After 14 years of operating, a British courier firm responsible for delivering thousands of parcels each and every day has sadly closed its doors
A courier firm that diligently served major UK cities for more than a decade has shut up shop, with 60 people losing their jobs. The company have reportedly said that the decision to shut down came after the less of a “major client” meant continuing to operate was no longer an option.
For 14 years, the company had operated throughout Oxford and London – with a unique selling point, relying on cargo bikes to get packages to their recipients, rather than vans or other motorised vehicles. With many people now out of work, because of the loss of the client who made up 25 percent of the business, it’s “journey has come to an end”.
Pedal&Post said that they had tried every option they could think of to stay in business, but when their main client, the micromobility company Voi, ended their contract, it has proved an insurmountable barrier for the company, who are now going through the process of liquidation.
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The company said in a statement, “Despite exploring every possible avenue to continue – and truly exhausting all options – we have reached the point where we can no longer sustain the business.
“While this chapter has come to a close, we firmly believe that this is not the end for cargo bike logistics. The landscape today looks very different to when we started – with major carriers now investing in low-carbon, bike-based urban delivery models.
“We’re proud to have been a part of that shift and to have helped pave the way. There are certainly many more bike couriers around today than there were when Pedal&Post first started their environmentally friendly business, but Voi “going in a different direction operationally” proved to be a major loss.
Unfortunately, shareholders have been told, per The Sun, that they are not like to “get their investments returned”.
It is the end of an era for the Oxford-based business, but customers and locals alike have flooded in on social media expressing their support for Pedal&Post.
A local environmental campaign group posted, “You have been a bright feature of the Oxford streetscape for more than a decade, and we have enjoyed following and supporting your progress.
“We hope that other cycle-based logistics firms will rise to take the space that you have created.”
This is not the only business to suffer losses recently, with popular restaurant chain Yo! Sushi, unexpectedly closing two branches this week, and Vodka Revolutions falling into administration and shutting down 21 venues across the country.
