The Environmental Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on November 18, 2004 that department stores in Tokyo will promote a joint product delivery and distribution system. The Kanto Department Stores Association, a collective body of department stores in Tokyo, will advance this program to respond to a request from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which has been making efforts to reduce and disperse the flow of delivery vehicles coming into the central Tokyo area, in order to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion as well as to promote measures to combat global warming. The program is the first of its kind in Japan.

The Kanto Department Stores Association, consisting of 30 member companies (total 98 stores), will introduce a "designated delivery agent system." Members will request their suppliers to consolidate all merchandise deliveries using designated delivery agents, which then make deliveries to each store. By the use of designated agents instead of the suppliers' separate delivery systems, the association expects to reduce the number of delivery cargo trucks going to and from each store and increase the loading rate of these vehicles.

One of the special features of this program is that it includes food delivery trucks, which account for 75 percent of the total number of the delivery vehicles. Although difficulties were anticipated initially, this new program is expected to be effective in reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

The association aims to introduce the program to all 15 of its member companies (30 stores) operating in the Tokyo area during fiscal 2005. It is expected to reduce their number of delivery vehicles by up to 50 percent, to ease traffic congestion, and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4,000 tons per annum.




Posted: 2005/02/19 03:06:38 PM
Japanese version

TAG Global warming , Local government , Non-manufacturing industry , System/Law , Transportation