Parcels travel coach class as Target goes National

Target Worldwide Express is putting some of its same-day parcels on the national coach network after entering into an alliance with National Express.
The partnership allows Target to offer a cost-effective door-to-door same-day service between major locations. National Express makes 1,500 journeys a day and will cover the inter-city portion of the journey, with Target vehicles making the collection from the customer and the final delivery.

The deal is not unique; Business Post also puts some parcels on the coach network and TNT has been doing so, though it does not actively publicise the arrangement, for the last 20 years. National Express also has some modest parcel traffic of its own.

Target introduced same-day delivery around four years ago and this has built to a £10m (t15.5m) business, serviced by more than 600 owner-drivers and subcontracted vehicles.

David Breeze, international and sameday service director, said budget same-day delivery had been revitalised following the demise of the Red Star rail service, and National Express was keen to expand the wholesale side of its business.

“Our premium same-day offer meets niche requirements especially in the electronic and pharmaceutical sectors. Outside that, other customers may prefer a ‘pseudo network’ product using a third party for the main leg, ” Breeze said.

“It’s a deferred service to us. We can’t pick up in half an hour and commit to a door-to-door delivery time. We’ve got to be selective, but by focusing on city to city mainline routes we can promise a morning pick-up and afternoon delivery at a fixed rate.” The service costs £69 (€110), including pick-up and delivery by Target vehicles within a 40km radius of collection point and destination.

Adoor-to-door courier rate would be £250 (€390) between Glasgow and London and £175 (€275) from Nottingham to Plymouth, Breeze said.

“It completes the portfolio. A lot of our competition have looked at this as a way of solving their own internal problems – dealing with misroutes or improving their cost base, ” he claimed.

“We’re not up-speccing this product – it’s not got all the bells and whistles. Our depot managers will always sell a premium same-day or pre-9am next-day service first, but if it’s way out of the customer ‘s price range, they will accept a deferred service.”