UK delivery firm collapses as households could be hit with parcel delays

Evri blamed delivery delays in Oxford on the sudden collapse of partner courier firm Pedal and Post, with residents now facing weeks waiting for parcels following the closure

Evri has been hit by delivery delays following the abrupt collapse of partner courier firm, Pedal and Post. The sudden closure of Pedal and Post, who were responsible for deliveries in Oxford’s Clean Air Zone, has left residents facing disruption.

Pedal and Post announced it was “ceasing trading without notice”, leaving Evri in a bit of a pickle.

One resident, Carol Leonard from Grandpont, Oxford, reported several parcels ordered in late January had yet to arrive. These included special cat food and litter, which despite being dispatched for delivery, remained at the depot.

They finally arrived on February 10 – a full fortnight after she’d placed her orders.

As reported by Birmingham Live, an Evri spokesperson defended their record, stating: “We successfully deliver more than 900 million parcels each year, with industry-leading on-time delivery rates.”,

They expressed disappointment over the situation, saying, “We were disappointed to learn that our e-cargo bike delivery partner in Oxford ceased trading without notice, which caused some temporary disruption for a small number of customers in the local area.”

The spokesperson assured that they’ve quickly reorganised deliveries in the area, with their local team working hard to resume normal service.

They added: “We have spoken to Carol to apologise for her experience and are pleased to confirm her parcel has been delivered this afternoon.”

Pedal and Post revealed online that the decision came after losing a major client earlier this year, resulting in the closure of both its Oxford and London sites.

Chief Executive Christopher Benton has confirmed that the firm’s entire workforce of approximately 60 – comprising both self-employed and employed staff – has been made redundant.

“Trying to be an ethical employer in a primarily self-employed industry is difficult,” Benton told Zag Daily.

“Lower operating costs of cargo bikes really helped enable this to be able to pay better.

“Our closure isn’t a reflection on cargo bike use or logistics. With simple, small businesses that are reliant on five to six major clients, it happens sometimes that you lose one and can’t sustain moving forward.”

Benton refused to identify the client in question, explaining that they had “met their contractual terms”. He noted that no financial details could be revealed at this point, as there was still “a lot to go through with liquidators”.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.