CULT brings leading companies together to deliver more efficient and greener parcels

The leading companies Danone, Delhaize, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Pro-Duo, Proximus, Telenet and Schoenen Torfs will work together to organize the delivery of parcels to consumers and stores in a greener, more efficient and more ethical way. They are doing this through CULT, an independent initiative which aims to bundle goods from companies in a smart way in warehouses on the outskirts of the city, thereby grouping and reducing the number of trips into the city. The first bundled deliveries to Antwerp using cargo bikes and electric delivery vans are planned after the summer holidays, but the ambition is to roll out the initiative in other cities later on. In this way, initiator Tri-Vizor is aiming to move towards an urban distribution that is open to every market player and is facilitated by the city government.

While it would have been unthinkable ten years ago that we would have our groceries, shoes and smartphones delivered to our homes, this has now become routine for many. We are buying more and more online, and in smaller quantities, and want to have our package delivered to our home the next day. The corona crisis has only accelerated this trend. In addition to the increasing demand from companies and shops for transport, there is a growing stream of parcels and goods of smaller and smaller sizes, which causes a lot of nuisance and pollution, especially in the city. The World Economic Forum recently predicted that there will be 78% more deliveries in the city by 2030.

Volume is key

In order to tackle this parcel tsunami and the accompanying traffic nuisance, Tri-vizor, a disruptive innovator in logistics, is launching the CULT initiative. This stands for 'Collaborative Urban Logistics & Transport', and aims to combine the flow of goods from as many companies as possible on the outskirts of the city. It plans to deliver the goods to the consumers, shops and companies in a smart way, and thereby reducing the number of journeys.

CULT is aiming for what it calls a 'Green Deal Delivery', with delivery at fixed times, using green means of transport, such as cargo bicycles and electric delivery vans, and with couriers who work under responsible working conditions. Seven leading companies have already put their weight behind the initiative: Danone, Delhaize, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Pro-Duo, Proximus, Telenet and Schoenen Torfs.

Alex Van Breedam, CEO of Tri-Vizor and founder of CULT: “The fact that, instead of two parcels to five streets, you can deliver five parcels to one street, will have an enormous positive impact on the quality of life for the city, its inhabitants and companies and, above all, the planet. By making fixed rounds at fixed times, you not only ensure more sustainable delivery, but also responsible employment for the couriers. With the fierce competition and fragmentation, individual couriers are hardly able to realize such effects of scale themselves. We can only do this by bringing together as much volume as possible in an independent and open partnership. I’m therefore extremely pleased that, in addition to Delhaize and Proximus as partners from the very beginning, five other large companies are now willing to work together, regardless of their competitive position, in order to make urban distribution more sustainable and efficient.”

​First deliveries in Antwerp

CULT will make the first deliveries in the city of Antwerp after the summer holidays. This first test is part of a call for projects for 'Smart Ways to Antwerp’ (Slim naar Antwerpen), the city's mobility platform, for which CULT has been selected. The ambitious CULT initiative is receiving substantive and financial support from the city.

Koen Kennis, alderman for mobility in Antwerp: “These companies are not only strong together, they are also smart together. After all, there is a direct link between the accessibility of a city, the city's economic strength, its livability and the prosperity of its inhabitants. A lot is possible through innovation and collaboration, and an initiative like CULT is a good example of this. As a city, we encourage this kind of collaboration.”

In the coming weeks, CULT will look for one or more logistics partners, and will work out the logistics processes in detail. Interested couriers will have to demonstrate how they can smartly combine and sustainably deliver the large volumes of the seven companies. At the same time, the initiative remains open to all interested companies, for urban deliveries and collections to and from private individuals and shops.

Alex Van Breedam, founder of CULT: “As soon as the project in Antwerp is running smoothly, we intend to roll out smart urban distribution to other cities as well. Companies that join CULT can choose for themselves which customer segment they want to supply, for example, and in which cities they want to operate. Companies that believe in developing sustainable and efficient distribution in a livable city are therefore more than welcome.”

For more information about CULT: www.cultcitylogistics.be