The Delivery Startup on a Mission to Save Main Street
What Trellus Does
Trellus equips local, independent businesses with the technology and services they need to compete against e-commerce giants and big-box retailers. Trellus has created an integrated same-day delivery system – complete with an on-demand driver network – that makes it possible to provide fast, reliable local delivery to customers and clients.
What’s Currently Going on in the Industry?
In a recent survey, 99% of major retailers said they’ll offer same-day delivery within the next three years (Bringg, 2022).
The last-mile logistics industry is evolving as companies and investors learn hard lessons and remain fearful of a recession. In 2022, it was widely reported that rapid delivery companies, many promising delivery in 15 minutes or less, squandered funds on a failing business model and were forced to shutter operations.
Amazon, Walmart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats will run campaigns saying they support local businesses. However, their end goal is getting more customers into their multibillion-dollar ecosystems.
The market needs a better last-mile delivery solution designed specifically for small businesses. Trellus is the answer.
Company Birth Story
Their three Co-founders live, work, and shop on Long Island, NY, where they started Trellus. They are business owners and entrepreneurs who were tired of seeing local shops go out of business. They started Trellus in 2020 to keep jobs and services local and to keep Main Streets thriving.
The Solution
Over an 18-month period, Trellus completed more than 35,000 successful deliveries for local businesses. The company services 60- plus business categories, with the exception of hot food from restaurants. Trellus offers batching, route optimization, and real-time tracking of delivery orders to help businesses save time and money.
The startup differentiates itself from competitors in two key ways:
1. Trellus doesn’t take a percentage of the sale from the business.
2. Trellus pays drivers more per delivery than the average driving gig.
The team is eyeing more funding, new geographies, and the launch of an integrated Shop Local marketplace.
A Customer Story
Multiple small businesses have called Trellus a “godsend” and credit same-day delivery for helping them grow their business. Funky Monkey Toys & Books in Greenvale, NY, said, “Times have been difficult finding extra help to deliver packages on our own and UPS has been very spotty with their deliveries. Trellus has been super reliable and has been a great way for us to sell even more gifts because we can now offer same-day delivery to our customers.”
The Team Culture
The Trellus team currently includes 19 full- and part-time employees as well as 70+ gig drivers. Trellus leads with kindness, and their drivers receive the same respect shown to their in-house team.
Founder Quote
Trellus CTO and Co-founder JR Jensen says, “From Day One we have tailored our delivery technology to address the needs of local small businesses, making sure the software is as simple to use as possible. We’re excited to launch new services to help local businesses reach new customers where they are — shopping online from at home!”
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