The Swedish fashion giant is testing eco-delivery from an online store in the Netherlands in partnership with a local courier service.
Swedish fashion giant H&M, the world's second-largest fashion retailer, has begun testing bike delivery from its online store in the Netherlands. The project is implemented in partnership with the local courier service Fietskoeriers.nl and allows customers of the online store to receive their orders using a completely sustainable delivery, without damaging the environment.
“We want our logistics to be as energy efficient as possible as our goal is to be “climate positive” by 2040,” commented H&M, noting that they are working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and become fully “ carbon neutral business.
Launched with Fietskoeriers, the service allows H&M shoppers to pick up items from the online store the next day after ordering. Employees of the courier service pick up goods from the main warehouse H&M in the Netherlandsusing biofuel vehicles. At the last stage, delivery to customers is carried out only on bicycles.
“We are delighted to see growing interest in sustainability among our customers and we hope they enjoy this new, climate-friendly way of bringing their fashion finds home,” commented Pascal Brun, Head of Sustainability at H&M. The company will analyze consumer reaction to the new service after the end of the pilot period and consider using other sustainable modes of transport to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Over the past year, many major fashion retailers have become more active in implementing a number of environmental initiatives. In particular, the online store Zalando, operating in 17 markets, announced the testing of reusable packaging in Scandinavian countries. And a Canadian shoe retailer has implemented a plan to phase out single-use plastic bags in favor of shoe boxes made from recycled cardboard.
H&M remains one of the leaders in the implementation of the sustainability plan in the global fashion market. The company has been following a number of eco-programs for many years, aimed at reducing the harmful impact on the environment from the fashion industry. H&M is gradually increasing its share of responsibly sourced organic cotton and accepting used clothing for recycling. In autumn 2019, the company also launched a subscription clothing rental service in Sweden and a clothing rental service at its subsidiary COS brand in China.
