Pedalling into peak: why fashion retail is opting for sustainable delivery this Christmas | Zedify
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Pedallingintopeak:whyfashionretailisoptingforsustainabledeliverythisChristmas

calendarOctober 24th, 2024
personBex Young
clock5 minute read

As peak season ramps up in fashion retail, with key shopping dates like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas rush approaching, delivery services are bracing for the surge in online orders. More than ever, consumers are shopping online, and retailers know that a smooth last-mile delivery can make all the difference.

At Zedify, we see this first-hand. Over the past two years, an estimated 38% of fashion purchases have been made online, according to the British Retail Consortium’s BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor. The efficiency and cost of last-mile solutions are now crucial to ensuring a successful “golden quarter” for retailers, especially as competition heats up during the festive period.

Sustainability is now a key focus across the industry. The BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap highlights low-carbon logistics as one of five critical pillars to achieving a net-zero carbon future by 2040, well ahead of the government’s 2050 target for a Net Zero UK. We’re proud that Zedify is already playing a role in helping retailers achieve their sustainability goals, with big names like Zara, Reskinned, Selfridges, THG, Ikea, and Amazon testing our electric cargo bike deliveries in city centers.

Electric cargo bikes are proving to be not only a greener option but also a more efficient way to deliver goods. By avoiding traffic, clean air zones, and congestion charges, we’re able to offer a cost-effective solution that adds value beyond just the delivery itself. As some brands have told *Drapers*, “Delivery could be the only touchpoint that a customer has with the retailer, and a cargo bike delivery fulfilment could give a halo effect to the brand.”

As a pioneer of electric cargo bike delivery, Zedify is ready for the peak season. We’ve just opened our tenth hub in Birmingham, and over the next five years, we’re planning to expand into 51 major UK cities. Our bikes keep fuel costs low, and unlike vans, they can use cycle lanes and park closer to delivery addresses, avoiding fines and delays. As our CEO and co-founder Rob King puts it, “Cargo bikes can use cycle infrastructure in cities and park closer to delivery addresses, avoiding parking fines and congestion charges, resulting in more efficient deliveries.”

The data on electric cargo bikes is still growing, but the momentum is clear. Major players like Amazon and Evri are beginning to experiment with cargo bikes for deliveries. Evri, for instance, aims to introduce 3,000 bikes over the next decade, aiming to cut carbon emissions and become a net-zero company by 2035.

We’re excited to welcome new partners this season, like beauty distributor THG Ingenuity, the technology services arm of THG, known for beauty brands such as Lookfantastic. THG started deliveries with Zedify from our Manchester hub in September and plans to ramp up in the coming months. Tom Killeen, COO of THG Ingenuity, highlights the importance of thinking long-term when it comes to logistics: “We believe that fulfilment should be seen as a customer acquisition tool, rather than simply a vehicle to drive down costs within a business.”

Similarly, Reskinned, an e-tailer that focuses on pre-loved clothes from brands like Seasalt and Sweaty Betty, has partnered with Zedify in London. Co-founder Matt Hanrahan sees our delivery model as a much-needed change in the logistics world: “There is a lot of bad practice in shipping deliveries up from London to the golden triangle in the Midlands and then back down again, so a two-mile delivery becomes 200 unnecessary miles. For us at Reskinned, it is all about sustainability and reuse, and logistics is the biggest carbon generator, so we always look for the most sustainable logistics partners.”

We understand the importance of managing customer expectations, which is why Reskinned takes a transparent approach to delivery, charging £2.85 for a 48-hour delivery service and avoiding next-day options. “We don’t believe that people need pre-loved clothing so urgently,” Hanrahan explains.

At Zedify, our delivery costs are generally in line with traditional van services, but as we scale up, our pricing becomes even more competitive. Our riders follow smaller, more frequent routes than vans, allowing us to hit a first-time delivery success rate of around 96%. During the busy Christmas season, we work closely with clients to manage delivery windows and adapt to spikes in demand, ensuring smooth operations.

Zedify deliveries are typically small packages, ranging from 4-5kg, with a rider able to carry 50-100 parcels in a single round. While vans and electric vehicles may handle larger, mixed package types, our focus is on precision and efficiency. As Tom Killeen of THG explains, “We monitor data in real-time to maximise throughput and increase dispatch speed. We have data scientists working with machine learning models to predict demand based on trends.”

Looking ahead, we see a future where enhanced data collection will offer more granular tracking, providing greater visibility on emissions and parcel locations. This is the future we’re building towards—more sustainable, efficient, and customer-friendly delivery options.

In London, the rise of cargo bikes hasn’t gone unnoticed. Transport for London’s 2023 action plan promotes the growth of cargo bike use in the capital, though it also acknowledges challenges like the increased strain on cycle lanes and the need for more kerbside capacity. The report highlights the importance of safety, including best-practice training for riders and operators.

As online shopping continues to grow—now accounting for over a third of fashion sales—retailers are paying close attention to how delivery fits into the overall customer experience. No matter how good the product is, if a delivery is late or unsatisfactory, that’s what the customer will remember.

At Zedify, we believe electric cargo bikes are part of the solution. They can not only navigate through city congestion but also deliver a powerful environmental message that reflects positively on the brand. As we head into 2024, we expect to see even more of our cargo bikes on the streets, delivering packages with purpose.

Thanks for your interest in using Zedify. At the moment, we‘re just for businesses and can’t deliver one-off parcels for individuals. Sorry about that.

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Want to take action to receive more of your online orders by cargo bike? You can help fight the good fight by letting your favourite stores and brands know what you think!