Ahold Delhaize has announced that a strategic partnership between its bol.com online platform and delivery specialist Cycloon has received approval from the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets.
Following the completion of the deal, bol.com and Cycloon will 'work towards the first joint delivery of a bol.com package', the retailer said, which will commence in the second half of 2022.
Through this, the group will seek to make its delivery services 'more sustainable and social', it added.
The two parties first announced the deal last December.
The current management team of Cycloon will remain in place, and the existing shareholders of Cycloon will also retain their interest in the business.
'Green, Social Delivery'
For Cycloon, the transaction enables it to 'substantially accelerate' its mission to achieve green, social delivery, while for bol.com, it means that a greater proportion of packages can be delivered by bicycle, as well as broadening its delivery capabilities.
Through a nation-wide network of bicycle couriers and mail delivery services, Cycloon saves an estimated 1,600 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Announcing the deal last December, Wouter Kolk, chief executive of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia, added that making improvements to its last-mile delivery services, including making them more sustainable, "sits high on the agenda within our strategy"
As part of the terms of the transaction, bol.com will acquire the remaining shares in Cycloon four years’ time, subject to approval of the relevant competition authority. The parties intend to continue operating Cycloon as an independent brand.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest technology news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
