Commuters as Couriers

Delivery services with large warehouses and large vehicles are sending small items to customers' front doors.

The average CO2 emission for a home delivery is just under 200g (ABT Logistics). It's insane.

Here's a simple idea that, for small items, could eradicate the use of vehicles, deliver faster (within hours), and deliver cheaper.

What if  commuters could collect items from a railway station on their way home? 

And what if he didn't have to deliver to the customer's door, but to somewhere conveniently nearby. Convenient that is for both the commuter and the customer ... a pub!

My experience here in Tunbridge Wells is that most publicans would be happy for their premises to become "parcel hubs". It brings increased footfall and the ability to communicate with, and promote to, users of the service. For this we have started to build pub "Parcel Clubs". There are over 75 pubs in Tunbridge Wells (Google).

So, what else do we need to make this work?

Here is even better news. We need nothing apart from software. No additional physical resources whatsoever are needed.

So what will the software do?

This is Deliveroo for Parcels.

Deliveroo invites cyclists to collect meals from restaurants.  Our software will invite commuters to collect parcels from small parcel hubs close to or inside railway stations, but will only do so if the parcel is destined for the commuter's destination.

So, commuters keen to participate in the scheme register via an app and provide details of their regular commute, including start location together with departure and arrival rail stations.

How does the customer order?

It is envisaged that this service could trial using retailers with premises on, or very close to, mainline railway stations. 

Let's take London Bridge Station as an example. 

Here we have retailers such as iSmash, Oliver Bonas, Ted Baker, Reiss, Pandora, Kate Maconie, James shoe care, Body Shop,Cath Kidson and Accessorize.

So a customer in a rural town served by a railway station, can place an order with any of these stores in the knowledge that their order could be with them within hours. 

When an order is placed, commuters able collect and deliver the order based on their availability and commuter route, will be pinged on their phone, inviting them to accept the delivery, on a first served first wins process.

They collect the parcel on their way through the station (may take only minutes) and deliver it at the end of the journey to a pub that's convenient for both the commuter and the customer. 

The software will notify the customer that the parcel has arrived, so the customer can collect the order, and may even be able to say thanks to the commuter.

How does the commuter benefit?

Firstly the commuter is helping to save the planet. Perhaps that could be incentive enough for some. Wouldn't it be great if commuting members of Stop Oil did this rather than block traffic on the M25.

But there are other incentives built around a system that does not need Amazon fees and delivery charges to fulfil an order.

The commuter could be paid a fee, receive a credit from the retailer, or perhaps even be upgraded to first class by the rail network.

I have lived with this concept for weeks now and firmly believe it could work even with retailers that are not based at railway stations 

As a venture it requires little investment, and has little risk. 

Of course we need much more detailed logistics, but most of those will be based on the software.

Thoughts?

Barney Lodge

mr.barneylodge@gmail.com