Countrywide Farmers, a supplier of products and services to the rural community, is one of the first retailers in the UK to offer Doddle‘s delivery solution to their customers. Online shoppers can now opt to have their Countrywide purchases delivered to a Doddle parcel shop.
Brian McArdle, Online Channel Manager for Countrywide said: “The majority of Countrywide customers are based in the rural community and subsequently spend a great deal of time living and working outside, which proves to be inconvenient when it comes to home deliveries. We have for some time been looking at various solutions to this challenge to ensure customers receive greater flexibility and value when shopping online with Countrywide. Doddle offers a good opportunity to further grow and develop Countrywide’s online offer and operate as a true multichannel rural retailer“.
Online shoppers will be able to use the Doddle service on items weighing under 16 kilograms and packages measuring less than 50x50x40 centimetres in size. Following a successful trial at their pilot shop in Milton Keynes, Doddle will open 300 parcel shops across the UK, the first of which include key locations at London Cannon Street, Brighton, London Waterloo, Three Bridges, Bromley and Chelmsford.
3 Responses
Nice idea but London Cannon Street, Brighton, London Waterloo, Three Bridges, Bromley and Chelmsford aren’t what you would class ‘rural locations’ Countrywide?
I just cannot see how any sane person or organisation can possibly think that London Cannon Street or indeed almost every one of the quoted locations of Doddle Parcel Shops could possibly be convenient for Farmers or indeed anybody living and working in Rural Britain.
There is one place that almost every week you will find the majority of the local Farmers. That is the local Cattle Market. Even if they are not buying or selling cattle, or indeed sheep or other livestock most Farmers go there regularly to catch up on the News. Compare notes. talk to friends and relations etc.
So if there is a convenient Railway Station within a mile or so of a Cattle Market then a Doddle Parcel Shop could be suitable. As an example in Truro there is a Cattle Market. Market day is Wednesday. On the other side of Truro is Truro Railway Station which while the Car Parking is poor is only about a mile or so from the Cattle Market.
So on a Wednesday a significant proportion of the local Farming Population will be in Truro. But I cannot see very many Farmers being close to London Cannon Street each week regularly or indeed at all.