DHL launches local parcel delivery product for retailer e-commerce orders

Express and logistics provider DHL said late today it has launched a same-day and next-day delivery product in the U.S. to support e-commerce orders received by retailers.

The product, called "DHL Parcel Metro," has been rolled out in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. It will be launched in Dallas and Atlanta in the second quarter, San Francisco in the third quarter, and Washington, D.C. before year's end, DHL said. The company is part of the German giant Deutsche Post DHL Group. Its Americas headquarters are in Plantation, Fla.

The product will function through what DHL called a "virtual delivery network" of local and regional delivery vendors and crowd-sourced drivers. DHL's software platform will select drivers that offer the capacity and meet the service levels on the specific routes, DHL said.

DHL's eCommerce unit said it can bundle fulfillment and delivery solutions for online retailers.