London courier provider Addison Lee has introduced AL Now – a new two-hour delivery service to support the capital’s independent businesses retailers.
The service has already been trialled by various retail businesses, including Islington-based champagne retailer The Finest Bubble, Earlsfield florist Blume Studios, Menswear retailer Hackett and N1 antique store Urban Vintage Affair. It is now being rolled out across London ahead of Valentine’s Day, enabling local retailers to benefit from the growing ‘shop local’ trend.
According to new survey data from Addison Lee, due to lockdown many Brits are planning to look to local businesses to provide a special Valentine’s Day gift for their loved ones. Almost half (47 per cent) of those celebrating this year want to support local businesses in their community.
But the findings suggest that barriers to buying local remain. More than half of those who plan to celebrate Valentine’s (54 per cent) said that they would be more likely to shop with local businesses if they offered a quick and efficient local delivery service. While 34 per cent were worried that they couldn’t pick up gifts this year with shops being shut.
Liam Griffin, CEO of Addison Lee, said: “Since the first lockdown last March, we’ve seen our courier services grow by 30 per cent 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.
“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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