XPO opens eight last-mile logistics hubs ahead of Black Friday

Transport and logistics giant XPO Logistics Inc. said today it has opened eight last-mile logistics hubs in a push to handle the peak shipping surge expected on Black Friday, the time when many retailers offer sales and discounts the day after Thanksgiving to launch the holiday shopping season.

Greenwich, Conn.-based XPO said the addition of the eight hubs brings its North American last-mile network to 53 sites, with the new facilities opening in Birmingham, Ala.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Los Angeles; Milwaukee; Savannah, Ga.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Washington, D.C. The hubs are part of the company's previously announced plans to expand its last-mile footprint to 85 hubs by late 2018 in order to cope with the rising volume of e-commerce shipments, XPO said.

Employees at the facilities will perform value-added services such as the inspection, repair, and pre-assembly of goods in preparation for delivery, XPO said. That work will facilitate XPO's movement of heavy goods from retailers and e-commerce companies to households and businesses, the company said.

"We're anticipating strong demand this holiday season, as more people are purchasing heavy goods online," Troy Cooper, chief operating officer of XPO Logistics, said in a statement. "Our last-mile expansion is directly related to the rapid growth of e-commerce and omnichannel retail. The scale of our network speeds fulfillment, while our technology gives retailers, e-tailers, and consumers control over the shopping experience."