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Waitrose Gears Up for Eco-Friendly Online Delivery Service

Waitrose

17 July 2008

Employees from the food shop’s branch in Cambridge branch will be ‘saddling up’ to make deliveries using an eco-bicycle and trailer. The move is designed to increase the number of delivery slots available for online customers without increasing the number of vans on the road.The specially designed trailer has the capacity to hold six trays full of groceries and will be able to keep products frozen and chilled for up to two hours. Deliveries will be made by branch Partners (as all employees of the John Lewis Partnership are known) who have been in training to get super-fit by cycling to and from work. But luckily they will receive some support while pedaling around the city as the bicycle comes with electronic pedal assistance. Waitrose Retail Director, Tony Solomons, says: “Waitrose is committed to saving energy and minimising its impact on the environment and we are always looking for new ways to achieve this. This will truly be a bespoke service for Waitrose customers and, if successful, we will look at rolling it out to other branches.”Cambridge has been selected to trial the eco-bike as the city is very much geared up for cyclists. The branch already runs a successful scheme to loan out cycle trailers to customers to encourage them to transport their shopping home by pedal power.