Ton Overmars Specialist Off-Licence and their Babboe Pro cargo bike

It isn’t just young parents who inspire Babboe to continue to create new products and to improve our current cargo bikes. Entrepreneurs inspire us as well! This year, Babboe entered the transportation industry segment and we introduced a commercial cargo bike specially designed for entrepreneurs. The Babboe Pro cargo bike is a practical and sustainable commercial way to transport goods in a busy city.

Ton Overmars Specialist Off-Licence is one of the entrepreneurs who uses the Babboe Pro cargo bike to deliver products to customers. Babboe spoke with Hendrik-Jan of Ton Overmars Specialist Off-Licence.

Can you give us a brief introduction to your business? What goods or services do you transport by cargo bike?

Ton Overmars Specialist Off-Licence has been making life a little more enjoyable since 1971 by recommending beverages we believe in. Our wine shops, or actually off-licences, are located at Hoofddropplein and at Middenweg in Amsterdam. In addition to retail sales, we also deliver our wines to businesses in the hospitality industry, offices and private individuals. We recently started delivering wines using Babboe’s electric commercial cargo bike.

Were you using a van for delivery in the city or is delivering products a new concept for your company?

We used to have a few diesel vans to get around in the big city. We sold our vans a year ago and purchased an electric Renault Master. We have a fulltime driver on it. But there are also many last-minute or small orders which need to go out quickly. The Babboe Pro cargo bike is great for this type of delivery. Especially now, with the current concerns about Covid-19 there are many customers and consumers who prefer to have their orders delivered at home.

What problem does the Babboe Pro cargo bike resolve for you?

The Babboe Pro cargo bike ensures that we can make multiple deliveries in one go. The cargo bike can hold many boxes of wine, so we can deliver our products faster than when using a van. The cargo bike’s electric assistance makes pedalling a breeze, even with a heavy load, and we can quickly and easily cycle from A to B. In a busy city like Amsterdam, it’s also a great advantage to be able to park the cargo bike right in front of the door. No hassle trying to find a parking space and no parking fees!

Does sustainability play a major role in your company and how does the Babboe Pro cargo bike help with that?

Sustainability certainly plays a major role in our company. We believe that our products shouldn’t be delivered in a way that contributes to pollution. That is why we’ve switched to an electric delivery van to deliver our products. The electric Babboe Pro cargo bike also fits perfectly with our ideals and image to help reduce CO2 emissions.

What do you think about applying decals with your company logo to your Babboe Pro cargo bike?

The decals really enhance the cargo bike! Our customers respond to it enthusiastically and that’s of course very nice to hear. Moreover, we have a type of cargo bike that allows certain brands to place their logo on the decals for a small fee.

What are the financial benefits of the cargo bike? In terms of petrol, parking fees, etc.

The electric cargo bike doesn't necessarily have financial advantages for us, because we already had an electric delivery van. However, the cargo bike does have commercial advantages since the Babboe Pro is very flexible. You can easily send an associate out on the cargo bike with urgent deliveries.

How do customers react to your Babboe Pro cargo bike?

Our customers really love the Babboe Pro cargo bike. They say the electric cargo bike is sporty, quick and environmentally clean.

What is your advice to companies who may still be on the fence about switching to a commercial cargo bike?

In fact, you shouldn’t want to drive a car or delivery van in big cities. It’s often busy, which means you’ll be out for a long time. The commercial cargo bike has many advantages for small deliveries. You can do multiple deliveries in one go, because you can easily navigate through traffic. Without any delay on the road, or parking issues due to full parking spaces. We’re extremely pleased with our Babboe Pro cargo bike!