Reef has signed a deal with one of Europe’s largest parking operators to turn as many as 1,500 existing parking facilities into distribution and logistics hubs for greener, more efficient last-mile delivery.
Announced in early September, Reef’s partnership with APCOA includes the parking operator’s “vast network” of facilities across the United Kingdom and Ireland “to maximize value and utilization for their clients, and is a great opportunity for APCOA to deliver further innovative and technology-led solutions as part of its Urban Mobility Hub strategy.” These new facilities will include Reef-branded ghost kitchens, as well as vertical farms and micro-fulfillment centers, which are typically focused on customers picking up retail goods.
This deal is especially interesting, because Reef itself is also an owner and operator of urban parking facilities, which has turned its attention to ghost kitchens, leveraging its sprawling real estate portfolio.
Reef is backed by SoftBank, which is one of the largest investors in the global delivery scene. That backing has helped the Miami-based company dramatically scale up as the ghost kitchen and virtual restaurant categories have exploded in popularity during the pandemic.
“By working together, APCOA and Reef will positively shape the future of UK towns and cities, turning them into more sustainable and inclusive centers of community and opportunity,” APCOA said in a press release.
Kim Challis, APCOA’s regional managing director for UK & Ireland said: “This collaboration with Reef makes the most of both organizations’ innovative and technology-focused strengths. It also provides a wide range of opportunities for the further expansion of APCOA’s Urban Mobility Hubs to deliver sustainable solutions and benefits to our clients, customers who use the car parks and to the local communities.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with APCOA to expand our customer reach and rethink the way urban space like car parks are used,” said Serdar Erden, EU COO for Reef Technology. “We look forward to partnering together long into the future to bring the best goods, services and experiences to more neighborhoods.”
