DHL looks to seize on potential growth in U.S. e-commerce market

The parcel and express carrier has begun to expand its U.S. market presence by offering a new delivery program that caters to urban e-commerce retailers and shoppers.    DHL has begun to expand its U.S. market presence by offering a new delivery program that caters to urban e-commerce retailers and shoppers, the company said in a statement late last week.
   After about two years of pilot testing, the company’s DHL eCommerce unit has launched DHL Parcel Metro to provide online retailers with same-day and next-day delivery for their customers. 
   Parcel Metro uses customized software that allows DHL eCommerce to create a “virtual delivery network” of local and regional contract couriers to make deliveries. 
   For on-line shoppers, Parcel Metro allows the use of a mobile application to track shipments in real-time, communicate special instructions to the courier, reschedule a delivery and rate their delivery experience. 
   The new service is now available in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, and will be expanded to Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. later this year, the company said.
   “Deutsche Post DHL Group is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to offer the best service, quality and efficiency for our customers,” said Charles Brewer, CEO of DHL eCommerce, in a statement. “The DHL Parcel Metro solution provides a technology solution to the last-mile opportunity.”
   Through this new service, DHL is starting to re-enter the U.S. express market after abruptly departing in 2008 in the face of overwhelming competition from UPS and FedEx.