How a Leeds taxi firm started a huge new ‘shop local’ online supermarket - now a UK-wide lockdown success

During the first lockdown in May last year, the Arrow Cars workforce had pretty much come to a halt with far fewer people needing to use its taxi service.

Owner David Richmond wanted to keep his workforce busy whilst helping vulnerable people and decided that whilst people weren't using taxis, the drivers of cars that weren't able to work could help vulnerable people whilst they were shielding.

So at first, the firm started selling one set fresh fruit and vegetable box, mainly to older people, as a 'goodwill' way of passing the time.

The boxes proved to be hugely popular and David then realised that if people wanted fruit and vegetables, they'd want other staple items such as meat, eggs and yoghurt that they also might not be able to go out and get, or couldn't order online due to limited supermarket slots.

Its popularity grew and Arrow Fresh was born - an online supermarket delivery service which prizes itself on supporting local, shopping ethically and being environmentally aware.

Arrow Fresh's Director of Marketing and Communications, Louis Richmond, said: "We found that from such high demand on fruit and vegetables that we could sell more and more products.

"We wanted to make it a bit more of a long term project and have a specific difference from other online supermarkets so we branded the new business around the main principles of shopping locally, selling high quality niche products which can't be bought in the supermarket, and being environmentally aware.

"Arrow Cars is still a taxi service now working as it always has been, and Arrow Fresh is now a separate, more specialised business.

"We have a zero plastic policy and we don't use plastic bags, everything is paper and we encourage the people that we deliver to, to give anything that can be recycled back to us so that we can dispose of the waste correctly.

"The business has grown and grown since the first lockdown and now we deliver in Yorkshire and across the whole country.

"We deliver nearly 1,000 customers on average their main weekly supermarket shop and although this is what the main bulk of our customers use us for, we deliver smaller orders for people too."

Arrow Fresh now has three specialist delivery vans, and after starting off in the back of the Arrow Cars taxi office in Horsforth, it now runs from a purpose built warehouse in Hunslet.

22-year-old Louis added: "We support over 50 local Yorkshire businesses including small artisan suppliers for example.

"We wanted to help those whose trade has been shattered by Covid.

"Everything we deliver is as fresh as possible as we go to fruit and vegetable produce centres and a Yorkshire farm butcher's at around five o'clock every morning to stock up for that day's deliveries.

"So, unlike other supermarkets, there's no waste and our products can't be fresher."

Non-perishable goods such as chocolate, sweets and biscuits are stored in the warehouse, along with homeware such as cleaning products, toilet paper and candles.

Arrow Fresh, which employs 14 people, has also recently started stocking and delivering high-end hampers and gift sets with gifts all from small, local businesses in Yorkshire.

Flexible delivery is available, including for the next day or a week in advance.

Louis said: "I'm proud that through our business we can help customers across Yorkshire with our fast delivery service, but also to help so many businesses who would have had to completely shut down if it wasn't for our trade.

"We've even now set up a service where those who aren't able to use online services can call us up and place the order with us directly.

"It's a bespoke service that makes us stand out especially in Leeds and Yorkshire from other online supermarkets."

More information about Arrow Fresh and orders can be placed here.