The Relais Mondial system

[woodbutcher]

In France there is an alternative system for shipping goods of all sorts (my interest is bikes and components obviously) !
It is done by utilising trade deliveries between retail outlets rather than the post office . It is a cheap and reliable operation , just wondering if it could be set up in the UK . for example utilising a chainstore supply system .
I have just bought one of these and the price including delivery was €15. using the Relais system. When it arrives at the local store they will email me .

 

[DCLane]

A lot of retailers now use a 'delivery to store' process whereby they go to a local mini-supermarket. You then collect at your convenience. That seems a bit similar.

 

[robgul]

John Lewis - order online and collect from the Waitrose shop the following day. Simple (and financially dangerous )

TESCO was doing the same warehouse/shop thing until they shuttered tesco.com

Whether the large retailers would entertain the idea for other (online) retailers is an interesting thought . . . have to say I can't envisage it coming about.

Rob

 

[DCLane]

@robgul - I'm already collecting parcels from my local Tesco about 2 minutes away for most of the major online stores. It's saving me waiting about for items; i.e. Wiggle/Chain Reaction deliver there.

 

[woodbutcher]

A lot of retailers now use a 'delivery to store' process whereby they go to a local mini-supermarket. You then collect at your convenience. That seems a bit similar.

It is similar except that the French system is open to anyone, so for example if l have some random object that l have sold on ebay l can use the relay system to get it delivered cheaply to the buyer in another region of France !

 

[woodbutcher]

@robgul - I'm already collecting parcels from my local Tesco about 2 minutes away for most of the major online stores. It's saving me waiting about for items; i.e. Wiggle/Chain Reaction deliver there.

There you go it is catching on ...good news

 

[Globalti]

The French are usually ahead of us. I remember having a chip & pin card in France in 1986/7 and when I returned to the UK, going back to magnetic strip and signature.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I have just bought one of these and the price including delivery was €15. using the Relais system.

Useful if you could say how much the delivery element was. Was the stem less than €11?

 

[woodbutcher]

Useful if you could say how much the delivery element was. Was the stem less than €11?

I am not sure at the moment because the price was inclusive of delivery, but l think the stem would be €10 . I will be able to be more accurate when l have collected it .

 

[woodbutcher]

This one is obviously not new but looks in nice condition and if it had been the size l was after l would have snapped it up, asking price €5.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

The French are usually ahead of us. I remember having a chip & pin card in France in 1986/7 and when I returned to the UK, going back to magnetic strip and signature.

In those days, UK visitors to France had their bank cards declined for not having chip and pin.

 

[Globalti]

It's the same reason who some idiots in that London keep talking about this HS2 project - willy-waving and keeping up with the French with their TGV.

 

[BalkanExpress]

It is similar except that the French system is open to anyone, so for example if l have some random object that l have sold on ebay l can use the relay system to get it delivered cheaply to the buyer in another region of France !

And they don’t only deliver in FranceI have received a few, okay, more than a few, items this way,

It is cheap but not always quick. You drop d the package off at a participating shop, and as @woodbutcher explained the parcel gets transported in the “spare capacity” in delivery vans until it reaches the collection point. The shops are usually small independent grocers or newsagents although my local is a florist

 

[woodbutcher]

And they don’t only deliver in FranceI have received a few, okay, more than a few, items this way,

It is cheap but not always quick. You drop d the package off at a participating shop, and as @woodbutcher explained the parcel gets transported in the “spare capacity” in delivery vans until it reaches the collection point. The shops are usually small independent grocers or newsagents although my local is a florist

Thats true, it isn't the quickest system but it works and so far l haven't had anything go missing .....fingers crossed on that one. On the other hand l received a package the day before yesterday which had been posted in Poland on the 12th of December 2019 using the normal postal service. I could have gone on my bike to Poland and picked it up faster than that