<b>IN THIS ISSUE</b>
<b>TOP STORY</b> ■ Online shoppers’ love of free shipping drives behaviour ■ <b>AMERICAS</b> e-Commerce growth will continue to depend on major transportation providers ■ UPS introduces new convenient pick-up and drop-off options in Austria ■ <b>ASIA PACIFIC</b> Alibaba Group and SoftBank form joint venture ■ Alibaba Group opens Netherlands office and announces local senior management appointment ■ Yamato and Neopost to launch Japanese parcel locker network in June ■ New Zealand’s corporates join forces to tackle textile waste ■ Escher signs with Vietnam Post ■ <b>EUROPE</b> German CEP market posts solid volume and revenue growth above average in 2015 ■ Amazon France quits Colis Privé takeover and installs parcel lockers ■ France’s La Poste acquires artificial intelligence specialist ■ Credit24 and Posti to begin cooperation ■ Parcelforce Worldwide introduces ‘Quote and Book’ to improve customers’ online experience ■ UK online retail continues double-digit growth in April but at lowest level this year
<b>IN THIS E-COMMERCE SPECIAL</b>
<b> FEATURE STORY</b> Amazon expands its delivery capabilities ■ <b>NEWS</b> Where will consumer-influenced delivery time leave postal operators? ■ China removes parcel tax ■ Alibaba invests $1bn to support e-Commerce in Southeast Asia ■ Royal Mail further improves its parcel services ■ Deutsche Post DHL extends parcel network across the Nordics and Baltics ■ Zalando expands its delivery capabilities