PonyU, a startup that has established itself for its last mile urban logistics model, has recently launched a new service capable of revolutionizing the deliveries of many e-commerce in Italy. Starting from Rome and Milan, it also provides small online players with small urban warehouses, where the goods are stored, organized and delivered in a few hours by PonyU’s urban pony express.
Even if transport on the long route runs smoothly, it is in the last mile that customer satisfaction is at stake. Starting from this assumption, in 2015, Luigi Strino, together with Alessandro Melorio and Luca Oliano, gave life to PonyU. “As a kid I made pony pizza in Naples, then I worked as a programmer and I have always been passionate about technology – explains Strino – and with PonyU we do nothing but apply technology to the world of deliveries and pony express”. Thanks to a proprietary technology, each delivery made by PonyU is optimized for travel times, because it is entrusted to the driver closest to the point of sale or collection, who can use the various vehicles in the fleet: bikes, scooters and vans, including electric ones.
“We have made over two million deliveries, ranging from every type of product: fashion, electronics, pharmaceutical products, shopping, maintaining both the cold and heat chain – underlines Luigi Strino – today we are able to provide our customers with a delivery management capable of competing with major international players. Pam relies on us to develop its ultra fast delivery service; we manage Tannico Express deliveries at the right temperature “.
And always keeping the figure of the ponies at the center: “Before the controversy about the Rider broke out and minimum guarantees were established for the workers, our couriers already had a better contractual situation – Strino is keen to specify – We depend on ponies, we must build loyalty, guarantee stability and focus on empathy “.
Small proximity warehouses for fast deliveries
The new solution implemented by PonyU passes through dark stores, city hubs in which to store goods for quick delivery within the city. These are not traditional department stores, often located on the outskirts, they are urban spaces of 80/100 square meters, which replace the small shop. This way, brands get closer to the customer and delivery can be handled quickly.
A brand that is not present in Rome or Milan (from March the service also extends to Turin and Bologna), will be able to rent its own space in one of the PonyU hubs. Here the goods are stored and i will be available fast delivery services: within one hour from the order, during the day or the next day. In addition, it is possible to establish precise delivery times, within 30 minutes. “For our customers, they are value-added solutions – explains Strino – and the automatic lockers are a piece of the delivery problem, we want to guarantee home delivery, with a just in time service, which minimizes uncertainty. We have 99% on-time deliveries “. Bringing the warehouses closer to the end customer and by monitoring the movements of the pony express it is possible to optimize times, guaranteeing rapid delivery times.
The last mile is a rapidly expanding business, in the last 18 months in Europe it has recorded a turnover of 20 billion euros. “We have been operating in the sector since 2015 – concludes Strino – and we are confident that our shoulders are broad enough and that the trust we have gained in Italy will allow us to compete on an equal footing with the international Big Companies. What we offer to those who do e-commerce is not give power to the platforms, but to be able to directly manage their service “.