Cookies and milk thanks to the milkman

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 7

Cookies and milk thanks to the milkman

Cookies and milk are synonomous in many children’s minds, but even the grand old Cookie Bear never thought of combining the two in home deliveries.

In fact, to most Christchurch people, the idea of milk vendors delivering vegetables, soft drinks and tomato sauce would be the busy householder’s dream.

If the pilot Homelink vegetable system being piloted in Auckland is extended to the rest of the country however, the vision could become reality.

Aucklanders have quickly caught on to the advantages of “dial-a-vege” and are regularly telephoning orders to have their vendor deliver additional items with the milk. The Homelink scheme was formed when Homelink Marketing, owned by Messrs John Alexander and David Suisted, joined forces with the Dominion Federation of Milk Vendors to increase the range of goods delivered by vendors.

The liaison officer for the Canterbury Milk Vendor’s Association, Mr lan Murray, said that Homelink was a way of increasing the range of products a vendor carried, in an attempt to make him more viable.

Mr Murray attended a meeting of the Homelink Corporation in Wellington this week and said that the Auckland trial, which began last month, was reported to be a “great success.”

Although.it is likely the scheme will be extended nationally, Christchurch vendors are already regarded as being viable on their own account and may not find it necessary to extend their range of goods to such an extent.

“In Auckland the home

delivery system has been running down for some, time,” said Mr Murray. “Contrary to that, in Christchurch we have been very positive and there has been more confidence here. The home delivery system in Auckland compared with here in Christchurch is like chalk and cheese.” Motivation seminars are being run for Canterbury vendors to encourage them that there is a positive future for home delivery, even if it means diversifying to carry cartoned milk, yoghurt and other such products.

“We were told that home delivery of goods in the United States is very strong — it is only in the minds of some chaps that it is going to collapse,” said Mr Murray.

Some Australian milk vendors deliver biscuits on their rounds, and this is seen as a possible option in Christchurch. Mr Murray said that one Christchurch vendor was considering delivering eggs with his milk, and there had also been an approach from two manufacturers interested in having their goods home delivered in the city. “Vegetables, soft drinks and so on are certainly a possibility when we are looking at anything that will help the viability of the Canterbury vendor. About 70 per cent of Canterbury vendors are paidup members of the Homelink Co-op, and many of them will be involved in anything that looks as if it may be profitable.” The president of the Canterbury Milk Vendors’ Association, Mr Bob Miller, said that Homelink was an additional service for consumers, and would not interfere in any way with the ordinary deliveries of milk.