The document analyzes the impacts of the Bristol-Bath Freight Consolidation Centre (BBFCC) from the perspective of its users, the participating retailers. It finds that most retailers receive deliveries 1-3 times per week, between 8-9am, and are satisfied with the delivery time, frequency, and overall service. Key benefits mentioned include deliveries being taken to the stock room and delivery security. The BBFCC also provides benefits to the cities by reducing vehicle trips and pollutant emissions. To increase participation, the researchers suggest a marketing campaign and customer survey to identify areas for improvement.

1. The Bristol-Bath Freight
Consolidation Centre
Analysis of impacts from the perspective of its users
Daniela Paddeu, Miriam Ricci, Gianfranco Fancello, Paolo Fadda, Graham Parkhurst
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2. Targets and Outcomes
Targets
Evaluate the range of impacts associated with the
BBFCC, focusing in particular on the perspective
of its users: the participating retailers
Outcomes
• Deliveries flows and frequencies
• Retailers satisfaction and claims
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3. City Logistics : the urban flows logistics
Planning,
organizing,
coordinating and
controlling…
…goods' physical
and information
flows
… to find a
compromise
between :
an efficient goods
distribution in
urban areas and…
… the protection
of the
environment
City Logistics
Stakeholders
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4. Possible interventions
Access Regulation to urban areas for goods vehicles
Urban Freight Consolidation Centres
DHL Packstation
Last mile solutions
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5. Urban Freight Consolidation Centre
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6. Università
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Freight Consolidation Centre
Types of Freight Consolidation Centres
(a) serving all or part of an urban area (e.g. Bristol and Bath)
(b) serving large sites with a single landlord (e.g. Heathrow airport)
(c) Construction project UCC (e.g. London Construction Consolidation Centre)
Business Model
Initial public funding
(feasibility studies and
trials; specially for the (a))
Less financial issues for
the (b) and (c) FCC
(contractual conditions of
the site access)
Who benefits from the UFCC
 Suppliers (Time savings, Number of
vehicles reduced, Money savings)
 Retailers (Security of the delivery, Less
storage and more selling space, Set delivery
time, Additional services, Just-in-time
service)
 Citizens (Reduction in pollution and noise,
Increase in pedestrian/cyclist safety,
Increase in quality of life)

7. Freight Transport in Urban Areas
Benefits
• Economic efficiency
of production and industry's
competitiveness
• Key role in the industrial and
commercial activities, which are
essential for prosperity and well-
being
• Convenient : availability of goods
when we want
• Support our current lifestyles
Negative Externalities
• Environmental impacts: polluting
emissions (CO, CO2, NOx, PM10)
• Social impacts : impacts of
pollution on public health, noise,
visual intrusion, reduction of
pedestrian safety (increase of
accident)
• Economic impacts : more
congestion with a connected
decrease in the level of service
In sum: economic, social and
environmental costs of transport
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8. Freight transport negative externalities
13,000 deaths among children aged 0-4 years in Europe can be
attributed every year to exposure to particulate matter (PM10)
[European Commission]
Only in London it is estimated to result in 4,300 premature
deaths per annum
[Transport for London , 2012]
Transport of London declared
that half of all cyclists fatalities in
London are due to accidents
involving freight vehicles
[Transport for London , 2012]
Noise pollution produces at
European level external costs for
45,644 million euro, of which over
the 88% is attributable to road
transport
[European Commission]
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9. Università
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This is the first consolidation
centre in the UK serving two
cities
Stakeholders
Bristol City Council
Bath & North East Somerset
Council
DHL
Retailers :
o81 in Bristol
o25 in Bath
Bristol and Bath Freight Consolidation Centre
Bristol Round trip: 16 miles on
average (approximately 26 Km)

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The vehicle
• Two Smith Newton 9ton electric
vans
• Load factor of the electric
vehicles is 5ton ( equivalent to 8
pallet spaces or 15 cage spaces)
• They are able to travel for 120 km
(74.5 miles) per charge with a
maximum speed of 50 mph, but
normally operate between 20 and
40 mph
• Quiet vehicle: reduces noise, but
potential danger for pedestrians
Bristol and Bath freight consolidation centre
At most
500 Kg

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19%
6%
24%
8%
6%
7%
27%
3% Population : 81 retailers in Bristol
Clothing and footwear
Cosmetics
Entertainment and
technology
Household goods
Jewellery
Hotels and restaurants
Food and drinks
Stationary
Studying the impacts of the participating
retailers
Research Questions
• What services, and with what frequency, do
participating retailers receive from the
Consolidation Centre?
• What are the advantages & disadvantages for
the participating retailers?
• Are the retailers satisfied with the
Consolidation Centre service?
Methodology
• Interviews with DHL and Bristol City Council
• Questionnaire structure: open-ended questions, closed questions, multiple choice answers
• Pilot questionnaire
• Questionnaire administration:
– with DHL delivery vehicle on 30th of January and on 7th of March (No of surveyed retailers
18)
– Independently visited: 9
• No usable completed questionnaires: 21 (out of 27)

12. Delivery frequency
4-6 times a
week
1-3 times a
week
1-3 times a
month
Series1 1 18 2
0
10
20
Delivery frequency
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Series1 9 4 12 6 14
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Numberofdeliveries
Delivery frequency in the week
Clothing/Foo
twear
Cosmetics
Entertainme
nt and
Technology
Food and
Drink
Household
Goods
Jewellery
Total 5 3 8 2 2 1
0
5
10
Sample Characteristics (N=21)
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13. Satisfaction
5%
0%14%
29%
52%
Satisfaction with delivery time on a scale
from 1 (Not at all satisfied ) to 5 (Very
satisfied)
1.Not at all satisfied 2. 3. 4. 5.Very satisfied
Delivery to stock
room
Security of
delivery
Staff safety
Duration of
delivery
Staff time saved
per delivery
Set delivery time
Additional
services provided
Sales Costs
Series1 10 7 1 2 3 5 4 0 1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Advantages/benefits/improvements to the retailers interviewed business
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6%
50%
44%
Perception of punctuality: “On time
deliveries” (Scale 1 to 5)
Sometimes Most of the Times Always

14. Satisfaction
0% 0%
19%
14%
67%
Satisfaction with delivery frequency on a
scale from 1 (Not at all satisfied ) to 5 (Very
satisfied)
1.Not at all satisfied 2. 3. 4. 5.Very satisfied
19%
71%
10% 0% 0%
Security of delivery: How often have you
experienced damages/shortage with the
deliveries made by the Consolidation
Centre?
Never Very few times Sometimes Most of the times Always
19%
14%
67%
Overall service evaluation on a scale from 1 (Not at all satisfied) to 5 (Very satisfied)
1.Not at all satisfied 2. 3. 4. 5.Very satisfied
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15. Key methodological issues
Surveying retailers
• Difficulties encountered in
identifying the RIGHT person
to interview
• Very difficult to approach due
to lack of confidence from the
retailers
• Store managers often unable
to know how/what orders and
deliveries are made (head
office decision)
• A few store managers
unaware of DHL and the
BBFCC
• Willingness to participate to the
survey depended on type of
product sold (jewels : delivery
details are high level security
information) and on the company
ethics
Understanding the BFCC business
model
• Limited availability of information
on costs, benefits and subsidies
received because they are
commercially
sensitive/confidential
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16. Summary
• Most of the retailers receive frequent deliveries (1-3 times
a week) and most of these deliveries are made between 8
and 9 a.m., never after 3p.m.
• Most frequently mentioned benefits are delivery to stock
room and security of delivery
• Most are very satisfied with time and frequency of the
deliveries
• DHL staff considered friendly and professional
• 81% of the sample report high satisfaction level with overall
delivery service provided by BBFCC
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17. Conclusions
The delivery service provided by the BBFCC works well and retailers perceive
it as high quality service
Retailers’ QUALITATIVE comments
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18. Qualitative comments on satisfaction with service
“Very friendly and always
willing to take time with the
delivery. They go the extra
mile; the manager delivered in
his car once as we needed
stock”
“It comes in on time”
“Friendly, accommodating and
faster”
«The delivery team is very
friendly, helpful and always
professional»
«Never any issues»
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19. Conclusions
The delivery service provided by the BFCC works well and retailers perceive it
as high quality service
Retailers’ QUALITATIVE comments
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Considering that the scheme provides benefits for the city centre …
Reductions in polluting emissions
From January 2011 to end of May 2012:
CO2 16,999.80 Kg
CO 106.37 Kg
NOx 552.48 Kg
PM10s 112.53 Kg
Reductions in number of
vehicles
From January 2011 to May 2012 it
was recorded a vehicles reduction
of 1332
0,1
1
10
100
1000
10000
Jan-11
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Jan-12
February
March
April
May
Monthly emissions reduction in Bristol (Kg)
CO2
NOx
PM10
CO 0
50
100
150
No of deliveries to/from Consolidation Centre per month
Delivery to site Delivery from site Reduction

20. Conclusions
The delivery service provided by the BFCC works well and retailers perceive it
as high quality service
Retailers’ QUALITATIVE comments
… to involve more retailers in the project(and so reduce/avoid subsides) it
might be done
A bigger marketing
campaign highlighting
benefits coming from the
service
A sensible Customer Care survey in
order to highlight the areas that
retailers perceive as the worst and
improve them (loyal customer
theory)
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Considering that the scheme provides benefits for the city centre …

21. Thanks for your attention!
Any questions?
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