Highlights from the Delivery Conference 2026

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DELIVERY CONFERENCE 2026

Parcelly, recently attended the annual Delivery Conference co-hosted by ShipStation and Metapack, which this year marked a defining moment for the industry. Under the theme “The Intelligent Delivery Shift: A new era of AI powered, data driven and customer led ecommerce logistics,” the conference reaffirmed its status as a flagship gathering for retailers, carriers and technology innovators, once again setting the strategic and operational cadence for the year ahead.

Held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, the conference offered a packed morning agenda, opening with “The Human Touch: Reclaiming Retail in a Tech‑Driven Delivery World”. Across the day, attendees engaged in forward‑looking keynotes, expert panels, and hands‑on discussions, while the exhibition floor provided valuable opportunities for one‑to‑one conversations and demonstrations from leading industry innovators.

Our CEO, Sebastian Steinhauser, took the stage for the panel “The Flexible Fulfilment Advantage: Scaling with Drop Ship, Marketplaces and Ship from Store''. Beyond the panel, the Parcelly team was also on-site as silver sponsors, engaging with delegates throughout the day. It was a pleasure to exhibit alongside industry peers including: Relay, HIVED, DPDGroup, Evri, Amazon Shipping and many others.

In the afternoon, Parcelly  CEO, Sebastian Steinhauser, took part in a panel alongside Philip Hall (Rithum), René Schrama (Peak Technologies, Inc.) and Tom Wakefield (Kingfisher plc), moderated by Emma Clarke (Metapack).

The panel explored how retailers are enhancing ecommerce performance by adopting more flexible fulfilment models. As brands expand their assortments and distribute inventory across multiple locations, the post purchase experience becomes increasingly complex, creating new challenges around delivery expectations, tracking consistency and returns management. This theme aligns closely with Parcelly’s platform advantage, as we act as the city layer that enables ship from store and dark store models to operateas a controlled, predictable network. We ensure consistent workflows, disciplined scan logic and reliable handover signals across every local node.

The discussion examined how retailers are navigating this shift while maintaining visibility, operational control and a consistent customer experience. Attendees left with key insights on why diversified fulfilment has become a competitive advantage and how it can be deployed without increasing operational strain or diluting brand standards.

Sebastian highlighted that dark‑store models are especially effective in dense urban areas where proximity and rapid fulfilment are crucial. He emphasised that the success of these models depends on rigorous execution. As he noted: “If you don’t define success upfront, you risk scaling failure. You need to optimise locally before you expand, making sure demand, inventory and operations are aligned before rolling out further”.

He further encouraged retailers to rethink how they approach diversified fulfilment: “Treat diversified fulfilment like a city capacity strategy, not a channel strategy: build density where demand is, certify local nodes, and keep it reversible—so you can add speed and resilience without locking yourself into heavy infrastructure”.

When asked about the metrics of success Sebastian explained that it can start with something as granular as a pallet‑optimisation label‑quality drop within a standardised workflow, he also underlined the value of low‑capex, high‑flexibility models: the ability to retract a SKU or a postcode and redeploy it to a higher‑demand area without disruption. Closing with 'I could just coninue', because best‑in‑class fulfilment is the sum of relentlessly defined, measured and governed execution across every node, every scan and every handover.

And that is where Parcelly delivers!

In sum, as retailers re‑architect their networks for a more dynamic ecommerce landscape, the opportunity lies in turning complexity into structured advantage. Success will belong to those who can operationalise urban density with clarity, consistency and measurable performance from day one.

As well as Sebastian’s panel, the Parcelly team joined a series of sessions throughout the day that explored emerging delivery models, data driven optimisation and the operational realities behind scaling intelligent fulfilment. Keynotes and expert panels offered new perspectives on how brands are responding to rising customer expectations, tighter delivery promises and increasingly complex inventory ecosystems.

One of the standout sessions featured Mathias Krieger, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at HIVED, who examined how delivery is evolving into a direct growth lever. Krieger positioned delivery as a customer facing and revenue positive asset rather than a traditional cost centre. His conclusion was clear. Brands that treat the post purchase journey as part of their core value offering, rather than a logistical obligation, are building deeper customer relationships and strengthening their competitive advantage.

Another highlight came during the afternoon session “Options That Win: Same Day, Scheduled and Sustainable Delivery,” where Katie Searles shared a striking insight from Metapack. According to their research, ‘’84 percent of consumers will abandon their cart if the delivery option they want is not available’’. The takeaway reinforced a message that echoed throughout the event. Delivery choice is no longer a value add. It has become a fundamental expectation that directly shapes conversion, loyalty and overall customer satisfaction.

In the Psychology of Delivery session, Morgan Rivers of UPS underscored this even further, noting that customers primarily want just three things: ‘’an express option, a standard economy option, and an out of home alternative’’. This streamlined expectation aligns precisely with the infrastructure Parcelly enables. Our mobile first, white labelled technology allows any carrier to surface all three options instantly interoperable, hyperlocal, and fully orchestrated.

Rivers also pointed to a “momentum shift in the importance of choice,” stressing that time has become the new currency, and consumers increasingly opt for services that let them receive products today, not tomorrow. Our hyperlocal warehousing and distributed micro hub model are built exactly for this behavioural trend. By converting idle commercial space into logistics ready micro hubs, our platform allows retailers and carriers to offer near instant availability while maintaining operational control and cost efficiency hub model ready micro hubs.

Across the sessions, a clear theme emerged. The industry is moving urgently toward a unified, resilient and tech‑first logistics layer. Parcelly is already delivering on this shift. Our IP‑tested platform, proven at enterprise scale for more than a decade, provides the automation, volume orchestration and interoperable workflows that modern fulfilment demands. We continue to raise the standard for the parcel experience, helping retailers evolve from basic “must‑work” delivery models to customer‑first fulfilment. Having recently been named the UK’s Logistics Technology Provider of the Year at the Logistics Awards, we are exceptionally well positioned to lead this next phase of innovation.  

Top quotes of the day

“Delivery success isn’t defined by speed alone — it’s built on trust and certainty”. — Mathias Krieger, CEO of Hived

“Planning for the unexpected requires agility — in thinking, in the supply chain, and in technology”. — Chris Forbes,Chairman & CEO of The Cheeky Panda

“The power of a satisfied consumer is intangible”. — MichaelAnderson, Managing Consultant at Place-B Consultancy Limited

“Suppliers are forming powerful new strategic partnerships, creating space for innovation, value creation, and resilience. Unlocking that potential enables retailers and suppliers to realise commercial benefits while elevating the customer experience”. — Amy Allen, Founder of ZigZag

‍Sebatian Steinhauser, CEO & Founder of Parcelly: 

‘’This year’s Delivery Conference has felt especially energising. I enjoyed taking part in the panel on flexible fulfilment. It offered a valuable opportunity to reflect on how quickly the market is evolvingin response to global dynamics and technological advancements. The level of innovation and collaboration across carriers, retailers and solution providers was particularly encouraging’’.

Overall, Parcelly had a fantastic time at #TDC2026. A massive thank you to Metapack and ShipStation for producing this highly organised and quality event that continues to be a true satellite of the industry.

 If you missed us there and would like to arrange a meeting with us, contact partnerships@parcelly.com