Addison Lee, London’s largest same day courier provider, has today launched AL Now – a two-hour, rapid delivery service that gives local London businesses a better, faster way to deliver to their customers.
Unlike other delivery services which give customers all-day delivery windows, AL Now allows London businesses to offer consumers a specific two-hour delivery window. The service – already used by several major retail clients – is designed to help independent local businesses compete on a more level playing field with retail giants like Amazon by giving their customers unparalleled choice and control over delivery timings.
Local London businesses – antique shops, florists and bottle shops to name but a few – can all take advantage of the new service to offer their customers a rapid and reliable two-hour local delivery option. Already trialling the service in time for Valentine’s Day are Islington-based champagne retailer The Finest Bubble (@thefinestbubble), Earlsfield florist Blume Studios (@blumestudiostore), Menswear retailer Hackett (@hackettlondon) and N1 antique store Urban Vintage Affair (@urban_vintage_affair).
Liam Griffin, CEO of Addison Lee said, “Since the first lockdown last March, we’ve seen our courier services grow by 30% as shopping behaviour shifted online. At the same time, we have seen shoppers come to expect that their purchases will be delivered at a time and date of their choosing. We created AL Now in response this trend – offering a simple, speedy and seamless delivery solution designed to help London’s local businesses meet changing customer demands.”
Love local: helping London businesses get ahead this Valentine’s Day
The service launches ahead of Valentine’s Day as new data from Addison Lee suggests that with lockdown, Brits are planning to turn their back on retail giants like Amazon and look to local businesses to provide a special gift for loved ones. Almost half (47%) of those celebrating this year want to support local businesses in their community by buying from them this Valentine’s Day.
But findings suggest that barriers to buying local remain. More than half of those who plan to celebrate Valentine’s (54%) said they’d be more likely to shop with local businesses if they offered a quick and efficient local delivery service, while 34% were worried that they wouldn’t be able to pick up Valentine’s gifts this year with shops being shut.
AL Now has been designed to overcome these barriers by providing a tailored solution for smaller, independent businesses who are moving towards a delivery model to serve their customers as the pandemic continues.
Griffin added, “In the run up to Valentine’s Day, London’s high streets would usually be filled with shoppers seeking a special gift for a special someone. This year the streets may be empty but local London businesses still have an opportunity to capture the market by offering customers the perfect Valentine’s package delivered to their doorstep.
“It’s encouraging to see people backing local businesses by shopping with them this Valentine’s. As a company that has called London home for 45 years, we are proud to do our bit to support businesses at the heart of every London community – connecting them with their customer base and providing a special delivery experience that will set them apart from the competition.”
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