#Co.HUB #Edion #Good Design Award

Edion Partners with Co. HUB

Edion, a major player in the home appliance retail industry, has decided to incorporate the award-winning joint distribution platform, Co. HUB, into its operations starting April 2026. This initiative marks a significant milestone as it will be the first deployment of its kind within the consumer electronics sector, expanding the previously successful application of Co. HUB primarily found in the drugstore industry.

Co. HUB has been designed to streamline logistics processes while addressing the challenges of labor shortages and increased operational burdens faced by many retail outlets. The service aggregates promotional materials from various manufacturers, enhancing delivery efficiency and simultaneously reducing environmental impact.

Background of Co. HUB

The retail industry is grappling with numerous challenges including the logistics 2024 problem, labor shortages, and rising workloads. Despite being a major industry, the labor productivity within retail still lags behind the national average. A significant observation within the drugstore segment was the inefficient delivery of promotional materials, where each store could receive up to 100 boxes a month from different manufacturers. Alarmingly, around 50% of these deliveries have a volume rate of less than 40%, leading to excess packaging waste. Furthermore, it was found that only about 30% of the promotional materials created were actually utilized in-store.

In response to these pressing issues, Co. HUB was developed to refresh the traditional promotional logistics system.

What is Co. HUB?

Co. HUB is a joint delivery service aimed at facilitating the distribution of promotional materials for retail stores and their partnering manufacturers. Under this service, promotional materials are first consolidated at a logistics hub. From there, items are sorted according to the specific needs of each store. Digital measurements of size and weight are taken, and a unique algorithm determines the most efficient box for packaging. This allows for maximum loading efficiency and weekly deliveries tailored to the stores’ requirements.

Key Design Features

• - Three-Way Win Business Model: Provides benefits for the retail outlets, manufacturers, and the environment/society as a whole.
• - Environmental Contributions: By utilizing joint deliveries among multiple competing manufacturers, Co. HUB aims to significantly reduce cardboard usage and CO2 emissions during transport.
• - Addressing Labor Shortages: The service's digital transformation (DX) streamlines operations, lightening the workload associated with receiving, searching for, and setting up promotional materials, thereby improving labor productivity.

Significance of the Good Design Award

Winning the Good Design Award highlights the recognition of innovative service solutions that address societal challenges. As awarded under the