AnyVan is a European

online marketplace An online marketplace (or online e-commerce marketplace) is a type of e-commerce website where product or service information is provided by multiple third parties. Online marketplaces are the primary type of multichannel ecommerce and can be a way ...

for users to obtain delivery, transport, and removal services from its community of transport partners, who must bid for the work. It matches a user’s delivery route to that of a transport provider’s and connects them which, minimise costs and cut down CO₂ emissions by optimising storage space and haulage. AnyVan transport partners use their own vans. As of December 2015, AnyVan’s services are available nationwide across the UK and in other European countries such as

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

History

AnyVan was founded by Angus Elphinstone and Benn Goor in 2009. While running a removal business called White Van Gentleman in his hometown, Elphinstone developed an idea that he claimed could help tackle problems such as the unregulated pricing of removals and the vast production of

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

due to inefficient logistics. An online marketplace was created which Elphinstone believed would optimise capacity and minimise unused

haulage Haulage is the business of transporting goods by road or rail between suppliers and large consumer outlets, factories, warehouses, or depots. This includes everything humans might wish to move in bulk - from vegetables and other foodstuffs, to cloth ...

and delivery space. AnyVan, as a provider, matches a consumer’s delivery route with an existing transporter partner already traveling that way. AnyVan began its operations in the UK in 2009. In 2012, it expanded to Germany and started allowing transporters based in that country to bid for delivery jobs.

Ownership

AnyVan is fully owned by Goorstone Holdings, a limited liability partnership whose membership comprises AnyVan's founder Angus Elphinstone and Celer Investments, a limited liability company registered in the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

Area covered

AnyVan operated exclusively in the UK between October 2009 and February 2012. In March 2012, the company expanded in Germany, opening a German website and allowing German transport providers to bid. As of December 2015, the company also operates in Ireland, Spain, France and Italy.

Awards

AnyVan.com has received awards only for its first year of operations. These were from the thegoodwebguide.co.uk website of the year award in 2010, the Green Entrepreneur Awards' Green Project of the Year 2010 and the Rushlight Award for Environmental Sustainability. It has also received a 5/5 rating from Webuser.com in 2010.

References

External links