When a business relies on last-mile logistics to deliver perishable goods, demand fluctuations are a common issue. Investing in a small in-house fleet avoids wasted capacity, but what happens when that demand surges? Online grocery platform, Farmdrop, experienced this first hand when their weekend and Christmas orders quickly exceeded their in-house fleet availability.
Our same-day couriers have become a quick and flexible ‘surge support’ system for their business, providing anywhere from 50 on-demand van shifts in a typical month to more than 500 during the festive season. Same-day delivery pressures no longer mean having to over-invest in expensive in-house operations.
“Really easy to get good quality drivers when we need them – Gophr couriers are solid professionals that get the job done.” Lee Barber, Fleet & Logistics Manager, Farmdrop
How the ethical grocer provides farm-to-table food across the nation
Farmdrop is an online grocer that connects farmers with their customers. The company has helped to create a healthier and more efficient supply chain for local and independent producers, whilst delivering fresh, high-quality food to its customers across the nation.
Keeping their same-day delivery promise during the festive season
Each week, from Sunday through to Thursday, customer orders remain fairly consistent and predictable. But as the weekend cravings of artisan coffee and ultimate roasts ramp up, so do the Farmdrop orders, often surging by 300%.
Throw in a Christmas spent in lockdown and demand for the home delivery service exploded. Farmdrop needed the reliance of a delivery partner that could scale above and beyond their usual weekend surge to continue delivering groceries directly to customers’ doors.
How Farmdrop successfully managed surge demand without fleet investment
As and when required, we’re able to support Farmdrops in-house fleet with additional vans and experienced drivers. We seamlessly integrate with their internal process, load the vans quickly and complete delivery routes efficiently. The experience of our seasoned drivers allows Farmdrop to offer more delivery slots to customers and sustain their rapid same-day delivery promise.
Partnering with Gophr couriers to scale their in-house fleet by 10x
In a typical month, we expand Farmdrop’s in-house fleet by 50 vans a month. In November 2020 we were able to scale this to 250 vans a month, and by December 2020, we were supporting their fleet by more than 500 vans a month. That’s hundreds of delicious festive food boxes arriving on the doorstep of very happy customers on Christmas Eve!
Knowing that they don’t have to over-invest in owned fleets means nothing can stall Farmdrop’s growth.
If you have any questions about our service or want to chat, please get in touch with us at partnerships@gophr.com.
