Dr Julian Allen, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Architecture and Cities, was quoted in an article by The Guardian about the growing popularity of grocery delivery apps.
The article explores the reasons as to why grocery delivery apps are proving so popular in our towns and cities, such as the level of convenience they offer to “time-poor” professionals and the array of discount codes on offer when customers sign up to them.
The article also discusses the societal and environmental impact of these apps, including the exploitative labour practices that couriers are often exposed to, and couriers’ reliance on transport to make ultrafast deliveries.
Speaking about couriers’ use of e-mopeds and e-bicycles to make deliveries, Dr Allen is quoted as saying: “Only about 37% of our electricity currently comes from renewables. And even if it all did, we would still want to reduce our energy demands.”
Pointing out that couriers will inevitably be creating congestion and that there will be safety implications, he added: “Many will be under pressure to make fast deliveries on vehicles they are not used to using.”
Read the full article on The Guardian’s website.
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