ViaTim takes on Coolblue's MiniMagazines

Some local residents who had signed up for Coolblue's MiniMagazines were bound to be disappointed when it turned out to be an April 1 joke. But they won't be mourning for long, as startup ViaTim is now taking Coolblue's idea to task, calling itself the neighbourhood über of parcels.

As with Coolblue's original idea, local residents who have extra space to spare in their homes can sign up for a ViaPunt. Online shoppers who are not at home when a parcel is delivered can place a ViaTim sticker next to their door. The delivery driver will then take the parcel to the nearest ViaPunt, and the online shopper can then choose whether to collect the parcel from a ViaTim when they get home for free, or have it delivered to their home for 1.50 euros. ViaPunt holders receive a fee of 50 euro cents per parcel received.

Better to steal well than invent badly
ViaTim makes no bones about the fact that this idea is very similar to Coolblue's 1 April prank, in which local residents could sign up for a Coolblue Mini Warehouse. ViaTim itself claims to be the answer to the Coolblue MiniMagazines. The startup even used Coolblue's video and edited a few things into it, making it look like the video was made by ViaTim itself.

Expansion to other cities
ViaTim now only works in Bergen op Zoom. The startup reports on its website that it will expand to other cities as soon as 20 people have signed up for ViaTim. ViaTim aims to operate nationwide within two years.

Editorial LogistiekProfs