Nov 08 2019
Retail, me delivery keep them keen by going green
Retailers are always looking to make home deliveries easier, faster and greener in the face of the growing e-commerce market and environmentally-savvy consumers. But can you keep the balance between being green and keeping an expanding customer base happy? Maria Highland investigates.
There is no doubt that the way we shop has changed in recent years. Next-day delivery is now a common occurrence as we shop on our smartphones at all hours of the day. This has had a knock-on effect on the supply chain, particularly retailers and delivery companies as they strive to cater to increasingly more demanding consumer expectations.
“Consumers are used to ordering online, 24/7, from smartphones while on the move and don’t see any reason for deliveries to be limited to 9-5 Monday to Friday. They expect highly flexible and responsive deliveries. They want deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays, early mornings, evenings,” says Panther Warehousing chief executive Colin McCarthy. “The Amazon generation wants to fit deliveries around their busy lives – not to fit that of the retailer or the carrier.”
Indeed, the e-commerce boom has “fundamentally changed how consumers make purchases, empowering shoppers to purchase what they want, when they want,” says UPS e-commerce customer marketing manager Oliver Horne. “As demand for online retail continues to increase, all parts of the supply chain are required to keep pace – from manufacturing to warehousing to delivery – all while providing consumers with more and more choice about where, when and how they can purchase, receive and return their products.”
Customers expect to get a reliable service offering that aligns with their lifestyle and is flexible to accommodate their changing circumstances says Hermes national fleet services manager Mervyn McIntyre. That means if they pay for a next day or timed service then that is what they expect to receive regardless of weather, traffic, breakdowns… you name it. Panther’s McCarthy concurs, saying that this is one of the ever-changing dynamics of the home delivery marketplace: “As a carrier it is important that we not only respond to this but stay ahead of the game with a range of options such as timed slots and of course polite, respectful, delivery crews who turn up on time.”
However, choosing their delivery time is not the only thing consumers want, they also want to keep track of their package throughout the whole process. “Consumers want to choose how and when they get a delivery and they want extensive communication throughout its journey,” says ArrowXL chief executive Charlie Shiels. Read more
Source: LOGISTICS MANAGER