Logistics providers are increasingly expected to offer innovative services to link retailers with their customer base. 

Speaking to delegates at the 3PL Conference in Birmingham, head of e-commerce at Hermes Eoin Kenneally said his firm is supporting its clients' retail brands with the development of new services, Logistics Manager reports.

Trends such as click and collect - where customers collect packages from nearby stores - are expected to continue growing at a strong rate. Related services such as Sunday deliveries have also taken off over the past six months. 

Contact centre manager at Hermes Catherine Lindsay said it is important for delivery services to fit in with customer lifestyles. 

She noted that Hermes now has six channels to deal with customers, rather than the traditional phone and letter options. 

"The biggest change is that customers want to be able to contact us in a way and time that suits them using social media," she commented, adding that a lot of time is dedicated to getting consumer interaction right.