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Same-day delivery is being well received in bigger retail companies. According to recent data, it will continue to be a growing phenomenon. Same day delivery for small businesses is crucial if they want to evolve and not be squashed by competition.
Customers want to plan their days instead of anxiously waiting at home for their package to arrive. Being able to provide same day delivery will give you a leg up on the competition.
Time is money, and the fastest delivery times usually rule the day, especially when you're competing with other local delivery services.
Some of the questions that need to be answered:
- Which product categories are most sensitive to delivery speed?
- Can my business execute different deliveries tactics for each category?
- Are time-definite delivery windows more valuable to customers than overall speed?
Once you understand your customers, and their needs executing your delivery strategy should be easy and profitable.
Statistics & Trends | Same Day Delivery For Small Businesses
Why is Same Day Delivery For Small Businesses Important?
Today's consumers live in the era of instant gratification. If there was any doubt, these statistics are quite telling.
86.5 Million Americans have used an on-demand service.
45 Million US people have offered services in On-demand sector.
22.4 Million users annually spend around $57.6 billion on On-demand services.
Today's consumers expect more goods and services from businesses, available at any time and place they choose.
Since launching the 'Prime' program, Amazon has changed the e-commerce game.
They promise millions of products to consumers in two days. And some products are deliverable in under two hours.
Inevitably it has influenced consumer behavior and expectations. This growth will lead to expectations for fast delivery from other companies as well.
As of 2016, the smartphone penetration in the US had surpassed 80%, which means that 4 out of 5 Americans own a smart device.
The pace of technology development has resulted in phones that are faster, smarter and which make it very easy to buy things.
Consumers can research products and services, and compare plenty of options. They can make buying decisions at the speed of light. And they expect delivery just as quickly.
Millennials refers to the generation born between 1977 and 2000. They make up 25% of the US population today, and 21% of consumer discretionary purchases.
Millenials have been at the bleeding edge of the development of the on-demand economy and the instant gratification era. They have gotten accustomed to wanting and getting things immediately.
While same day shipping is always more expensive than regular methods, studies have shown that millennials don't mind. They are much less concerned about shipping costs and far more concerned with timing.
Any business that sells to this generation needs to be able to keep up with their need for speed.
Same day delivery helps to simplify the inventory management process. Having a pile of stock and setting up a process to effectively manage does take a lot of time, resources and warehouse space.
With same day delivery, production and sales take place simultaneously, which reduces the scale at which stocks are held.
How Can Small Businesses Compete?
Small businesses can go toe to toe with giant retailers if they can tie-up with third party companies who specialize in local logistics.
These partners typically have the required infrastructure and coverage in place. They also carry lower overheads than traditional large courier delivery services.
They can also use a local courier service as its less expensive than hiring a shipping company from out of state. The money saved can be passed on to the customers.
Lower costs translate to more savings for retailers and consumers.
Another way to offer same day fulfillment is to deploy the 'ship-from-store' model. With this strategy, retailers can use existing inventory from their store premises and ship it directly to customers.
This approach allows small businesses to use their stores for both regular commerce and warehousing. Companies that operate with a condensed geographical footprint, such as within a city or across a state, are uniquely suited to this model.