Gnewt by Menzies Distribution is set to pass the half a million parcels for ASOS milestone, delivered by its all-electric vans and human porter delivery service.

Gnewt by Menzies Distribution is set to pass the half a million parcels for ASOS milestone

Coincidentally occurring on the same day as London’s ULEZ introduction, the partnership between ASOS and Gnewt has so far saved more than 80 tonnes of CO₂ compared to standard delivery vans.

Parcels are trunked (bulk delivered) by Menzies Distribution from ASOS’s warehouse in Barnsley to the Gnewt hub in Bow, East London. The individual deliveries in London are then made from the Bow hub using electric vans and human porters with Gnewt now delivering in excess of 4,000 parcels per day.

ASOS customers within the central London Congestion Zone are automatically serviced by this eco-friendly delivery service, as well as benefiting from Gnewt’s live track and trace service, text and email notifications, Proof of Delivery (POD) and an automated redelivery service. In addition, an industry first is the communication to the end user telling them their parcel is being delivered by electric vehicle.

Last year alone, Gnewt delivered more than a million parcels, reducing CO2 emissions by 67% per parcel. In partnership with Ford, Gnewt has developed and is trialling a sophisticated Portering model that requires a team to complete the last part of the journey by foot. This further reduces congestion, vehicle use and emissions and is currently provided to ASOS customers in Central London.

Whilst it is currently only customers in central London who can be guaranteed emission-free last mile delivery, Gnewt is expanding the area it services and is exploring the roll out of the service in other cities where air pollution and traffic congestion is a problem.

Sam Clarke, head of business development at Menzies Distribution said: “Air pollution is a major issue in London with the legal air pollution limit being reached just one month into this year. Similarly, with the Ultra Low Emission Zone starting, drivers and brands will be forced to confront the problem with our air quality.”

Adam Scholes, delivery solutions general manager, ASOS said, “Gnewt’s all electric fleet and emission-free last-mile is a significant step in the right direction for ASOS. Gnewt is unique in that it provides bespoke service updates at every stage notifying ASOS customers that their parcel is being delivered by electric vehicle.

“We are also supporting Gnewt’s trial of a sophisticated Portering system. This initiative aims to avoid traffic jams and road congestion by making more deliveries with a dedicated team of on-foot Porters. We will continue to work alongside Gnewt to deliver environmentally friendly and efficient methods of moving parcels through our cities.”