GMB strikes could lead to Christmas beer shortages

There could be beer shortages in many pubs in Britain over Christmas if GMB Union members go on strike.

Delivery drivers and brewery workers at Best Food Logistics have rejected the latest 6% pay offer by the company. The 600 workers deliver fresh food to a number of restaurant chains including Pizza Express, KFC, Zizzi, Burger King, Wagamama and Pizza Hut.

Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: “Best Food’s parent companies Booker and Tesco are making incredibly healthy profits and paying large dividends, while leaving these workers crushed by cost of living.

“Now some of their biggest clients may well be left short this Christmas because they won’t meet GMB’s reasonable request for a pay deal that protects our members through this year and into next with a genuine cost of living increase.”

At the same time, hundreds of staff at Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG) are on strike until the 22nd October. The plant brews Budweiser, Stella Artois, Becks, Boddingtons and Export Pale Ale, and the GMG has said that this action risks a ‘Christmas beer shortage’.

BBG has said that it offered a competitive pay and benefits package and was disappointed that an agreement with the union could not be reached.

Finally, 1,000 delivery drivers at GXO, which makes around 40% of UK beer deliveries to pubs, are to go on strike from the 31st October to the 4th November. The move will impact pubs looking to fill their cellars ahead of the start of the FIFA World Cup on the 20th November.

According to GXO it is offering an average 9.2% pay rise to its workers and has plans in place to reduce the impact of the strike.

Share

Deliveroo pulls out of its Dutch operations

In part due to pressures from the country’s city councils, Deliveroo has announced plans to cease operations in the Netherlands.

Deliveroo is to desist operations in the country as of the 30th November. The news comes after city councils in the country have been putting pressure on fast delivery companies to close dark stores in residential areas.

According to the company, “Deliveroo has determined that achieving and sustaining a top-tier market position in the Netherlands would require a disproportionate level of investment with highly uncertain long-term potential returns. The Netherlands represented 1 percent of Deliveroo’s gross transaction value (GTV) in H1 2022.”

The company has been seeking to achieve profitability in recent months as investors have become wary of putting new money in. It claims that in quitting the country this will not adversely impact its overall financial results. 


As a thank you to its riders and staff, Deliveroo is to offer compensation for their loss of work, agreed with the country’s FNV.


Eric French, Chief Business Officer, International, Deliveroo said: “We want to thank all the riders and restaurant partners who have worked with Deliveroo in the Netherlands, as well as our customers. The Company is proud to have partnered with some of the Netherland’s best restaurants, grocers and riders. We are grateful to our employees for their commitment to the Company and all they have done. We also thank the many riders who chose to work with us for their hard work and we are pleased to have agreed appropriate compensation packages for them as well as our employees.”

Share

DHL: European shoppers will wait longer for green delivery

More than 53% of online shoppers want retailers to become more sustainable, according to the Online Shopper Survey 2022 by DHL eCommerce Solutions.

The survey of 5,000 shoppers from nine countries across Europe provides deeper understanding of online shopping habits and the needs and wants of online shoppers. One ongoing trend is that sustainability is becoming increasingly important for European consumers.

“One of the key findings of our Online Shopper Survey 2022 is, that offering a great product at a low price is no longer enough to earn a loyal customer base. Various aspects such as payment options, a trusted delivery partner and different delivery options, including green delivery, can turn a browser to a buyer. Our report provides valuable tips for online retailers who want to further expand their business and customer base,” says Henning Gaudszuhn, Vice President Customer Experience at DHL eCommerce Solutions.

The survey showed that sustainability is no longer a fringe concern. Some 58% of European shoppers would wait longer for a delivery if it was more sustainable, even if same- or next-day delivery was available.

“By increasing the number of unattended deliveries, we can reduce up to 30 % of CO2 emissions in the last mile. Given our years of experience, we are able to strategically place Parcel Lockers and DHL ServicePoints to widely frequented places such as grocery stores and gyms,” says Henning Gaudszuhn.

Share

Deliveroo trials subsidised VOLT e-bikes for riders

Deliveroo is trialling the use of subsidised e-bikes made by VOLT for its riders in the UK.

Riders will be offered VOLT Burlington e-bikes that are liveried with Deliveroo logos at a subsidised rate. The pilot is to explore the suitability of different buying models for a small group of Deliveroo riders.

The idea behind the scheme is to offer a lower carbon and more affordable alternative to motor vehicles in towns and cities. The companies say that there will be health benefits for the riders too over driving cars.

In using the VOLT Burlington e-bike, riders should be able to ride further per shift than on traditional bikes, as well as covering longer distances per delivery.

According to VOLT, “With built-in suspension, upright riding position and the ability to take riders up to 70 miles on a single charge, VOLT’s Burlington is the perfect machine for taking riders across cities in a comfortable and environmentally friendly way. Batteries are also removable and swapped out with ease for simple charging on or off the bike.”

VOLT is a leading UK e-bike brand with more than 10 years developing its machines. The Burlington model offered to Deliveroo riders also has built in lights, mudguards and an Abus lock as standard.

James Metcalfe, founder and Owner of VOLT commented: “For VOLT to partner with Deliveroo in the UK to offer riders high quality e-bikes at an accessible price is incredibly exciting. We look forward to seeing what impact this initial trial period can bring and hope to continue our collaboration into the future and get more riders on alternative more environmentally friendly transport soon.”

Paul Bedford, Director of Policy and Sustainability at Deliveroo, said: “At Deliveroo, we are committed to supporting our marketplace and taking action to drive sustainability. By significantly reducing the cost of a new, high spec VOLT e-bike, we hope to accelerate the trend towards a greener fleet, reducing carbon emissions while helping riders to maximise their earnings – a win-win for all!”

Share

Strikers resolute in Royal Mail dispute

Royal Mail has seen its postal workers out on strike in force today with strong resolve among the members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU).

In Dorset for example, there was a 100% adherence to the strike action at the Dorset Mail Centre in Bournemouth. Just six postal workers crossed the picket line at the Portland Delivery Office – the only office open in 30 or so miles radius of the island.

The two sides remain far apart as the war of words gets personal. CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “Instead of sitting down and sorting out his problems like an adult, Simon Thompson chose to be a vanishing act instead.

“When someone like him earns £62,750 a month and can give himself six-figure bonuses, it is a disgrace that he sees it fit to disrespect our members in such a way.

“Simon can’t dodge the reality that a mood of rebellion is sweeping postal workers who won’t accept Thompson’s hostile and bizarre behaviour.

“Postal workers go above and beyond every day and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We won’t be backing down until we get just that.”

In response, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “On Friday, 14 October, we announced losses of £219 million in the first half of the year.

“This once again demonstrates the urgent need for Royal Mail to change.

“Further strike action would materially increase our losses for the full year and may necessitate further operational restructuring and job losses.

Share

Just Eat turns a profit in Q3

UK based Just Eat Takeaway has become the first restaurant delivery business in the world to make a profit in the third quarter of the year.

Though it has not stated how much the profit was, it said that its Gross Transaction Value has gone up 2% in the quarter thanks to higher prices on the menus. The number of orders actually fell by 11% in the quarter compared to the same period in 2021.

Just Eat Takeaway has seen volumes of orders fall away since the pandemic boom, but it claims to have seen little in the way of impact from the cost of living crisis.

Chief Executive Officer Jitse Groen said, “After two years of significant investment following the merger and the pandemic, I am pleased that Just Eat Takeaway.com has returned to profitability earlier than anticipated. Driven by a wide range of initiatives, we continue to improve our operational efficiency whilst simultaneously enhancing the user experience and consumer proposition. Although the consumer backdrop will likely be challenging due to the macro-economic environment, Just Eat Takeaway.com owns many leadership positions of significant scale, is well-capitalised through the sale of the iFood stake and is therefore well-positioned to capture profitable future growth.Groen said he expected food delivery to remain popular in northern Europe because of the number of more affordable restaurants on offer on Just Eat.”

The delivery firm is known to be actively trying to sell its US arm Grubhub and Brazil operation, iFood as it establishes its main business in Europe and the UK.

Share

GLS installs automated sortation in Las Vegas and Ontario

Royal Mail’s international delivery arm General Logistics Services (GLS) has announced it has begun using automated parcel sorting equipment at its Las Vegas and Ontario hubs.

Each sorting machine immediately ramps up the capacity of the hubs and is able to handle up to 5,000 parcels per hour. The parcels are directed to predetermined lanes based on destination, as well as weighed, measured and scanned by the machines.

GLS’ Ontario and Las Vegas hubs now join the delivery company’s recent upgrades in Hayward, Phoenix, Sacramento, Santa Fe Springs, Portland, and Visalia.

In GLS’ recent announcement, COO Steve Griffin commented, “GLS US is always looking for ways to improve our services: Adding an automated sortation system was just one of the many steps we are aiming to take moving forward. Thanks to this improvement, our hubs in Las Vegas and Ontario will be more efficient than ever, as our workforce will have a powerful tool that helps them complete tasks in half the time without any reduction in accuracy. In the future, GLS US plans to make continuous investments to ensure we remain a leader in the shipping and delivery industry.”     

In the US and Canada, GLS offers three shipping services for its customers – Ground, Priority and Freight. It operates directly into the Western US from Denver to the Pacific and works with partner carriers across the entire US. The international arm is performing strongly compared to its UK counterpart, in part due to different executive management that seems to have driven the company from strength to strength in recent years.

Share

90% of all Tesco Whoosh deliveries within 30 minutes

Last mile delivery specialist Stuart has announced it is delivering more than 90% of Tesco Whoosh online orders in fewer than 30 minutes.

Tesco Whoosh aims to get groceries and convenience items to customers in under 60 minutes. By refining the processes, so the majority of those deliveries are made in half that time. Just one per cent of orders are delivered in more than an hour.

One of the upshots is customer retention by Tesco. In Bristol there was an uplift in repeat Whoosh customers and a customer retention rate that is more than double that of most industries. The two companies say that customer retention increased from 50% to 72%.

Brendan Hamill, UK General Manager, Stuart says: “We’re really pleased to be partnering with Tesco at a time when dynamic delivery is integral to meeting the needs of businesses and consumers.”

“The collaboration sees Stuart technology power rapid, last mile deliveries from Tesco stores throughout the UK, and we’re looking forward to further strengthening our partnership with the retailer in the future.”

Share

Snap It wins £2.1 million in seed funding round

London based building trades fast delivery company Snap It has secured £2.1 million in a seed funding round for its on-demand delivery service for tools and materials.

Describing itself as a ‘Deliveroo for tradespeople’, Snap It was founded in 2019. It is a platform to order materials and parts for jobs that can be delivered in as few as 30 minutes. Snap It was founded by a former self-employed plumber who saw the need among tradespeople for materials to be resupplied as efficiently as possible.

According to Snap It, tradespeople lose on average two hours a day on supply runs, meaning they can both save time and money through using rapid online deliveries.

Snap It only operates in London at present but with the seed funding it plans to expand its services to Birmingham later in the year.

“This funding will take our platform to the next level as we expand outside London and offer electricians the same service currently enjoyed by our plumber customers,” said Snap It founder and CEO Viktor Muhhin.

“Our platform will continue to grow, supporting large merchants on their daily operations and digitising independent family-run merchants so they remain competitive in today’s fast-paced market.”

The funding round was led by ActivumSG Ventures and featured participation from Force Over Mass Capital and LiFE Ventures as well as several angel investors, including former world boxing champion David Haye and Onefinestay founder Greg Marsh.

“Viktor and the Snap It team are using their deep industry knowledge to modernise and streamline the fragmented building trades supply chain so that everyone wins – tradespeople, merchants, homeowners, tenants, and property managers,” said ActivumSG Ventures partner Natalie Somekh.

“We can see the tremendous growth opportunities that Snap It’s platform unlocks and are happy to support the team in growing it.”

Share

FedEx Express to install 114 Shell Recharge points

FedEx Express has announced it is to install 114 Shell Recharge EV charging stations across Europe. The first is to be installed in Madrid, followed by London, Paris, Amsterdam and Strasbourg.

Between the first six of its main installations there are to be 114 charging points installed by Shell at FedEx Express’s package pick-up and delivery stations. The first 33 are to be installed in Madrid.

“By starting with six of our core stations, we will quickly reach an informed position from which to implement broader electrification plans in Europe. Getting ahead of our future energy and infrastructure needs is a priority, then integrating electric vehicles in increasing numbers as we continue to phase out diesel delivery vans,” said Vinay D’Souza, Senior Vice President of Planning and Engineering at FedEx Express Europe.

The locations of the charging stations were selected after a comprehensive assessment of their energy capacity, availability of a low or zero carbon renewable energy supply and the maximum number of vehicle routes that could transition to EVs in the near future.

For Shell, the deal with FedEx Express is a big step for the energy company’s plans to become net zero by 2050. It has already established the Recharge brand in more than 30 countries and with FedEx on board, will expand this reach further.

Share