Nearshoring strategy brings Air Up to the Netherlands

Air Up and Kuehne+Nagel have expanded their partnership with a new e-fulfilment centre in the Dutch town of Veghel. This is an important step in the nearshoring strategy of Air Up, the innovative beverage system that adds flavour to water through the sense of smell. The company’s strategy is aimed at holding stock closer to its customer base, optimizing delivery times and reducing the ecological footprint of its deliveries.

The expansion of the partnership between Air Up and Kuehne+Nagel is a consequence of the growing European demand for the three-year-old scale-up’s products. Since 2021, Kuehne+Nagel has handled warehousing and distribution services for Air Up from e-fulfilment centres in France and Germany which serve customers not only in those countries but also in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

Reducing the carbon impact

In addition to offering faster delivery times, Air Up’s new distribution centre is aimed at reducing the carbon impact by shortening the distance to the destination. In addition, packaging and last-mile delivery solutions have been optimized to increase sustainability. For example, the company’s flavour pods will now be shipped in envelopes rather than boxes.

“There is high demand for our products in the Netherlands. In Kuehne+Nagel, we have found the ideal partner to meet this increasing demand, while improving our delivery service and getting even closer to our customers,” says Air Up co-founder Lena Jüngst.

Unprecedented growth

“The opening of this new facility highlights how relevant the Dutch market is for us as a company. Since our launch in the Netherlands in November 2020, we have experienced unprecedented growth in the region. We expect to further expand our presence in late 2022,” Jüngst continued.

Gerry Bosmans, Contract Logistics Director for Kuehne+Nagel Benelux, added: “We are delighted at this next step in our partnership with Air Up, which is perfectly aligned with our strategic focus on direct-to-consumer logistics. It is a fitting extension of our existing e-commerce activities and solid last-mile network.”