More news04 January 2001 | Cathy Hayward
Business Express, the home-delivery division of retailer Littlewoods, is considering a novel alternative to lorry and rail for delivering its catalogues and orders - the humble milk float.
In a pilot deal with Express Dairies over the Christmas period, milk floats have been trundling around the streets of Stoke-on-Trent and Merseyside.
The contract could now be extended nationwide to include some of the 65 million parcels Business Express delivers each year. "There is no reason why Express Dairies could not deliver some of our small, lighter items in the busier periods of the year," said Mick Janicki, Business Express's general manager.
The firm believes milk floats are the ideal vehicle, as they are largely unused after their morning rounds.
"Outsourcing enables us to free up transport space to deliver customers' goods," Janicki added.
SMjan2001