A West-End Florist' s Motorvan.
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The Royal Family is Supplied with Freshly-cut Flowers Daily by Means of an Up-to-date Van.
Despite the steady progress of the motor-delivery van during the last few yea's, it is not an uncommon thing to meet business men who believe that the field for this class of vehicle is a limited one. Such men will argue, with much satisfaction to themselves —and sometimes to the greater satisfaction of their business rivals, that rnotorvans can be successfully employed by engineers, manufacturers, and dealers in heavy goods generally.
" And this only, mark you," speci,nens of the tribe have a habit of saying, "this only when long deliveries have to be made. I know what I'm talking about."
And so on, and so forth. All of which goes to prove that they don't know what they are talking about.
A representative house, doing a rather specialized business, which has successfully displaced horsedvehicles with an up-to-date motorvan, is to be found in The Floral Depot, Ltd., 47, Baker Street, W. It would appear to the casual observer that, of all the trades Wherein a motor could be made a paying commercial proposition, that of a florist would be one of the most unlikely, With great interest then, did a member of the Editorial staff of this journal listen to an account of how a modern motorvan proved its value to this Baker Street florist.
Dealing with one of life's luxuries, it can he imagined that the van to be used for such a purpose, must needs be something of a vehicle aristocrat. It speaks well for D. Napier and Sons, Ltd., that one of its machines should be selected by The Floral Depot, Ltd., for such deliveries. The vehicle selected was one of this maker's 12-cwt. type, and it was fitted with a specially designed and finished body, which allowed it to run alongside fashionable and luxurious pleasure cars in the West End, with increasing prestige to its owner. The photograph reproduced on this page gives a good idea of the neat lines and high finish of the van. "What was the cause of your deciding to adopt motor delivery ? " we asked the manager 4A the depot.
" In strict confidence," was the answer—we break the bond for the benefit of our readers—" the decision was forced on to us. We were faced with this problem. Our business was increasing rapidly. Orders were coming in fmm places so far apart as Wimbledon, Croydon, Wood Green and Harrow. It took a one-horsed van half-a-day to effect one such delivery. On its return the horse was beat—couldn't move another mile. And so we had to effect some improvement in our delivery-service, or aose this new and increasing business."
"Have your requirements been met with regard to improved delivery l" " Perfectly. We took over the van in October last, and have not lost a single moment since, so far as the machine is concerned. You must know that our trade is similar in one respect to your own." We lifted incredulous eyebrows. " Oh, yes: Our goods lose their value if they are kept. They must be delivered at once."
"First-published description of all the new models," we murmured.
" Precisely, we've noticed that. Well, since taking over the machine, it has worked six days a week, and has averaged 50 to 60 miles a day. The tires are unpunctured, and we have not had to replace a single nut."
" Your most important customers, we should imagine, are the big West End houses, hotels and clubs?'' " They, of course, are important. First of all, however, we would place His Majesty and the Royal Family. A tremendous number of fresh flowers and shrubs are used daily at the Royal residences.More even than the gardens and hot-houses at Windsor, Sandringham, and the other places can supply. In consequence, the van is running several times a day between the St. James's and Buckingham Palaces. It would not do at all to have any sort of a ramshackle conveyance for this work."
"'Tow are the flowers packed in the van?"
"We have had a range of adjustable shelves fitted, and on these the flowers are placed both in waterpots and in boxes."
"How many orders can be taken on one delivery as a rule " " Sometimes a dozen. Sometimes one."
" One order of course, would consist Of flowers for a.ball or a, party ? "
"It may consist. of one bouquet." "Hardly a paying load?" we hazarded.
" It nays, or we shouldn't do it" was the reply. "Here's an instance. Last week a large bouquet was ordered for a well-known lady artiste who was appearing at the Wood Green Empire. It was delivered by the van, but for which we should have had to refuse the business. Take another case of saving. Yesterday we received an order to decorate a private ball-room at Harrow. In the old days this procedure would have been followed. Late in the afternoon when the supplies had been obtained from our nursery at Hounslow, two men would have left here with the flowers in a cart for the station. We should have paid railway freight and two fares. Then would have 00111.2 the hire of another horse and
cart, at Harrow and lastly two more fares home for the men.
" Now the van gets to Hounslow and back in three hours. The order is taken straight from here to the house, after being cut and arranged, and the van comes back ready to run a further 100 miles. "A considerable saving!" "Of course. -Here's another thing. People come in here and say 'Fine van of yours. You're evidently going ahead with your business. Can, you deliver to such a place?' We can deliver anywhere in reason now' we reply. 'It doesn't matter where you want the flowers the van can take them.' " "Do you garage the van outside?" "No. On the premises in the old horse-stable." " How about difference in cost?"
"Well, the van costs more than the horse did. On the other hand it doesn't cost three times as much, and it does that much more work. The horse and van cost us 23 10s. a week, including 30s. for the driver's wages. The same man was trained to drive the motorvan, and he has had a slight increase in his wages. He takes a boy with him on deliveries, and between them they keep the van clean and in running order."
"What is the biggest day's work it has done?" we asked.
"Over 80 miles, on short-distance town delivery. On Christmas morning we received an urgent order, and only by means of the van did we effect delivery Fa Pinner. Before, that order would have been lost. Just a moment. Do you know that many of the floral decorations at Olympia during the Motor Show were taken up by the van?"
We confessed our ignorance. "Well they were. And we did our ordinary business as well. That proves the elasticity of an up-todate machine like our Napier."