Trade of second-hand goods has increased due to smooth delivery services. This is what statistics and surveys from Helthjem show. The study, from the distribution company partly owned by Schibstedy, says that it is mainly transactions of goods such as clothing and consumer electronics that have increased, but also that the geographical market for other goods has expanded.
The findings also show that different areas of Norway use the services in different ways. In most cases, delivery services are used for long distance deliveries between regions, but in the city of Oslo, Helthjem’s services are to a higher extent used for distribution locally.
Helthjem offers several distribution services, including a peer-to-peer service where goods are delivered door-to-door all over Norway. Today, over 80 percent of these peer-to-peer deliveries are related to transportation of circular goods, like second-hand goods sold through marketplaces such as Finn, Tise, Facebook and Bookis.
A transition to a circular consumption pattern is key to decrease the negative environmental impact generated by our current lifestyle. Prolonging the life length and increasing the usage of existing goods is key in the transition. For consumers this means awareness of how we take care of, and use goods by choosing to repair, reuse, share and recycle instead of throwing things away or leaving them on the shelf unused. Suitable logistic solutions for peer-to-peer trade is a crucial factor to be able to make circular consumption more convenient and trustworthy.
Distribution is not by default an environmental friendly activity, in Norway road traffic stands for 18 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Efficiency in logistics is a key to lower the climate impact, every meter driven counts. Using a distribution service that caters to many is in general better for the environment compared to if all consumers drives by themselves to pick-up goods.
“At Helthjem we are working constantly to reduce the negative impact, the target is to lower Helthjem’s CO2-emissions by 50 percent by 2025. Our focus is to increase the efficiency of our existing routes, evaluate the environmental benefits of various means of transportation and update the vehicle fleet”, says Cathrine Laksfoss, CEO Schibsted Distribution.
During the past year Helthjem have several test cases ongoing with new electric vehicles, and have changed to electrical vehicles for several routes. In Oslo the transformation is fast and today over 80 percent of Helthjem’s deliveries are delivered by foot, without any carbon footprint.