Online retailers are some of the biggest beneficiaries of the coronavirus pandemic. As people stay at home to either follow government directives or reduce their chances of getting infected, online retailers have stepped up to deliver products to people’s homes.
This has led to a delivery boom for these retailers, as well as solutions to problems online shopping and delivery of products used to have.
Customers increasingly want their shopping the very next day, or even the same day in some cases. Because they can’t visit their local shopping mall or stores, they are being forced to shop online.
For online retailers, or traditional retailers with an online presence, this has provided a huge opportunity to grab a larger market share. As a result, their supplies are enjoying a boost in business too.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the courier delivery sector, which is responsible for delivering millions of parcels each day.
Conflicting Schedules
Covid-19 lockdowns has meant more people than every working from home. In theory, this makes it more likely people will be in when packages are delivered, but in practice it doesn’t always work out that way.
One of the biggest challenges for a lot of people ordering online is making sure they are home when their products arrive.
When you order a product online, you might notice that the product is scheduled to arrive at a time you will not be available. This is obviously a big problem as the retailer will have to try again and you have to wait for a few more days before receiving your products.
Companies have had to come up with solutions to this problem with companies like Shift leading the pack. Shift, found online at Shift.Online, has spent three years developing a system that tracks drivers all over the country and matches them with the closest customer job.
They have also implemented a system where you can set a delivery date and time that works best with your schedule. Your delivery slot could be in an hour, a day or even a month. Once you do this, the system finds a driver who is available for the job and they send them to make the delivery.
It’s a win-win for the customer, who loves the enhanced customer service, and a win-win for the retailer, who wins a new long-term, loyal customer.
Solving Logistic Problems
Covid-19 has exposed the underlying issues logistics and the delivery of products have. The biggest selling point for such a system is that it solves the problems retailers have with logistics because in many cases, retailers are disappointed when supply chains break down and customers do not receive their products on time.
Covid-19 has led to the death of high-street retailers who depend on larger logistics companies and has led to the rise of reliable smaller companies that can handle the delivery of online and on-demand orders. This has opened up opportunities for companies that can solve these problems.
Companies like Shift are also filling the need for reliability and transparency because as the volume of goods ordered online and delivered straight to people increase, customers will need to know who is handling their products.
Giving Customers Peace of Mind
A problem that arises with online shopping and delivery is that customers do not trust transportation companies to handle their products as they should.
In many cases, companies do not care about the products or the customers because there do not have any stake in either. There are many delivery companies with appalling reputations.
Social media is full of reports of courier drivers throwing parcels over hedges, dropping them in recycling bins, or not bothering to leave them, even though the customer is clearly at home.
This has opened up opportunities for companies like Shift to prioritize customers and their products. To ensure customers are happy with the service, Shift has implemented an onboarding process for their drivers to ensure they adhere to the core principles set out by the company.
Finally, due to its software implementation, Shift can offer prices that are unmatched in the industry and their software does not let them overcharge customers for deliveries.
As Covid-19 rages, we will continue to see strong online shopping and product delivery numbers. Due to the inefficiencies found in this process, companies would do well to come up with solutions that not only ensure they solve customer problems but that are also affordable.
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Author: Shiraz Khan
