The Return Of The Milkman The New Green Grocers On The Block

Green living is nothing new - it's actually been the 'default state' of human existence for the last few millennia

. Until, that is the last fifty years or so. Changes in lifestyle, food production, rapid technological advancement over the last hundred years and greater general wealth have seen us, in the western world at least, move away from our originally green way of life. While recent moves back to the past - locally sourced food, organic production and the like have been big steps in the right direction the recession has wrong-footed many of our hopes for a greener world.

Locally sourced shouldn't mean the same planet

Some ways of greener living are very simple and very old fashioned indeed. The humble 'veg box' is one of them. As belts tighten around the country, are green groceries going to end up less green? The problem has been that while most of us are keen to ensure that we get our five a day, shop locally, shop seasonally and don't damage the environment while stocking our cupboards, veg box schemes have in the past proved to be more of a luxury item than should perhaps be the case.

It was the case that there was a high price difference between your average box delivery scheme and that of supermarkets, which had even the greenest of us facing some stark choices between maintaining our principles and winning the battle against the cost of living. I'll admit that some supermarkets have been doing their bit to try to provide us with locally sourced produce - but when locally sourced simply means the same planet, it really is stretching the definition.

Thankfully times are changing are there are now a healthy dose of services that produce veg box schemes very inexpensively. Finding a reliable, online grocery shopping service that can compete on cost and quality with the supermarkets is becoming easier these days, and there are some surprising options out there.

Innovative solutions

One innovation comes from an unexpected source - and it could be the source of some relief to beleaguered housewives (and husbands) around the country. A number of dairies now offer a startlingly good delivery service that balances efficiency and cost. Facing a decline in their core business - milk delivery - the dairies have simply expanded the range of products on offer. When it comes to competing against the multi-national supermarket giants the first thing you need to find is their Achilles heal - and the dairies knew just where to look; delivery charges. While delivery charges are negligible or non-existent for larger online orders from the supermarkets - the weekly or monthly shop - small one-off purchases are simply not feasible.

Preparation and opportunity

This is where the smaller local dairies saw an opportunity. As they had established, if dwindling, milk rounds, they were able to offer a service with a difference - one without a delivery charge. Adding to the list of products available - the small everyday essentials that we all run out of from time to time - the dairies have been able to offer grocery and fruit delivery services like no other. The milkman has always been something of a mythical creature - known to exist but active in the small hours when most of us are sleeping - and it's this fact that makes them streets ahead of the competition.

Green credentials

There are a number of simple advantages to the consumer - obviously the free delivery is the first, while the range of products is excellent and growing. In addition the ordering cut-off times are late at night and delivery times bright and early in the morning. While the supermarkets can certainly offer acceptable delivery slots - they cannot compete with this level of service. Delivery is not only early and free - but there's a strong chance you'll get to know your regular delivery driver - a bonus in this faceless day of customer service.

by: Charlotte Rivington

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