables households to access goods that would otherwise be difficult to access without traveling to a major city.
Copia distributes products from the Tatu City center to various regions, including Naivasha, Embu, and Western Region, with tracking of lorries dispatching products to over 4100 agents across the country.