Delivery service piggybacks on existing journeys

Germany’s TiMMi Transport start-up is connecting retailers and citizens with travelers willing to deliver packages via an already-planned trip.

Whether on foot, bicycle or by car, anyone who is signed up with Leipzig, Germany’s TiMMi Transport start-up can offer to transport packages in and around the city. The key to the service is that deliveries must be taken by someone who had already planned on going to the destination. This helps prevent the need to book additional journeys, for both retailers and consumers. The company has already partnered with a variety of local businesses, and there are three types of TiMMi Transport available – TiMMi ToGo, TiMMi ToHelp, and TiMMi ToTravel.

TiMMi ToGo is the commercial arm of the company, connecting citizens and retailers with travelers and offering various levels of reward, including financial. Rewards are not an integral part of the service, however, and are provided at the client’s discretion. All transactions and journeys are logged through the TiMMi website, making tracking and safety easy to manage. TiMMi ToHelp is the charitable part of the company, helping volunteers and refugees coordinate transport of goods and services. TiMMi ToTravel is in development and aims to connect people and their transport needs with those taking longer distance journeys. The company plans to keep the basic TiMMi service free and eventually offer a paid-for premium option.

Peer-to-peer delivery services are helping improve the environmental credentials of various methods of travel. On several North American university campuses, sample sized products are available within minutes via a dedicated delivery network of fellow students. An international version of the TiMMi idea has begun testing the disruptability of existing delivery services. How could entrepreneurs link similar ideas together for an upscaled version that reaches even more people?