Benidorm and AECOC sign an agreement to promote a new efficient and sustainable urban merchandise distribution model

Benidorm City Council and AECOC (Association of Manufacturers and Distributors), which brings together more than 34,000 companies, have signed an Action Protocol by which both partner to promote new models of urban distribution of goods in the city. The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, and the general director of AECOC, José María Bonmatí, participated in the signing of the agreement.

Through this agreement, the Mobility and Traffic Area of Benidorm City Council shows its interest in collaborating for the development of a “Smart City” model in the city, promoting ‘Smart Distribution’; a model promoted by AECOC and is characterized by having a sustainable, efficient and competitive structure in mobility and the distribution of goods in the urban area.

As established in the agreement, in the initial phase AECOC will work together with its Smart Distribution Committee and the Transport and Delivery Working Group - which has leading transport companies from all over the country - to define, together with the Benidorm City Council, ,  the action plan; as well as the project meeting schedule, in order to share knowledge and present the needs detected.

In the intermediate phase (during 2-4 months after the initial phase), a detailed work program will be prepared that will include training sessions, meetings to share projects or research programs and actions to channel and implement the development of Smart Distribution in the city.

As the association has argued, due to “the nature” of Benidorm “one of the great challenges that the project presents is to improve the urban distribution of goods in periods in which the municipality increases its population significantly due to tourism.” , multiplying its population.

Toni Pérez explained that "with this alliance we advance in the consolidation of our sustainable urban mobility strategy, in this case addressing the challenge of merchandise distribution, so significant in a tourist city like ours." The mayor assured that "being able to organize more efficiently the mobility generated around the distribution of goods will allow us not only to optimize the service provided to the local productive fabric, but also to make Benidorm an increasingly more comfortable and friendly for residents and tourists.”

Furthermore, he added that "the solutions that may arise from the analysis, dialogue and exchange of experiences between the City Council and AECOC will also surely serve to improve the management of our Low Emissions Zone (ZBE)."

After signing this agreement, José María Bonmatí, indicated that “in a context of regulatory changes and new challenges in the urban distribution of goods, at AECOC we promote collaboration with public administrations in order to jointly design new city models capable of successfully face new challenges. With this philosophy, our purpose is to provide knowledge and provide the necessary tools to optimize the logistics processes of companies and institutions in order to respond to the needs of a consumer and a business community that require efficient and sustainable services. This becomes especially relevant in a city like Benidorm, which can double or triple its population in summer periods marked by the large influx of tourism.”

AECOC's urban merchandise distribution model includes strategies such as the deployment of networks of shared-use lockers in areas of high traffic density; the digitization of loading and unloading areas; the application of multi-use lanes; real-time traffic analysis through big data or the introduction of urban distribution infrastructure to access difficult-to-access areas with alternative or electric vehicles, such as historic centers, and areas of concentration of electronic commerce demand.

About AECOC

AECOC is one of the largest business organizations in the country and the only one in which industry and distribution from different sectors work together to develop good practices and technological standards that help companies be more efficient and competitive, providing value to the consumer. It encompasses both the largest companies and small and medium-sized businesses and represents sectors as diverse as food and beverages, textiles, electrical, hardware and DIY, health and hospitality, among others. It has more than 34,000 associated companies whose combined turnover represents close to 25% of the national GDP.