Starting February 2026, the Rue du Rhône will be disrupted for 10 months due to the deployment of GeniLac by SIG. Thus, a timely delivery may fail due to a poorly anticipated time slot or access.
Read the document dedicated to deliveries in the area of Rues-Basses and Rue du Rhône if you are affected.
Out-of-stock situations, receptions incompatible with the store hours, and lack of visibility on restocks weaken the distribution of a network of shops. These difficulties increase when each point of sale has its own access, time slots, and rules for receiving. It should be noted that Switzerland has 68,040 hours of traffic jams in 2025 (source: OFROU).
Using a carrier for regular deliveries to businesses in French-speaking Switzerland allows for organizing these parameters into a common plan. For a brand established in Geneva or supplying several cities in the region, the challenge is to choose the appropriate flow, document each destination, and frame the exceptions.
This guide presents the operational decisions to be made to build a stable route, including when the goods require secure handling.
A recurring route to stabilize the restocking of stores
A recurring route is a collection or delivery scheduled at a fixed frequency for multiple sites, according to a defined schedule. A regular line can follow a daily, weekly, monthly, or any other agreed frequency.
Let’s take the example of a network whose entry point is located in Geneva. A warehouse receives the goods there, then supplies several Romandy shops according to a common schedule. Each store, however, maintains its own constraints, such as authorized hours, appointment scheduling, or unloading conditions. The delivery slot at Longemalle square in Geneva is from 7 AM – 11:30 AM for example.
The route organizes in advance the days of passage, the order of the stores, the reception slots, and the rules applicable to exceptions. This structure connects preparation to transport, then to the delivery to the point of sale according to the agreed conditions.
Established in Geneva since 1988, STAR Logistics offers routes, shuttles and regular lines for planned flows. Their configuration depends on the relevant network and the chosen schedule.
The schedule can also specify the projected volumes per passage, the store managers, and the information to be transmitted before loading. It thus becomes a coordination document between the warehouse, the preparation teams, and the recipients.
When volumes vary according to seasons or business operations, the network can incorporate these variations into the planning. Each destination then has clear instructions to prepare for receipt and report a discrepancy before the scheduled passage. This preparation reduces ambiguities during exchanges between teams responsible for the flow. See the variations in the table of OFS statistics.
Before setting a schedule, map each store, their role in the network and their receiving constraints.
Choose the right flow model according to the actual need
The flow model primarily depends on the regularity of the need. A recurring route is suitable for predictable volumes distributed to multiple addresses. Timely delivery responds to an isolated, exceptional shipment or one that cannot be planned in a fixed route.
A regular shuttle connects two sites, or travels along a defined axis, at an agreed cadence. A route serves multiple points in an organized order. Read the difference between the shuttle, route, and line directly on our page dedicated to regular transport.
This difference affects planning, delivery instructions, and the consolidation of goods. A simulation of the pooling of goods in the logistics hub of La Praille, in Geneva, conducted by PwC indicates -75% of vehicle movement and -40% of delivery zone needs.
When transport alone does not meet the need, the service can integrate a broader logistics chain. The logistics solutions involved include receiving, warehousing, order preparation, labeling, packaging, and delivery.
🚚 Type of transport
✅ When to use it
📋 To organize
🚚 Recurring route
✅ The flows are predictable and multiple addresses need to be served
📋 Cadence, destinations, order of stops, time slots and exceptions
🚚 Timely delivery
✅ The need is isolated or unplanned
📋 Address, desired date, characteristics of the shipment and delivery conditions
🚚 Service with storage or preparation
✅ The goods must be received, stored or prepared before their distribution
📋 Stock, receipt, preparation, labeling, packaging and shipping
A transport company for recurring deliveries to high-end stores in Switzerland must therefore receive a precise description of the expected flow. Start from the predictability of volumes, the number of destinations and the potential need for storage or preparation.
Build a multi-store route in the French-speaking part of Switzerland
The design of the route transforms business needs into actionable instructions. It must take into account the constraints of each destination before setting the stops.
Define the data for each point of sale
Create a store sheet for each shop. The operational file of the point of sale must gather the information that influences loading, routing and delivery:
- Complete address and identification of the delivery location
- Desired frequency
- Usual volumes and expected variations
- Shipping formats, for example packages, boxes or pallets
- Authorized reception times
- Appointment scheduling procedure
- Unloading access and possible restrictions
- Equipment available on site
- Handling constraints
An exact address is not always enough. A store located in a pedestrian area, a shopping center, or a controlled access building may require different organization. The sheet must remain up to date and accessible to the teams preparing and managing the flow.
Schedule the slots, the order of visits and exceptions
The slots and access constraints determine the order of delivery. The schedule must also specify the rules to apply in case of a delay, an unexpected closure, a refusal, or the presentation of a non-compliant good.
Let's imagine stores in Geneva, Lausanne, and Neuchâtel sharing a weekly restocking plan. The authorized reception days determine the days of passage (ordinary access for vehicles to the pedestrian zone of downtown Neuchâtel is from Monday to Friday from 6 AM to 10 AM and Saturday from 6 AM to 9 AM for example). The access restrictions and appointments then set the order of the stores and the slots. The announced volumes are used to organize the preparation and loading.
A route can be daily, weekly, or follow another agreed cadence. This frequency should correspond to the documented needs rather than a uniform rule for all destinations.
Finally formalize a restocking schedule by store. Revise it based on delivery discrepancies, receipt anomalies, and the actual availability of products.
Traceability and handling of valuable goods
The value, sensitivity, and delivery conditions of goods determine the level of oversight needed. These parameters must appear in the specifications before the flow starts. GS1 explains how to associate the identification of products, logistics units, and locations with movement data in this article.
Frame the tracking information and proof of delivery
The specifications must define the expected tracking events, such as collection, departure, or delivery. It also specifies the form of proof of delivery and the individuals authorized to receive.
The anomaly handling procedure must indicate the information to be transmitted, the competent contact, and the expected decision. These elements remain to be agreed upon for each organization. They do not automatically result from the establishment of a route.
STAR Logistics presents solutions combining measures of security, confidentiality, and real-time traceability. The chosen scope must correspond to the nature of the goods and the terms defined contractually.
Adapt the system to luxury boutiques
Valuable products expose certain flows to risks particular during handling, transport, and delivery. The parties must also qualify the confidentiality needs, particularly around references, quantities, destinations, and schedules. These requirements concern the goods that justify them and do not apply uniformly to all retail flows.
STAR Logistics transports valuable goods for perfumery, leather goods, fashion, jewelry, watchmaking, and haute couture.. Shipments benefit from enhanced security protocols, with the use of modern and highly secure armored vehicles.
Insurance is included at no additional cost. The conditions, limits, and terms of coverage must however be defined within the contractual framework, without presuming their extent.
Before launch, validate this checklist:
- Nature and value of the goods
- Authorized recipients
- Delivery terms
- Required level of confidentiality
- Expected tracking events
- Applicable procedure in case of incident
Frequently asked questions about recurring routes in Romandy
Provide the addresses, the intended frequency, the usual and variable volumes, as well as the shipping formats. Add the access constraints, time slots, the nature of the products, and any need for storage or preparation. Also indicate the seasonal periods that may affect the flow.
Yes. Any modification of the stores, volumes, days of passage, or constraints must be integrated into the planning and validated in the operational organization. A clear effective date allows alignment of order preparation, transport, and receiving teams.
Document an exception rule that specifies the person authorized to decide and the information to communicate to them. Also define the expected handling of the goods and the method for recording the anomaly. This instruction avoids an improvised decision at the delivery point.
Does your situation have a constraint that is not addressed here?
In summary
Choose the flow model according to the regularity of needs, the number of destinations, and the necessary logistics operations. Then formalize the data for each store, and plan the slots, the order of passages, and the exceptions. For sensitive or valuable goods, frame the tracking, proof of delivery, confidentiality, and security in the agreed conditions.