Velocity teams up with local traders to offer zero carbon delivery for shoppers in Oxford

Oxford-based cycle courier business Velocity is working with local traders to offer a zero carbon delivery service for customers shopping locally this Christmas and beyond.

Shoppers can buy from a range of Oxford businesses either in person or online and have their purchases delivered hassle and carbon-free by Velocity’s fleet of e-cargo bikes, trikes and electric vans.

The ‘Buy by Bike’ service offers home delivery or gift delivery, within the ring road from an ever-expanding list of local traders, including Hoyles of Oxford, Truck Records, Good Sixty, So Sustainable, Blacklands Veg Boxes, Share – the Library of Things, Nong Smitinand, Fairtrade at St Michael, Jericho Coffee Traders, Missing Bean as well as food delivery including Skogen Bakery, Happy Cakes, Waste2Taste and Vegan Punjabi.

Velocity was launched in March 2022 by Will Pepper and Jake Swinhoe and is now a team in double figures and growing. Jake said: “Oxford is famous for cycling, and what better place, than one of the UK’s most committed cities to sustainability, to move away from fossil-fuelled vehicles and replace them with an option with a vastly reduced carbon footprint.

“Oxford can be a nightmare in a car, and for local traders delivering from one end of the city to the other, bikes are the perfect option for speed and to help reduce traffic on our already clogged roads. 

“There are so many amazing smaller independent traders in Oxford, and we are aiming to make home delivery easier for them and their customers. Shoppers can get their stuff quickly and easily and know that delivery is zero carbon too.”

Many shoppers want to be more sustainable in their choices, with a majority of consumers now committed to shopping locally and considering sustainability when making a purchase.

Velocity’s fleet consists of Urban Arrow e-cargo bikes, backed up with Iceni trikes and supplemented by Maxus 100% electric vans. Since its launch in early 2022, Velocity has become the go-to option for local businesses seeking to improve their logistics while lowering their carbon footprint.

Velocity also works with other local traders delivering to their clients, including Yellow Submarine, SESI, Hamblin Bread, Kall Kwik printers, Oxwash, Dark Horse Roastery, Proof Bakery, Maria Bonita Cakes, Grape Minds, and has worked with local festivals Wood Festival and Treehouse Festival.

Velocity has bases at Osney Mead and Magdalen Road and is planning a move to larger premises as it continues to grow and support new delivery projects with small and large businesses in the county.