The eCommerce environment is fast-paced, and it’s only getting faster.
Years ago, customers were happy to wait days for a delivery. The concept of ‘fast delivery’ has changed though, with 96% of shoppers now only considering same-day delivery as fast.
With this increase in demand for a rapid service, the pressure on eCommerce businesses has ramped up.
More and more companies are providing their customers with same-day delivery. If you can’t, then you run the risk of losing out to your competitors.
But it isn’t easy.
Here are the top five same-day delivery challenges, and how Diamond Logistics can help you overcome them.
Getting there on time
Let’s start with the most basic one.
If you’re offering same-day delivery, you must be able to provide it.
More often than not, a customer will be paying extra for the privilege of a speedy service, so if they don’t receive it, they have every right to complain.
But how can you deliver so quickly?
Firstly, it requires a smooth fulfilment operation. From the moment the order is placed, it needs to be processed within minutes. If it takes hours for your pickers to receive the order and get to work, then you’re losing valuable time.
A quick picking and packing system means your order will be ready to go in a quick time. Now all you have to do is get it to the customer.
To offer same-day delivery, it is crucial to have a large network that is always close to your customers. At Diamond Logistics, we have service centres that range from Edinburgh to Plymouth and will come and collect your parcel from your door and take it straight to where it needs to be.
This wide reach means a delivery driver never has to travel too far to get your parcel to its destination that day.
High costs
When running an eCommerce business, there is one figure that is more important than any other.
Revenue.
If you’re not making enough money to provide a good service, then it will be a struggle to keep afloat in this competitive industry.
Same-day delivery isn’t always cheap. If you are sending a driver and van out to deliver a couple of parcels as you have promised it will be delivered that day, that will soon start eating into your profits.
So how can you make it worthwhile?
Implementing a minimum order is always a good idea. That way you can always be sure that you are making a profit on your deliveries.
With Diamond Logistics, you can select a courier to take your parcel for as little as £10. This means that if a customer is paying more than that, then you are in the green.
Tough to forecast sales
No-one can predict the future. With time and historical data you can have a good guess, but when running a same-day delivery operation, you don’t always have the luxury of time.
A social media marketing campaign performing better than expected, or an influencer or celebrity endorsing your product can all lead to huge peaks in sales. If a lot of these are choosing the same-day delivery option, then it can be tough to maintain the service.
If you outsource your fulfilment, you will be safe in the knowledge that a team of experts is handling every order and ensuring it is getting picked, packed, shipped and delivered in the time requested.
The eCommerce industry is unpredictable, but knowing you have a same-day courier nearby who is always ready to collect your parcels at the push of a button means you can be ready for everything that comes your way.
Tracking every delivery means you can keep an eye on all orders. You can even track the driver on his way to collect from you, meaning you never have to waste time waiting for a collection and can always be prepared to load quickly and get to work on the remaining orders.
Keeping track of stock
As stock comes and goes in rapid succession, it can feel like a never-ending task to keep on top of your inventory.
With orders leaving your location and new deliveries constantly being made, it is hard to not lose control and end up running out of stock and overselling.
Using an automated inventory management system is now paramount in successfully running a modern business. This takes the strain of inventory management from you and automatically updates stock levels across all sales channels so you can rest assured your figures are always right.
If a customer orders a special item and wants it that day, you don’t want to head to the shelf to find it empty as you have counted your inventory wrong.
It is tough to keep up with this alone, and this is one of the reasons that outsourcing your fulfilment with a team like Diamond Logistics can help to boost your operation and ensure you’re never disappointing your customers.
Finding the staff
If you have a couple of delivery drivers who often deliver parcels same-day, then you can quickly be unstuck if an abundance of deliveries come in.
Once both drivers leave, they may be gone for hours and you won’t be able to get them back in time to deliver the new orders that day.
To operate a smooth same-day delivery service, you must have skilled staff ready to go at all times. This can be costly if you are taking these staff members on yourself, as on some slow sales days you will be paying a lot and not receiving much profit in return.
Using a team like Diamond Logistics, which has many same-day delivery couriers ready to burst into action across the country is a great way of knowing there is always a driver available for you.
All of our drivers are professionally trained to ensure they will take the utmost care of your parcel and that the delivery will be seamless and efficient.
Final thoughts
The trends in eCommerce are all pointing towards faster deliveries becoming the norm. For now, next-day delivery is becoming more and more desired, and it won’t be long until same-day is equally expected.
If you are delivering important parcels to your customers, or simply want to offer same-day delivery to your customer, then using Diamond Logistics courier service can provide the tools and expertise that is needed to get your parcels
