Europe predicts fifteen-fold online logistics growth in five years

Ed Richardson
EUROPEAN ONLINE logistics revenues will grow to £133 billion by 2005, or 21% of the overall logistics market, predicts Forrester Research.
"We project that as a result of increased international on-line trade, the use of the Net to monitor and move goods will grow fifteen fold within the next five years," says Forrester senior analyst Charles Homs.
Almost a third of online logistics revenue will be generated through combined support services, according to a report titled "EuropeÕs Online Logistics Push".
"Trucking will become king of the information highway with revenues of 69 billion euros. Indeed on-
line logistics transactions for road
transport will amount to more than 50% of the total online logistics activity," says Homs.
Transport support services will capture 20% of total online logistics, making these supporting activities the second largest logistical activity with billings of 35 billion euros by 2005.
"Finally, airfreight will benefit from online logistics, but will remain small, as only 3% of all airfreight-related logistics activities will go on-line by 2005," he says.