Shift Delivery

 

 

Shift Delivery is a worker owned co-op located in Vancouver that specializes in last mile delivery.

Do you want to setup a delivery account with us?

 info@shift.coop

We offer head-turning advertising on our unique vehicles. Out of home advertising at it's finest.

marc@shift.coop

Services

Delivery

Fast & Reliable- With access to bike lanes and the ability to park and unload virtually anywhere, our trikes can bypass congestion and ensure timely delivery.

Exceptional Service- At Shift, every employee has the opportunity to share ownership in the business. As owners, we take personal care with each delivery and offer exceptional service to you and your customers.

Take a Load Off- We manage the hassle of coordinating deliveries, so you and your team can focus on what you do best.

Our trikes can haul a substantial capacity - up to 75 cubic feet and 500lbs, or about the same load as a mid-size SUV. We can deliver a diverse range of products including office supplies, produce, clothing, baked goods, meats, electronics and more.

Advertising & Promotions

Choose Shift Delivery tricycles for a unique advertising campaign or on-street promotion. We reach people in Vancouver with frequent exposure to busy shopping streets, tourist desinations, and business districts.

Outdoor Advertising- Your campaign will be displayed on delivery tricycles in the West End, Downtown, Kitsilano, Mt Pleasant and East Vancouver. 

Full Service Promotions- We adapt our trike fleet and train our staff to actively promote your product or brand to the target audience of your choice.

Vision

 

"To be collaborative trailblazers for a healthy, resilient world."

Our Clients

We are committed to nurturing relationships with our clients and their customers at every opportunity.

We offer delivery clients the opportunity to focus on their core business and let us handle the hassle of delivery logistics in the congested core.

Our trikes bring unique and focused attention to the products and brands of our advertising & promotional clients.

Our Community

Shift Delivery contributes to a healthier city by replacing conventional trucks with pedal powered trikes and electric cargo vehicles. Zero tailpipe emissions are emitted and each trike uses less electricity than a typical household dryer per year. 

Our Workers

We are structured as a worker co-operative, which means that our staff democratically own and operate Shift together.

We offer meaningful and empowering work with professional and personal development opportunities.

We are proud advocates of the co-op business model. Whether you wish to join our team or start your own co-op, we would love to chat with you!

Emissions Calculator

With Shift, Your annual emissions
savings could be    Learn more

Please enter the weekly distance traveled by your delivery vehicles in Downtown Vancouver. Results are estimates only and calculations are based on emission factors from the Government of Canada's the Urban Transport Emissions Tool and include only direct tailpipe emissions. Contact us for more information on how working with us can help your company meet environmental targets.

Team

  

Our Story

Shift was founded by a group of young, passionate students who came together with a shared vision to reduce the impact of goods movement and to create empowering green jobs. We launched in August, 2011.

Team Profiles

Matthew
Marc
Sandra
Heather

Alumni Members

Devan
Adrienne
Ben
Robyn
Geoff
Kevin

Name: Kevin Cooper

What I brought to Shift: A big smile, an entrepreneurial spirit, and solid experience delivering fresh produce with cargo bikes
What Shift offered me: A chance to work with an amazing team of people in realizing our shared vision for safer, cleaner, and friendlier downtown streets
What I'm doing now: Kevin is living it up in Toronto, making beer and growing melons.  When he's not meeting with his local Councillor about bike issues, Kevin is working at the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation developing a 470km rural cycle route that wraps around Lake Ontario.

Graham
Loretta

What I brought to Shift: As one of the original founders of Shift, I contributed to the very first conceptual conversations that informed our original business plan, and eventually, our incorporation and launch! I was involved in everything from Org Dev, to HR, to Biz Dev and Marketing, and all the random things in between. I made the very first phone calls and sealed the deal with our first and biggest client, Mills Basics; and I executed a brilliant media release strategy for our launch! I co-designed this website (beautiful, isn’t it?); and as organization and formatting queen, I also helped lay down the foundation for many systems. My biggest contributions are the heart and care I brought to every single interaction, working from a place of passion for the co-operative model and deep care for the whole team at Shift. As one of my co-workers said, I “brought the heart and soul to Shift.”

What Shift offered me: The experience of starting up an innovative, values-based business with a bunch of people I love is just irreplaceable! I gained skills and confidence in all areas of my work, and can now confidently call myself an experienced entrepreneur. I was given many great learning opportunities, such as HR workshops, and I got to know a number of brilliant minds in the social enterprise scene. My experience at Shift deeply challenged me in wonderful ways, allowed me to grow as a person, and showed me what my greatest strengths are. I am so grateful for the support and encouragement I received from my team throughout it all!

What I'm doing now: I am pursuing my passion for “people” as a Holistic Embodiment Facilitator (in training). My goal is to facilitate the growth of healthy, balanced individuals and communities through the innovative integration of physical movement and deep, effective communication. I especially seek to empower social and environmental movements through the personal and inter-personal empowerment of the people and communities behind them (through the use of full embodiment systems). I currently teach a number of fusion fitness classes, but I am also exploring specialized workshops, intentional dance event organization, embodied counselling, and building networks in this field. I am in an exploration phase and will be doing some traveling, and eventually may take my Masters in Somatic Psychology. Connect with me at: www.facebook.com/EmpoweredBodies

Working with Shift

Are you interested in riding tricycles at a worker owned co-op? Find our job posting here: https://goodwork.ca/903916

 

Partners

We'd like to introduce you to our partners!

Delivery Partners

Fresh Prep

Fresh Prep was started in the Winter of 2014 by childhood friends Becky Switzer, Dhruv Sood and Husein Rahemtulla who were all in search of an easier answer to the question “what’s for dinner?” For busy people they found there were too many obstacles to cooking a wholesome meal at home and that made it all too appealing to just grab fast food instead. They figured there had to be a better option and that’s why they started Fresh Prep. With Fresh Prep you just click and cook. It’s gone from dream to reality and they're on a mission to share this great solution with all of Vancouver, and to do it in an honest and sustainable way.

IGA

 
 

NADA

Nada is a package-free grocery store on a mission to connect people to their food. No packaging and no funny ingredients you can't pronounce.

 

Find out more here: www.nadagrocery.com

West End Seniors Network

Savoury Chef Foods was launched in 2006 as a personal catering business but, through the support of a loyal client base, gradually expanded into a high-end catering company and event coordinator offering a wide array of menus for corporate parties and casual office delivery, social and private events and wedding celebrations. While much has changed since Savoury Chef’s inception, what has remained a constant is the company’s commitment to using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients in every dish. Executive Chef Geoff Rogers and his staff believe that nothing tastes better than market-fresh produce, locally farmed meats and sustainably sourced seafood, and this dedication to feature the very best that B.C. has to offer is what drives the continual renewal of Savoury Chef’s menus.

 

Fresh Street Market
Save On Meats

First, a little bit about what we do and who we are. Save On Meats is owned and operated by local entrepreneur, Mark Brand, who is restaurateur in Gastown. He loved the old Save On Meats and when it shut vowed to save the space. A lot of planning and renovating (as well as sweat and tears) has gone into the building over the last couple of years. Some of you may have even caught some of these efforts on OWN with their docu-series ‘Gastown Gamble’ which follows Mark and his team as they work to first open and then maintain this massive business.

The new Save On Meats was built to serve our entire city, regardless of neighborhood, income or budget. Our full service butcher shop is one of the most well known in the city boasting an extensive range of house made burgers, sausages and pates as well as free run and organic meats, fresh baked bread and every day deals on essential groceries. After only 8 months in business our shop was recently awarded ‘Bronze for Best Butcher in The City’ in the Westender, Georgia Straight and The Courier!

Our diner next door is a day and night affair serving all of the comfort foods typically found at the classic lunch counters that used to line Hastings Street from Burrard to Boundary. From the all day breakfasts to hand spun milkshakes we keep it simple, affordable and delicious. You may recognize the room from a recent episode of ‘Diner’s Drive Ins and Dive’ on Food Network with Guy Fieri – he sure does love our smoked turkey potpie!

Save On Meats is dedicated to being a strong community partner, and a supportive neighbor to those who reside in the Downtown Eastside. We take pride in being a socially responsible enterprise acting as an inclusive establishment, catering to the diverse needs of the community in which it is located.

JARR

Jarr was created for people with big hearts who want to be doing more but are feeling stuck. We are here to help provide you with the solutions you need to live a low-waste life.

Nelson the seagull

Domenico Bruzzese literally grew up surrounded by high quality Italian foods in Vancouver Canada. His father, Fortunato Bruzzese, born and raised in Mammola, Reggio Calabria (one of Italy’s most southern provinces), brought with him to Canada a love and respect for the foods that he left behind.

He first immigrated to Montreal in 1963 and in 1976 he moved to Vancouver with his young family. In 1977 he opened La Grotta Del Formaggio, a small Italian Deli filled with incredible products that could make anyone feel like they were standing in a store in Italy. The deli has been situated in the heart of what was once Vancouver’s ‘Little Italy’ and remains there to this day (1791 Commercial Drive) supplying Vancouverites with high quality foods from across the Mediterranean. It is here where Domenico also learned to appreciate food, seeing how the deli turned into a second home for him.

After high school Domenico went one step further and enrolled himself into cooking school, giving him the opportunity to acquire the formal knowledge about food needed to further himself in the industry. This in itself opened new doors and before he knew it he was on his way to continue his culinary studies in Italy. After culinary school he worked at a few restaurants through out Vancouver but soon returned to work at his family’s store that he grew up in.

In 2005 Domenico with the help of his father expanded the small Commercial Drive store into a large specialty distributor, now servicing Metro Vancouver and beyond with high quality products. To think that this all started by concentrating and focusing on high end hotels and restaurants, they now expanded their distribution network and supply large and independent retailers as well.

Passion for food and culinary expertise run thick through Domenico and we hope to bring this passion to you.

Friendship Catering

Friendship Catering Services is an Aboriginal Friendship Centre social enterprise committed to providing high quality catering services for clients in the Vancouver area. VAFCS is a charitable organization and emphasizes the philosophies and values of varied Aboriginal culture and traditions. For example, VAFCS helps children, youth, families adults and elders maintain their Aboriginal cultural ties through various program and traditional community activities. VAFCS helps Aboriginal people access education, housing needs and support for families. The centre strives to provide holistic and cultural services to all of its community members.

Glorious Organics

Glorious Organics Cooperative is a farming enterprise, situated on seven acres of cultivated land, in Aldergrove, BC. We are co-owned and operated by five members – with additional seasonal workers we employ approximately 12 people at the height of our growing season.

Thirty years of experience show that only field greens, challenged by the stress and diversity of outdoor conditions, develop the full character, robust flavour, and long shelf life that characterize our seasonal salad mixes.

We grow more than 30 varieties of salad greens, most vegetables that you know – a few you may not – and some fruit and berries. With seven polyhouses used to start bedding plants, we also extend the shoulder seasons, grow edible flower petals, and protect over-wintering perennial herbs.

Our goal as part of the local food movement is to serve about 15 discerning restaurants, as well as individual customers. You can find us at the Trout Lake, Kitsilano, and Langley Farmers Markets under the Organic Farm Connection awning, or sign up as a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) member to receive weekly boxes of seasonal produce. We also have farmgate sales on Sundays during the summer.

For more information please visit www.gloriousorganics.com.

Gordon Neighborhood House

SPUD is an online grocery company that delivers local and organic groceries to your doorstep. Not only do your groceries come to you at the click of a button, you can also rest assured that you're getting products of the highest quality. All of SPUD's products are either certified organic, natural, or locally and sustainably made. SPUD believes that getting local, organic food delivered to your doorstep is one of the easiest and most powerful ways that we can promote sustainability, improve health, protect the environment, and ultimately, change the world. Shopping with SPUD helps you make a big impact by simply buying groceries.

HAVE Cafe
Food Stash Foundation

Meatme is truly a farm to table operation, they are directly connected to their network of trusted British Columbia farmers, ranchers and fisherfolk. Meatme's mission is to minimize the environmental impact of meat consumption. From sustainable farm practices through to local delivery, they're always working to reduce their footprint. By ordering with Meatme you will get top quality BC meat sourced from British Columbia farms that uphold the highest standards, and have it conveniently delivered to your door.

Food Mesh

Mills Office Productivity is a B.C. based dealer of Business Supplies and Educational Products. This family company was established in 1949 has been using business as a force of good by being a changemaker in the community through positive practices of Sustainability, Local Procurement and Corporate Social Responsibility.

At Mills, environmental leadership is a priority and a long-standing tradition. By working closely with its family of customers, employees and suppliers, the company brings to life a vision of environmental responsibility and care that encourages and supports sustainable practices in Office Productivity.

Mills Social Responsibility Management Practices are based on the principle that businesses have an important role to play in addressing the social interests and sustainable development goals of their community.

Zaklan Heritage Farm

Zaklan Heritage Farm grows delicious, sustainably produced vegetables and eggs on their small 1.5 acre farm. They utilize growing practices that improve soil biology and encourage a diverse and complex farm ecosystem and don’t use any synthetic chemicals or pesticides. They're doing their part to minimize their carbon footprint by providing food to the local community. Over the past several years they've have worked tirelessly to perfect their craft and bring the best of the best to chefs and restaurants. Growing everything from carrots and beets to edible flowers, unique culinary herbs and hard to find vegetables. Their goal is to bring you the freshest and best produce, harvested to order and delivered to your kitchen each week.

Foodee

Foodee seeks to solve the problems faced at corporate lunch hour: variety, timing and waste. The company has partnered with Vancouver’s best restaurants to provide offices with the city’s colourful culinary scene. Shift is a proud partner with Foodee making cargo trike deliveries from restaurants to offices 5 days a week since 2012.

 

Advertising & Promotion Partners

Guayaki Yerba Mate

Guayaki is working to make organic, fair-trade yerba mate the mainstream energy source of choice, and prove that a company can be profitable while operating sustainably. Guayaki is an organization of individuals whose daily work is to bring you the finest yerba mate on the planet. Started in 1996, Guayaki's visions is to protect and restore the South American rainforests. 

DUER

DUER started in 2013 when an entrepreneur wanted to bridge the gap between fashion and functional clothing. With 25 years making jeans for big names like Levi Strauss and a new love of cycling, Gary Lenett saw an opportunity for purposeful fashion that didn’t exist on the market. He partnered with Abid Hafeez, a performance fabric expert with over 25 years of experience with technical brands, and DUER was born. Since then, DUER can be found on the likes of professional athletes, commuters, and every adventurer in-between.

Funders & Supporters

Radius

RADIUS is a social innovation lab and venture incubator based at the Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University. Formed to enable SFU's leadership in building the new economy, RADIUS works to strengthen impact focused businesses and the ecosystem that supports them, develop and test new ideas for an economy that prioritizes people and planet, and build a pipeline of emerging social economy leaders with real world experience. Shift was a participating venture in the 2014 Radius cohort program.

The Co-operators

The Co-operators is a Canadian-owned co-operative that provides insurance and financial services. The Co-operators Foundation has provided Shift with grant funding in 2012 & 2013 to support marketing and promotional activities, including the development of this website.

Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub

The Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub offers a dynamic space to accelerate social venture growth by bringing together university resources, peer learning, and business networks. The program is defined by its passionate community and collaborative environment. Shift was one of the selected ventures participating the 2013 Innovation Hub program.

Vancity

Vancity is a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of 492,000 members and their communities.

Vancity has offered a range of financial support and other resources for the growth and development of Shift, including financing, grant funding and strategic and technical support from Vancity staff. A case study on Shift can also be found on the Vancity website.

Vancouver Foundation

The Vancouver Foundation is a community foundation. They devote their time, energy, money and resources to help build more vibrant, healthy and resilient communities across B.C.

The Vancouver Foundation provided one of the first major grants for Shift to launch operations in 2011 through the Generation Green Awards program.

Other Friends and Allies

BCCA

The BC Co-op Association supports co-operatives, educates the community, and advances the co-op sector. Shift Delivery is proud to be a workers co-op and a member of the broader co-op community across BC. 

 

RAD POWER BIKES
Cyclus Maximus
Coaster Cycles
CWCF
Patagonia Vancouver

Patagonia is in business to save our home planet. They appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction and Patagonia aims to use the resources they have—business, investments, voice and imaginations—to do something about it.

Media

  

Articles

Castanet.net Cargo bike hub

Vancouver Sun - Cargo bike hub

Making the gig economy fairer

Food Delivery Work Is a Big Test for Unions in Canada

Climate Emergency Action Plan Vancouver BC

Tired of Big Tech, Co-ops Appeal to Delivery Workers Burned by Gigs

CBC - The National - FedEx pilots e-cargo bikes to reduce emissions from delivering packages

Daily Hive Thanksgiving meals for seniors stolen, found and recovered (10/20/2020)

The Tyee  Good Job: The Growth of Co-operative Business (04/03/2018)

Vancouver is Awesome  Life in the Bike Lane: Devan of Shift Delivery (04/14/2017)

Business In Vancouver  Life Lessons: Ben Wells, co-owner, Shift Delivery (07/12/2016)

Metro News  City is embracing pedal-powered delivery (05/13/2016)

Vancity Buzz  The rise of Vancouver cargo bike culture (05/27/2015)

The Vancouver Sun  Vancouver entrepreneurs tweak online food service until the price is right (01/22/2015)

The Georgia Straight  Even for breakfast, Vancouver delivery services bring restaurant meals to you (03/12/2014)

Vancouver Courier  Bikes peddle lunches downtown (05/09/2012)

24 Hours  Pedal power paying off for Shift Urban Cargo Delivery (06/28/2012)

24 Hours  Pedal-powered cargo delivery at full throttle (09/15/2011)

The Globe and Mail  Vancouver's tricycle delivery system not child's play (09/08/2011)

The Globe and Mail  The triple threat: Vancouver's new fleet of cargo tricycles (03/17/2011)

The Vancouver Sun  Cargo tricycles set to hit Vancouver's bike lanes (03/28/2011)

 

Videos

Photos

Testimonials

"We have enjoyed the personal feel Shift brings to our Mills Family and their commitment to our customer service and delivery is a big part of our company’s success. Mills continues to support Shift and we look forward to working with them into the future."
- Tony King, Deliveries Manager, Mills Basics

"Since the first day Shift showed up, I've been impressed with their entire team's work ethic. Rain or shine they are always wearing a smile. Every time I ask for something more, they step up and fulfill my needs."
- Wayne Webb, Logistics Manager, Food.ee

"Shift has worked with us to create a delivery schedule that works for our customers as well as our production needs in a more efficient way than we could have done in-house. Their customer service and responsiveness is excellent and we feel confident that they are able to represent us well."
Talib Jiwani, President, Shirtland Drycleaners

 

Contact

  

Shift Delivery Co-op

1441 Powell Street

Vancouver BC, V5L1G8

EMAIL

For new inquiries and customer service: info@shift.coop

If you already have a delivery account and need to contact us about an order in progress: logistics@shift.coop

For accounts receivable and invoice related questions: admin@shift.coop 

Interested in working at Shift Delivery Co-op: shifthiring@gmail.com 

PHONE

604-445-4391

Our Logistics Team is available by phone from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday (not including Stat Holidays). On Weekends and Stat Holidays, please email logistics@shift.coop