RTIH gets the lowdown on bodo, which was founded by former CloudKitchens and Deliveroo executives and offers e-commerce brands a plug-in that facilitates one hour and same-day delivery directly from their website or store.
RTIH: Tell us about yourselves and bodo
JG and BN: bodo is a logistics platform enabling brands to our customers eco-friendly one hour and same-day delivery directly on their online store checkout.
We do this with our quick and easy plug-in, network of central hubs, and courier fleets. At its core, the platform is all about helping businesses to connect customers quickly and sustainably with the brands that they love.
We launched the platform in January and immediately got a lot of demand from brands (especially ahead of Black Friday and Christmas).
We work with brands across all verticals, from beauty to consumer technology, including partners like TRIP, SURI, Mirror Water and Underdays to name just a few.
You can think of us as an Amazon Prime for direct-to-consumer brands, offering a rapid, sustainable delivery experience without sacrificing customer data and brand experience.
We were both early employees at CloudKitchens, helping to scale the business from LA to international markets. I (Jack) also worked in commercial strategy and data science at Deliveroo.
RTIH: What was the inspiration behind setting the company up?
JG and BN: With nearly half (46%) of consumers abandoning their shopping carts if delivery waits are too long, we saw a need to fix a broken delivery system that lets customers down with strikes, long wait times and unreliable tracking systems.
Alongside the customer experience, we also wanted to enable brands to create environmentally friendly checkouts.
We use electric delivery fleets, our hub is solar-powered, and our packaging is recycled (and recyclable). Impatience and instant gratification doesn’t have to come at the cost of the planet.
RTIH: What has been the industry reaction thus far?
JG and BN: We’ve had a great reaction from both brands and customers. In fact, we are currently backlogged following demand from brands over Black Friday and Christmas.
We are collecting really interesting data showing increased customer acquisition, higher basket sizes, and repeat purchase behaviour when same-day and one hour delivery options are selected. We will be releasing this soon across a series of case studies.
RTIH: What has been your biggest challenge/setback?
JG and BN: Black Friday, Christmas gifting, Royal Mail strikes.
We didn’t quite anticipate the demand which we would get from brands in our first three months of operations. As a result, we are backlogged on onboarding for the rest of the year.
Ironically, this is an issue for the consumer brands we work with as well. When you release a new product, demand is hard to forecast and that last (good) problem you want to have is to be sold out.
When customers are excited about your product, the last thing you want to do is stand them up.
RTIH: What are the biggest challenges facing the omnichannel retail sector right now?
JG and BN: Omnichannel retail by definition combines the advantages of in-store retail with the convenience oered by online shopping.
How do you offer a delivery experience that is comparable to the convenience and instant gratification of in-store shopping? Why should a customer buy online instead of in-store?
This is exactly where bodo fits in. Customers receiving their order in 30 minutes or same-day is an incredible experience. This is especially true when combined with our Whatsapp communications and live driver tracking.
As per our early data and customer reviews, instant delivery inspires word-of-mouth, brand love, and better purchasing behaviour.
RTIH: What’s the best question about your company or the market asked of you recently by a.) an investor or b.) a customer?
JG and BN: Sustainability is key to our business ethos, but it’s also becoming increasingly important to consumers. We get asked a lot about how we can make instant delivery eco-friendly.
At bodo that starts with how we get products into customers’ hands – we use electric bikes and have localised delivery to reduce our carbon footprint. Our facilities are also solar powered and we use recycled/recyclable packing for all products.
RTIH: What can we expect to see from bodo during 2023?
JG and BN: We’ve just announced our $2.3 million seed round, which was led by BAM Ventures, alongside angels such as sweetgreen founder and CEO Jonathan Neman, serial investor Kal Vepuri, and Jon Shokrian, Founder and CEO of MeUndies.
In 2023 we will broaden bodo’s technology offering and expand our network of micro-fulfilment hubs, with our third UK warehouse on its way. We will also be expanding into more UK cities as well as into the US market.
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