We caught up with Quiqup, a London-based logistics company that provides on-demand delivery services through a network of self-employed drivers. After kicking off our partnership last year with the launch of a '60-minute Hub-to-Home' solution, we just announced our latest innovation together with Bryson, launching an industry-first local on-demand delivery solution for construction material.
Thought it was about time to ask a few questions and dig a little deeper on what Quiqup is all about...
1) So let’s start with how the Quiqup idea was born, can you tell us a bit more about how the company was started by its 5 founders?
It started in September 2014, when a group of five friends with similar ambitions got together and took a leap of faith. They met when working together at the same VC firm and discovered a shared passion for entrepreneurship. They grabbed onto the first idea they had to start a business, and they did. Next thing they knew they launched an app on the App Store and started delivering anything anywhere to anyone - aimed at making Londoners’ lives easier. People are busy, between work, commuting, errands, spending time with family and friends, and if you’re lucky, the odd workout, there’s not a lot of time left for everything else. Quiqup was founded to give people their time back. Be it groceries, medications, tonight’s dinner, or the keys you forgot at the office, we shop and drop anything you need, within the hour.
Today, Quiqup’s technology and fleet streamlines the movement of goods for businesses and the cities in which they operate. Our end-to-end solutions enable businesses of all sizes and industries to power the on-demand and same-day deliveries that consumers expect.
Quiqup's latest team shot after their 1 millionth order! (Congrats!)
2) Who are your key customers? Is there any demographic or type of business you find are using your service the most?
Any and every retail business can benefit from a last mile delivery service like ours.
The food industry has a long and deep heritage with delivery. As such, we have many partners like Burger King, Itsu, and Firezza that use our service on a regular basis. With platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats growing in popularity, restaurants can benefit from our service in particular because it helps keep their customers on their own websites and deliver direct. With that, they’ll have more control of their data, their brand, and their customers.
Grocery is another big one for us. The industry as a whole is arguably making the most significant strides in e-commerce and last mile delivery.
With the rise of e-commerce, retailers of all kinds, from fashion and beauty to electronics and flower shops, use our service because consumers are more and more inclined to shop from the comfort of their homes. And today, waiting 3-5 business days is simply no longer acceptable. If they can’t get fast and flexible deliveries from one retailer, they will go to the next that will.
3) Quiqup launched its first international operation in Dubai earlier this year, how has the experience been so far? Any secret insights you can share about delivery dynamics in Dubai?
Our expansion into the Middle East with our Dubai operation was a major milestone in our company’s history and points to a huge appetite from businesses for on-demand and same-day delivery. Dubai is a city known for its strong service culture and innovative spirit, so it is the perfect location for our first expansion outside of the UK and into the international market. Consumers there are increasingly time poor and tech savvy, so whether they are buying from an online giant or physical retailer, they expect retailers to offer convenient and affordable delivery services at the touch of a button.
Our 'secret sauce' is three-fold:
1. Build an adaptable product: The flexibility behind our tech and our algorithmic capabilities allow us to bring Quiqup’s range of services to new locations quickly and efficiently and as such, our move into Dubai was smooth.
2. Accommodate cultural and regional characteristics: We offer a number of features specifically tailored to the Dubai market, to ensure the best possible experience for our customers. These include Quiqup’s thoroughly trained delivery agents – or “Quiqees” - accepting cash or card upon delivery, using GPS coordinates as delivery locations for destinations without distinct addresses, and sending tracking links by SMS to customers so they can track their Quiqee in real-time.
3. Put together an awesome team: Our team on the ground in Dubai is passionate about Quiqup and works incredibly hard to make our operation there a success. Being so far away from the Head Office here in London, their dedication to the brand has made all the difference.
4) Your partnership with Tesco provides a one-hour grocery delivery service across London, 'Tesco Now', how can you see this trend advancing in the future?
On-demand deliveries are crucial and very convenient for those customers who need things right away but can’t manage the time to do it themselves. Our Tesco Now proposition helps Tesco build a stronger relationship with its customers by being there for them when they need them most.
While this service is valuable for a lot of people, we see the trend moving more towards same-day delivery, in the grocery industry but also in other retail industries as well. Same day options still deliver on the convenience factor (and are often more convenient because customers can choose a 1hr delivery slot when they know for sure they’ll be prepared to receive their order) but also allow logistics providers to better ensure the time, cost, and carbon efficient movement of goods within cities.
5) What do you see as your biggest success to date? And where do you see Quiqup in 5 years from now?
Our biggest success to date has to be our foray into business services and our subsequent expansion into Dubai. Our solution empowers businesses to make their goods readily available and accessible in the urban landscape. Delivering directly to their customer helps them increase customer retention and retarget their customers for sustainable growth. We think that’s a pretty big deal.
With our business service proposition, we now have the chance not only to touch the lives of individuals but also to impact the future of businesses, industries, and cities. Our technology levels the playing field for businesses and allows them to drive sustainable growth in an otherwise very dynamic and volatile space. And the success of Quiqup Dubai is testament to that.
The space is changing so quickly that it’s hard to predict. But what we know for sure is that we will be powering businesses’ last mile deliveries, streamlining the way good move across various cities, in Europe and the Middle East.
6) Last but not least, a big staple of Quiqup are your brilliant bike riders, called Quiqees! How many miles do they ride on average per day? Are they close to ‘Tour de France fitness levels’ after a few months in the job?
Our Quiqees ride bicycles, scooters, e-scooters, cars and vans so lots of mileage there for sure. According to our last count, our Quiqees have collectively driven the equivalent of 36 times around the earth!
PS: Here are Quiqup's 6(!) offices dogs... Kenny, wearing the crown, was actually the first 4-legged friend to join the team - so cute!
A big THANK YOU to Quiqup from the team at Parcelly for answering our questions and we can't wait to further shape the future of on-demand delivery together...! #parcellove
