Circular economy players Hurr and Vinted have both announced new delivery propositions aimed at providing better customer service to their respective customer bases.
Clothing rental platform Hurr said today that delivery company DPD’s ‘Shop2Home’ service has been integrated into its marketplace meaning consumers can book DPD returns within the Hurr ecosystem.
“No more toggling between apps or services,” Hurr said.
“You can manage the entire rental process in one place for maximum convenience.”
The service will enable next-day delivery when returning rental pieces and the ability to drop off items at 6,000+ DPD locations complete with shipment tracking. It is currently available for renters, but will be rolled out to lenders in due course.
Meanwhile, Yodel has announced it is expanding its partnership with online marketplace, Vinted, which will see the pre-loved platform’s volumes delivered by the carrier significantly increase.
Vinted’s transaction numbers have grown sevenfold in the UK over the last 18 months, fuelled by the rise in popularity of second-hand shopping due to various factors including financial and sustainability preferences.
Circular economy customers of Vinted can select either of Yodel’s ‘Store to Store’ or ‘Store to Door’ services, meaning sellers can choose to drop off their parcel at their nearest store for their recipient to collect at theirs, or to deliver directly to their recipient’s address.
Live tracking of orders via Yodel’s website or via the Yodel app is available as soon as a parcel is dropped off in a store.
Mike Hancox, CEO at Yodel, commented: “The significant increase in out of home parcel volume that we have seen year on year is testament to the success of Yodel’s Out of Home (OOH) network, which customers have rated 4.7 out of 5. The increased volumes will also continue to support local storekeepers nationwide.
“Sales of pre-loved items have continued to grow strongly across 2023 and we look forward to working closely with Vinted into the future.”
Vytautas Atkocatis, vice president at Vinted Go, the fulfilment arm of Vinted, commented: “We have seen huge growth in our marketplace in recent years as consumers become more environmentally conscious and are increasingly looking for additional sources of income.
“Our partnership with Yodel has already seen millions of pre-loved items delivered to their new homes and as we grow into 2024, we want to ensure we continue to provide the best possible selling and shopping experience for customers.”
Nick Wiles, CEO at PayPoint, which operates the pick up, drop off network Collect+ which facilitates Yodel’s in-store parcel management, added: “As consumer channel shift continues to move towards OOH and greener delivery choices, our fantastic retailer partners will now have an even greater opportunity to serve the needs of their customers in communities across the UK through our leading OOH network.”
Yodel is just one delivery option for Vinted customers. Parcels are also accepted at Evri delivery shops, with the pre-loved platform and fulfilment company recently expanding their partnership to allow customers to print mailing labels in store. Expanding delivery options and fulfilment innovation for pre-loved and rental platforms is rife as a growing number of customers begin using them and existing shoppers increasingly rely on them.
Read more about retail’s evolution towards a more circular economy on Green Retail World
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
