May 04 2020

Yodel teams up with Arrow Cars to strengthen carrier operation as COVID-19 leads to spike in demand for online shopping

UK independent parcel carrier Yodel has agreed a partnership with Arrow Cars, the UK’s largest national private hire company, to increase the capacity of its operation as consumers embrace online shopping during COVID-19.

The initial three-month trial between the two companies commenced at the end of April, with five Arrow Cars drivers each carrying up to 120 parcels daily for Yodel across the West Midlands and will also provide a “flexi-cover” solution to Yodel’s operation. Yodel has the potential to draw on up to 1,000 Arrow Cars drivers. Arrow Cars was established more than 40 years ago, specialising in airport transfers, and is the official taxi partner at five UK Airports including Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, Birmingham and Bristol.

Nationwide figures show a surge in online retail sales in March 2020, with 74% growth in average transaction volumes compared with 2019, according to data from ACI Worldwide. Yodel has reported a 25% spike in trade compared to forecasts, and has had to introduce new, agile initiatives to ensure it is able to meet this excess demand.

Carl Moore, Chief Operational Officer at Yodel, commented on the partnership: “As consumers continue to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant growth in ecommerce as shoppers are unable to make purchases in person.

“As a result, demand for our services has increased and we’re constantly working to develop new agile options to cope with extra volume. We’re delighted to be joining forces with Arrow Cars to provide some additional resource during this period.

“Our priority is to ensure that our customers can receive their parcels in a safe, secure and timely fashion. We look forward to making a success of this partnership with Arrow Cars, and hope to be able to form a longstanding relationship.”

Daniel Graham, Managing Director at Arrow Cars, commented: “We’re excited to be working with the team at Yodel. As taxi usage dropped off completely at the end of March, we researched the best national couriers that we could offer our services to and got in touch with Yodel. Our expertise lies in local knowledge, our multi-site operations and our large capacity so we are well positioned to support with seamless deliveries. We look forward to making a success of the partnership and being able to build a long-lasting relationship with Yodel.”

For more information on Yodel's range of services, click here