Addison Lee launches new 2-hour delivery service for London retail businesses

London’s largest same day courier provider Addison Lee has today launched AL Now – a rapid delivery service with a two-hour window – to give local London retail businesses a faster and more efficient way to delivery to their customers.

Unlike other delivery services which give customers all-day delivery windows, the more specific two-hour delivery slot aims to give AL Now the edge.

The service, already trialled 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.

The roll-out of the service is launching in the build up to Valentine’s Day, as new data shows more customers are supporting their community by buying gifts from local businesses.

Already on board trialling the service are menswear retailer Hackett, antique store Urban Vintage Affair, Islington-based champagne retailer The Finest Bubble and Earlsfield florist Blume Studios.

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.”

A survey conducted by Censuswide of 2,000 respondents aged 16-plus in the UK between 27-29 January, 2021, found that almost half (47%) of those celebrating Valentine’s Day this year want to support local businesses in their community by buying from them.

However, 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 those 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.”