Co-op is to use its first EVs for online home delivery from its online shop this week, with an aim to replace its fleet of fossil-fuel powered home delivery vehicles by 2025.
The convenience retailer will start with stores in West Yorkshire (Hebden Bridge, Holmfirth) and East Sussex (Hove) this month, followed by stores in the Isle of Wight (Ryde) and North Yorkshire (Whitby), which will take delivery of EVs early next year to enable groceries ordered through Co-op’s own online shop to be delivered emission-free.
Chris Conway, head of e-commerce, Co-op, said: “In addition to offering quality and value quickly, easily and conveniently, we need to do this sustainably, and by replacing all our own vehicles and working collaboratively with partners with shared values we can ensure we further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is essential if we are to have a healthy and sustainable natural environment to pass on to future generations.”
Co-op’s online offer sees stores act as micro-distribution hubs locally, with orders picked from stores in the community so that the high street benefits from any increase in online demand.
In addition to replacing all its own home delivery vehicles, Co-op is working with partners that use low- and zero-emission transport. These include Deliveroo, autonomous mobile robot developer Starship Technologies and last-mile platform Stuart, which has been trialling a range of green delivery vehicles, including e-mopeds and cargo bicycles, and aims to expand the service across Co-op stores it works with in cities including Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Manchester over the next two years.
By the end of this year, Co-op will offer online shopping with home delivery through its own site and with partners from more than 1,000 of its stores.
