'Carbon conscious' delivery partners driving retailer brand loyalty

More than half (53%) of 18-24-year-olds would be more inclined to shop with a retailer if the delivery company prioritised reducing its carbon emissions, according to new research from Yodel.

The research revealed that younger shoppers are also most likely (28%) to take CO2 emissions of their online shopping into account when making a purchase.

A third (53%) of over 55s said the environmental credentials of the delivery company would influence which retailers they shopped with.

According to the research, the shift in attitudes towards the carbon impact of deliveries is changing too, with more than two-fifths (42%) of online shoppers saying they would be prepared to wait longer for a parcel if it meant that it had a reduced carbon footprint.

Mike Hancox, CEO at Yodel, said: “It should come as no surprise to retailers that the environmental impact of deliveries is a big priority for their customers.

“We recognise that there is no quick solution to lowering emissions and it’s often the result of a wide range of measures that require significant investment.

“Brand loyalty is as important as ever for retailers with ecommerce dominating the market and" consumers having so many options available to them, so it’s well worth listening to what they value.

“…retailers should be looking at how they can move forward and offer their customers the solutions that they’re looking for.”

Yodel said it has reduced its carbon emissions by 25% despite record growth over the last five years. The independent parcel carrier said the reduction can be attributed to the £17m investment in its fleet and technology.

Yodel has also expanded its urban bicycle delivery offering, now operating in seven cities across the UK including London and Oxford, which supports UK Clean Air Zones (CAZs).

In 2020 the business reached its goal to deliver 150k parcels via pedal power and has set a new goal of delivering over 300k parcels in 2021.

Sam Keam, CCO and co-founder of bicycle courier company Zedify, said: “Zedify has been supporting Yodel with its last-mile services in Brighton and Hove for several years. We currently deliver around 7,000 parcels a month across the city using our local fleet of zero-emission electric cargo bikes, operating from our local microhub.

“Our delivery model reduces emissions by over 98% compared with conventional diesel vans, and our local team of couriers are highly trained and paid the real Living Wage which helps ensure the highest levels of customer service.

“In the past year alone, we estimate that our services have saved Yodel around 9 tonnes of CO2 by switching to Zedify's services in Brighton and Hove.”