Ryde introduces new delivery feature reducing cost per order for grocery and retail businesses

Ryde, a delivery service company, has announced the launch of Hourly+, a new feature that takes a shift-based approach to on-demand delivery.

The business said the new service will increase fulfilment rates for on-demand deliveries, particularly for clients in the grocery and retail space. The solution balances the security of shifts for workers with the functionality of instant delivery for customers.

"Traditional on-demand has notoriously bad fulfilment rates - and we expect them to get worse," said Duncan Mitchell, Ryde chief executive.

"It's because delivery couriers are opting for more reliable shift-based work, instead of the traditional wait for a job, without pay, on-demand model. Meanwhile, the explosive growth of instant grocery has conditioned consumers to expect their deliveries in 10 minutes or less. This combination causes major fulfilment issues for companies in the last-mile delivery space. So, we responded with Hourly+, a shift-based approach to on-demand."

The launch comes after a three-week trial of the new feature with a select few clients in the grocery and e-commerce industries.

The new model means there will always be a rider ready to pick up a job so that customers can get their deliveries done faster and without the uncertainty of traditional on-demand. Meanwhile, gamification features will incentivise riders to deliver more efficiently by setting a minimum hourly rate and rewarding more efficient riders with bonuses.

Productivity tracking will allow customers to rate drivers based on the jobs accepted or rejected per hour. Additionally, proximity tracking will monitor riders' real-time progress, and bespoke dashboards will help businesses make better decisions on order volume and staffing requirements.

"The UK gig economy is changing rapidly, and Ryde has evolved to meet its trends and complexities while bringing true value to riders and businesses," said Mitchell. "We want to assure those operators – and others who might be looking for positive change – that we will continue pushing the envelope. We believe the gig economy can change for the better. And Ryde will be at the forefront of the movement."

Ryde said Hourly+ can be the future of on-demand last-mile delivery, as it addresses ongoing issues of low fulfilment and poor productivity across the industry.

A survey of riders revealed that 90 per cent preferred shift work to on-demand work because it provided more reliable pay and better job security. The findings coincided with a rapid downward trend in acceptance rates of on-demand jobs across clients and a 70 per cent growth in the adoption of shift-based work. Hourly+ takes a "rider-first" approach allowing Ryde riders to retain control of their workdays while accommodating the need for on-demand service.

Mitchell added: "Hourly+ is Ryde's way of recognising the need for on-demand delivery without compromising on our rider-first ethos. Hourly+ is a shift-based approach to on-demand that provides riders with clarity in pay and job security, enabling them to be highly productive, reducing costs for our clients."

Ryde has nationwide coverage, offering a network of more than 15,000 couriers and a secure, white-labelled delivery-logistics service. It supports businesses in the establishment of a custom fleet of vehicles and a curated team of riders and drivers and provides a cost advantage to customers through a rebate structure based on the volume of jobs and shifts.