Same day delivery and store picks are new concepts which are helpful in the growth of retail industry up to an extent. Delivery duration is shifting the mindset of people, who are moving towards online shopping markets. For so many years, industrialists have been talking about delivering the products to the customer quickly and industries like floral and some other retail verticals are following this since years. But now retailers present on the web are also exploring the opportunity and delivering the products on the same day of order placement. Consumers expect free shipping, secure shipping of the items , fast delivery from the retailers and they are meeting the demands considerably to increase the client satisfaction and customer loyalty for long run.

Some retailers even offer the option of pick up of the products from their physical stores to provide same day delivery of the products to the customers. They list the products on their websites from various brands and companies which drive the customer to reach physical stores to pick the products as per their convenience. Digital retail is in trend nowadays and many companies are driving in store sales which is turning as an asset for the organizations. With same delivery tactic the retailers are trying to satisfy customer demands and to deliver the product safely and in less time period.

Amazon online store is thinking about next initiative in the retail Industry by partnering with various companies to place delivery lockers in numerous stores throughout the country. They are also planning to compete with retailers who are big and multi channel and have an edge due to their store locations and inventory system. Retail giants like Amazon and Walmart have initiated same day delivery in selected markets across the world. For same day delivery retailers require various techniques and infrastructure to deliver the item on the same day.

For implementing an optimized, streamlined delivery services system retailers  require:

•   Infrastructure and partnerships: For launching the offer and services for the same day delivery the retailers require  a strong web of infrastructure which will handle every step of delivery of the product. Retail giants have already initiated the process to set up huge infrastructure and various platforms required for same day delivery. It requires a regular process for tracking and shipment of the product on time. Retailers are partnering with famous courier companies to get the product on time.
  • Robust data: No company can provide same day delivery services without the support of significant technology, which helps in improvement on back end support with data. The retailer needs to have deep knowledge of inventory system to deliver the product effectively. This involves the understanding of data at the store as well as the distribution of the product at the center level. The success of delivering initiative depends mainly on data and figures.
  • Front-line champions: The team involved in the delivery of the product to the customers plays a vital role in the process. They are called as front line champions. The retailer needs to understand the importance of reward for these store associates. Their reward cannot be overlooked as they will be playing an important role in customer satisfaction and providing the best experience while shopping with them.

  Same day delivery of the product will help the retailers in getting an edge over their competitors. Due to various retailers entering the web market expectations of the customers are sky rocketing and they are hard to please in terms of experience and servicing. So companies need to come up with unique initiatives to please their customers. Today’s customers are very impatient and they want the product immediately after the order placement. Companies without physical stores need to bring drastic changes in their working process for the smooth delivery of the products.

  Many companies have tried to implement the same delivery service to the customers, but they were unsuccessful in maintaining it for long run due to the high difficulty level to manage such delivery.

• Benefits of same day delivery for retailers
  • Expansion & widening of product mix: With the same day delivery service, number of consumers will buy the products which are used on a daily basis or are purchased at the last minute in the house. So, in this way it will help in increasing the product mix of the retailers. Amazon fresh is selling food and toiletries on the web through its website which are a difficult product mix for any eCommerce company to manage.

  The same day delivery facility is attracting more number of customers towards the web for shopping through eCommerce websites. This facility can be helpful for those who are unable to shop due to work pressure or lack of time. They can manage product delivery according to their convenience throughout the day.

  • Expansion of brick and mortar product mix: This facility will be helpful for the businesses to expand their product line too. Such stores have limited space for display of the product. So they usually display those products which are in demand regularly and keep the rest of the items in the nearby warehouse. So with the help of same day delivery facility the stores can display unique products also. The stores can offer the customers those products which are actually physically not available in the store at that point of time.
  • Less concern about price: With this facility customers will compare prices less with other retailers available on the web. The cost of the delivery will be maintained in annual fee of the membership so customers will prefer to buy products from those retailers who are offering same day delivery.
    • An opportunity for small retailers to grow: The unique services and unique product range will provide an opportunity for smaller retailers to grow number of sales by attracting more number of customers with this unique facility.

    Due to increase in technology usage and lack of time for physically going to the market to buy products, the retail industry is offering same day delivery. Viewed on a long term basis it helps both the consumers as well as the merchants, enabling business proliferation.

    Note: This article has been written in consultation with EyeForWeb, a web design company located in New Delhi, India.