The Bouqs Co., a direct-to-consumer floral retailer, has engaged UPS (NYSE: UPS) subsidiary Roadie to make same-day deliveries in several major cities using gig drivers as holiday demand spikes and customers seek arrangements that need special handling.
The online flower seller is forecasting a 44% increase in planned order volume in the fourth quarter from the prior period, but won’t be able to easily fulfill late orders before holiday deadlines from its network of distribution centers. By partnering with Roadie, Bouqs can prepare and send orders the same day for customers in key markets like Los Angeles, the company said in a news release on Tuesday.
Roadie is a crowdsourced delivery platform that connects shipments to a network of independent drivers that make deliveries with their personal vehicles. It picks up orders for customers such as Walmart, Tractor Supply, FilterBuy, Spirit Halloween, paint brand Benjamin Moore and Nothing Bundt Cakes, at local stores and warehouses for last-mile delivery to shoppers.
Bouqs has expanded its online model to include physical retail locations in San Diego, Los Angeles, and New York, which are co-located in other stores, and flower counters inside some Whole Foods Market stores. It plans to set up storefronts in San Francisco and Chicago, according to its website. Same-day delivery is also currently available in San Francisco, Chicago and Dallas.
In addition to addressing capacity constraints during peak periods and service gaps created by traditional delivery windows, Roadie enables Bouqs to offer premium products, like florist-arranged centerpieces and compote-style vases, that aren’t suited for boxed, long-distance shipping. The partnership will continue past the holiday season, Roadie Chief Operating Officer Dennis Moon said in an email response.
Bouqs also benefits from Roadie’s 24/7 delivery capability, real-time tracking, photographic chain of custody and a same-day delivery radius of up to 100 miles, he added.
Click here for more FreightWaves stories by Eric Kulisch.
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