While the hum of the electric milk float and the early morning clicking of glass milk bottles arriving on the doorstep is fond childhood memory of many adults in the UK today, this quintessentially British tradition has been lost in most parts of the country to competition from supermarkets.
However, since the pandemic made everyone revise the way they shopped for fresh milk and other essential groceries, thousands of householders returned to traditional doorstep deliveries, which for some were brand new ways of getting their fresh supplies.
With most of the leading supermarkets selling out of online delivery slots at lightning speed, demand skyrocketed for local milk delivery services. In fact, the pandemic saw an 83% rise in milk round business during that time. Since the return to a more normal life, many doorstep delivery customers have chosen to keep their service going.
To many people's surprise, most doorstep milk rounds also delivered more than bottles of the white stuff and have been for many years.
Fresh essentials to the doorstep
Milkmen and women have been delivering bread, butter, fruit juice, bacon, eggs, butter and more everyday staples that have been a godsend to the elderly, disabled and busy families. But even since the end of lockdown and the gradual return to everyday life, people have grown to love the convenience of their doorstep deliveries and have kept them going.
Since milk delivery rounds have greatly expanded the range of products offered, customers have been ordering more for their regular doorstep deliveries. This has been good for milk delivery companies as they send out fully loaded milk floats, making the best use of their vehicles and fuel.
Customers are also thrilled to find a treasure trove of fresh goodies on their doorstep each morning. It saves them from driving to a supermarket for a time-consuming mid-week trawl around the shelves for a top-up of fresh food and drink while trying to prevent their kids from filling up the basket with junk food and sweets.
Cutting down on plastic waste
Many more environmentally conscious consumers are turning to their local milkmen and women as an easy way to reduce their carbon footprint and plastic waste. Most supermarkets no longer sell milk in glass bottles, so the easiest way to reduce plastic waste is to use local doorstep delivery services and choose milk delivered in glass bottles that are returned to the dairy to be washed and reused.
Not having to use a car every day to shop for fresh food and things people run out of quickly can also help to reduce emissions, so using local doorstep delivery services can also help families reduce their carbon footprints without making considerable changes to their lifestyle.
More customers like to buy British, organic and sustainable, and milk delivery companies can deliver this right to their doorstep. Modern technology has also made ordering easy with smartphone apps to order what they want in an instant for their next delivery.
This is why modern milk rounds are here to stay and have carved out a valuable niche in the home grocery delivery marketplace in the UK. But to deliver an effective service, you need the right milk float delivery vehicle, and that is where our team at Osborne Motor Bodies Ltd comes in.
Milk float vehicle supply and custom conversions
Suppose you are buying a milk round and need a milk float to launch your business, or you have a regular round and are looking to expand your business by adding another vehicle and round. In that case, Osborne Motor Bodies Ltd. can not only supply you with a basic milk-float vehicle body, but we can also customise it to fit your needs.
Milk floats are no longer single, open-deck vehicles stacked with crates of milk. These days milk delivery vehicles provide an ever-increasing range of food and drink products that need careful handling while being transported to the customer's doorstep.
For example, take one of our DFSK Mini-Float vehicles that offers a generous 900 kg payload and is fast becoming a firm favourite with many Dairy fleets. Combine this with either an open side, curtain side, or shutter side option and add all the refrigerated and insulated storage solutions you need.
Our team can supply you with a road-ready milk-float option, or if you prefer, you can source the chassis independently, and we can perform all the bodywork modifications you want.
While milkmen and women have been providing a vital lifeline to families, pensioners and vulnerable customers for decades, dairy delivery companies have had to adapt their services to meet the ever-changing demands of their customers.
Osborne Motor Bodies Ltd. is here to help you with all the milk-float vehicle supply, adaption and conversion work you need to create the perfect delivery vehicle for your business. Contact us to learn more about our services or discuss your milk-float conversion needs.
