The Logistics Advantage

E-commerce ultimately depends on getting products to customers efficiently. Here, Lille's geographic advantage becomes decisive.

The Delta 3 multimodal platform connects road, rail, and waterway transport. Amazon, Alibaba, and other giants maintain distribution centers in the Lille region. Same-day delivery to Paris, Brussels, and London is routine.

"Logistics is our moat," explains Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of a major 3PL provider. "Others can copy our websites, our marketing. They can't copy our location and infrastructure."

The rise of quick commerce—delivery in under 30 minutes—particularly favors Lille. Startups like Cajoo and Flink use Lille as a testing ground for rapid delivery models before expanding across Europe.