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Now there's Airbnb for warehousing

22 Jun 2017

To put it concisely, Airbnb is an online marketplace for the rental of private accommodation. The concept emerged several years ago and has developed into a major success story around the world. Somewhat along the same lines is Uber, increasingly enjoying success as a platform aiming to connect transport supply and demand. Such platforms owe their popularity to the success of the shared economy and the rising demand for flexibility and sustainability. The concept behind Airbnb clearly meets these demands and it is now finding its way into other sectors, including logistics. But how exactly does it work?

Airbnb for Warehousing

In concrete terms Airbnb for Warehousing means an online marketplace for the rental of storage capacity and associated services. A platform bringing together supply and demand offers numerous benefits for the logistics sector, including better utilisation of vacant storage space and storage of stock in strategic locations, as well as allowing smaller online traders with little operational or logistical experience to call on the services of specialist logistical service providers.

This year Stockpots are launching Airbnb for Warehousing in the Netherlands.

A distant prospect?

Not at all! A number of firms are already active in this area, with businesses taking the initiative and working together with the service providers to fill in the practical details of the platform.

Disruption or opportunity?

Platforms along the lines of Airbnb and Uber are viewed as a major concern by many logistics businesses. While some among them are embracing this innovative development as an opportunity, the great majority are concerned about the disruption introduced by such platforms. Peter Hinssen writes for De Tijd: There isn't any sector which will escape the impact of the digital disruption we are currently experiencing. The effects will not be felt equally or simultaneously by all sectors, but they will affect every sector, and sooner rather than later in most cases.

Sources: logistiek.nl & logistiek.be

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