ArrowXL Optimizes Last Mile Delivery and Unlocks Capacity with Descartes

By The Descartes Systems Group Inc | May 21, 2025, 6:45 AM

LONDON and ATLANTA, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that ArrowXL, the U.K.’s largest and longest-established two-person home delivery and warehousing specialist, is using Descartes’ route planning and execution solution to automate and optimize last mile delivery route planning. This enables ArrowXL’s route planning team to plan and optimize routes for deliveries dynamically and more efficiently, unlocking transportation capacity for the organization.

“ArrowXL is focused on bespoke services centered around a customer-first approach,” said Rachel Hopkins, Chief Information Officer, ArrowXL. “With over 40 years’ experience completing deliveries for the U.K.’s leading retailers, e-tailers, and manufacturers, we manage over 2.6 million consumer deliveries annually and we’re growing. We cover 100 percent of the U.K., with 98% of the country covered six days a week and the remaining 2% covered on nominated days—all from seven main hubs and eight outbases using a fleet of 250 vehicles. We offer ‘Next-Day’, ‘Nominated Day’ and ‘Diary Booking’ delivery appointments to customers, as well as the setting up and connection of some white goods, assembly of some furniture items, and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling and packaging removal. Managing and executing these delivery services successfully at the sheer scale that we do requires precision planning and execution. With Descartes in place, our team of planners has automated and streamlined previous manual planning processes, allowing us to optimize our vehicle usage and minimize CO2 emissions. This approach increases capacity across our operations dynamically in real-time. Since the Descartes solution interfaces between our system and our clients’ systems, we provide the entire value chain with a true view of delivery capacity to take advantage of, allowing everyone to increase operational efficiency.”

Descartes’ cloud-based last mile delivery solution helps distribution-intensive companies improve operational efficiency and customer experience. It supports dynamic delivery requirements, including same-day delivery. The Descartes solution improves route productivity by using advanced optimization technology to reduce the distance driven per delivery, which maximizes delivery capacity and reduces costs. In ArrowXL’s case, Descartes helps the company to manage deliveries efficiently where boundaries between delivery locations and team areas are unclear. Descartes also improves delivery sustainability with increased route productivity.

“We’re pleased our solution is playing an important role for ArrowXL in optimizing route planning and maintaining a high-level of customer experience,” said Gary Taylor, VP Sales, EMEA at Descartes. “ArrowXL delivers goods daily in the U.K. for some of the highest profile brands in ecommerce and on the high street. Automating route planning and helping planners to execute this function dynamically will continue to allow the business to unlock capacity, support with increasing revenue, and enable their own clients to provide more delivery slots to their customers, all of which improves overall customer experience and service levels.”

About ArrowXL

ArrowXL is the UK’s largest and longest-established two-person home delivery and warehousing specialist. We are committed to innovation and continuous improvement - investing in technology, new services and training. Learn more at https://www.arrowxl.co.uk/.

About Descartes

Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack                                                                     
[email protected]  

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ route planning and execution solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.


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