After launching a dedicated e-commerce logistics network in mid-October, WCA Ltd. has seen more than 100 logistics companies apply for membership. Called WCA eCommerce, the new network allows member companies to trade directly with each other, to build volumes and to strengthen business ties.
In its final form, the network will provide a platform for member organizations to trade, network, and use educational tools. Members can also offer logistics services back to the network, backed by the WCA’s financial protection program.
“The response has been phenomenal,” said Dan March, WCA CEO. “We have been approached by a number of the world’s largest internet retailers and online marketplaces.”
In 2017, WCA eCommerce plans to add benefits, including e-commerce shipment insurance, e-commerce-specific IT solutions, preferred rates on global and domestic last-mile and courier services, and regional e-commerce consolidation programs.
WCA started out as a network of independent freight forwarders that consolidated resources in 1998 to realize the sort of rates that their larger competitors can leverage through economies of scale. WCA currently has more than 6,000 member offices in 190 countries. Its latest effort to open the doors to e-commerce companies is a response to projections that 20 percent of freight forwarding will be driven by online activity by 2020.