2024 marked a pivotal year for global business, with industries adjusting to a post-pandemic world. While the pandemic’s long-term impact is still felt, businesses have shifted into a new era dominated by digital and technological advancements.  

Supply chains, once crippled by disruptions, have shown remarkable resilience, adapting to a changing global landscape. Economic growth has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, but the focus has now turned to navigating deeper challenges with geopolitical shifts, technology integration, and sustainability.  

To wrap up this eventful year, we take a tour through our top 10 most-read stories that have resonated with you in 2024:

Back to Business: E-Commerce and Sales

In 2024, smaller businesses have increasingly embraced digital transformation, leveraging online platforms to thrive in a competitive landscape.   

With the expansion of global e-commerce, businesses have found creative ways to meet the rising demand for fast and convenient online shopping. From retail giants to independent sellers, the online shopping revolution continues to reshape how people buy and sell globally.

1. Everything you need to know about parcel lockers

As shoppers desire more convenient delivery options, retailers are turning to parcel lockers to offer a more sustainable and flexible option for consumers and businesses worldwide (05 January 2024). 

Smart lockers now incorporate digital and IoT features to offer more convenient, secure, and efficient package management. With these developments, the parcel locker industry is set to grow rapidly, with projections estimating it will reach US$2.07 billion by 2030.

2. Shipping to Singapore: Everything You Need to Know

The global e-commerce boom has seen its greatest impact on Southeast Asia. In particular, Singapore has a huge appetite for online shopping. According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the digital economy contributed over 17 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2022. 

Businesses looking to tap into Singapore’s thriving market must understand the intricacies of shipping, customs, and regulations. Whether packaging goods or securing necessary paperwork, this guide provides key insights to help businesses navigate Singapore's robust e-commerce landscape (26 January 2024).

Adapting to the global business landscape

Over a year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 no longer constituted a global public health emergency, businesses have become more resilient. Volatility is now the new normal in global trade, and businesses in Asia are learning to adapt with innovation.

3. India’s Multimodal Logistics Parks: A Model for Growth

As India aims to become a US$5 trillion economy by 2028, the nation has invested heavily in developing multimodal logistics parks that integrate road, rail, and air transport to create more efficient and sustainable supply chains (12 April 2024). With logistics accounting for a significant portion of GDP, optimizing this sector is key to India’s long-term growth and competitiveness.

4. How Asia Pacific is strengthening information flow to boost digital trade growth

Asia Pacific has become a hub for digital trade, with countries tackling connectivity and cross-border challenges to drive the growth of e-commerce and digital services (17 January 2024). Digital information flows, which connect businesses, governments, and communities, are at the heart of this transformation. With high-speed mobile networks and advanced telecommunications infrastructure, the region is setting the stage for the next wave of global trade.

Tech transformation with AI and Automation

One of the defining trends of 2024 is the rise of AI and automation in logistics and supply chains. AI-driven systems help streamline operations, predict demand, and enhance customer service, while automation, from warehouse robots to delivery drones, drives efficiency and resilience in supply chains, enabling businesses to meet the ever-growing demands of the global market.

5. AI and Automation: Aides, Not Adversaries

While concerns about job losses persist, experts agree that AI and automation are best seen as tools to aid workers, not replace them (10 May 2024). Logistics providers are also favoring collaborative robots over relying on fully automated systems.

6. Revolutionizing Last-Mile Logistics with Autonomous Vehicles

Similarly, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are revolutionizing last-mile delivery by reducing costs, improving delivery times, and addressing labor shortages in the logistics industry (02 May 2024). In addition to autonomous delivery trucks, drones and self-driving vehicles are enhancing the speed and flexibility of package deliveries.

7. Data-driven decision-making: How analytics powers logistics control towers

A key advancement includes the shift toward data-driven decision-making in logistics (08 February 2024). Businesses are increasingly tapping into Logistics control towers, central hubs that offer real-time visibility into supply chains to optimize their operations and reduce costs. 

By collecting and analyzing data across the supply chain, control towers enable better forecasting, route optimization, and customer service, transforming logistics management into a more efficient and transparent process.

Greener priorities

The effects of climate change have been made visible by the onset of severe climate-related disasters, including powerful hurricanes, rising sea levels and floods, wildfires, and extreme heat. With these developments, 2024 is on track to becoming the warmest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.  

Businesses and consumers alike have grown more aware of the urgent need for comprehensive climate action to mitigate the worsening impacts of climate change.

8. Managing the 5Rs of Reverse Logistics

As climate change continues to affect global ecosystems, reverse logistics is becoming an increasingly important aspect of modern commerce. For businesses in 2024, understanding the 5Rs—returns, recapture, remanufacturing, reuse, and recycle—has become crucial to building an efficient and sustainable logistics strategy to reduce waste and enhance sustainability (4 April 2024).

9. The Role of Reverse Logistics in Achieving Sustainability Goals

By streamlining these processes in an environmentally responsible way, companies can leverage their reverse logistics strategies to contribute to a circular economy, reduce their carbon footprint, and comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations (6 March 2024).

10. Eco-friendly logistics: How control towers help to grow greener networks

To get a clear overview of the progress of their sustainability roadmaps, companies are incorporating sustainability metrics into their control tower dashboards, allowing them to monitor and report on carbon emissions data (2 February 2024). 

Doing so allows businesses to track their emissions output, enabling them to make adjustments to hit their emissions reduction targets. Consumer goods giant Unilever, for example, utilizes control towers to track its progress, targeting to cut shipping emissions by 40 percent by 2029, and reach net-zero emissions by 2039.

Companies can reduce waste, optimize resources, and even improve their bottom line by focusing on these strategies.   

Companies must remain agile and forward-thinking as digital transformation, sustainability, and technological innovation continue to reshape the industry. 2024 has been a year of adaptation and growth for global businesses, particularly in the logistics and supply chain sectors. 

The stories that resonated most with you in 2024 highlight the importance of embracing change. The year ahead promises even more exciting developments as businesses continue to evolve in an increasingly interconnected world.

Here’s to a promising 2025—stay tuned for more insights and updates as the year unfolds!