Lidl, the German retailer, has broadened its Tailwind brand’s scope into overland logistics by establishing a new division called Tailwind Intermodal.
The company stated that Tailwind Intermodal, as a sibling company of Tailwind Shipping Lines, will manage and coordinate the inland transportation of goods arriving at the seaport of Koper in Slovenia.
Koper holds strategic significance for Tailwind as its ships bring in goods via the Panda Express liner service from China. Tailwind Intermodal assumes responsibility for transporting goods further inland and returning empty containers to the port.
Tailwind collaborates with partners to transport goods, utilizing up to five daily train connections to the multimodal cargo center in Graz, Austria.
The company emphasized the advantageous geographical position of the cargo center between the Adriatic and the Baltic States, forming an ideal link to Eastern Europe.
With its expanded operations in Koper and Styria, Tailwind aims to enhance the efficiency of supply chains between China and Europe by offering combined sea freight and onshore carriage services as a neutral provider.
In April 2022, Lidl established its ocean freight operation to gain better control over its shipping needs and manage supply chain challenges and rising container shipping expenses more effectively.
Despite other retail chains retracting from chartering ships themselves as the Covid pandemic subsided, Lidl has intensified its efforts. Data from the Asia-based box analyst Linerlytica indicates that Tailwind is now the fastest-growing box carrier globally, experiencing a 43% increase since last July.
The impact of the ‘Tailwind’ effect is evident in the throughput at the port of Koper, which handled record container volumes last year, surpassing one million TEU, a 5% increase compared to 2022.