For 22 years, Last Mile/Same Day delivery has been my world and with 75% of all retail purchases being done online, I have never seen the level of need for it as I do today. If you are a local retailer you have a "vicinity" and a "shop Local" advantage over the larger warehouse box online retailers. The big guys have a lot of technology and finance behind them but it doesn't take that to get deliveries done.
Fast, secure same/next day delivery in your local community is easy to set up with the help of your local courier/delivery service and/or your own fleet. I want you to know that finding a delivery solution is easier than you think, it just depends on 1. How much you want to invest 2. How much branding you want to market and 3. How much control you want to have.
The first decision is to determine if you want to hire in house drivers or out source to a 3rd party. Now, there are positives and negatives surrounding both models, I have listed them below. At the end, I will give you my opinion.
In House Delivery Vehicles and Drivers
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Out Sourced 3rd Party Delivery Service
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My Message:
You can not afford to be off of the road in today's market. You need 4 tires and your brand out there for all to see. You must let people know that you do deliveries and you will come to them if they can not come to you. There is a reason that Jeff Bezos has his Amazon logo on everything that moves. From the boxes and Alexa to his delivery fleet, he has BRANDED his way to financial success.
You can do this as well even though you don't have Jeff Bezos' budget. You simply need a delivery partner and a HYBRID model for your LOCAL deliveries.
I have seen businesses try to do their all of their deliveries on their own and I have seen about 80% of them fail. It is not impossible to succeed, but to start off you need to do the following:
You can chose to use your Branded vehicle for as many or a few deliveries as you want. This is why you also have a local delivery partner, they can fill in the gaps when your inside delivery team is too busy or out of commission. Bottom line is, that for a small investment, you have consumers eyes on your store when they aren't standing in front of it or searching for it on their phone. They see it being active, doing what they want, delivering their purchases to them while on the road. Make sure you include statements like "we deliver!" and "Shop Local" on your vehicle of choice.
If you decide not to BRAND a vehicle, that's okay! Work with your Delivery partner and support each other via social media, and other marketing avenues to let people know you are working together to keep your LOCAL communities strong, safe and supported. Be the DRIVING force behind getting your Brand out there! Make sure your delivery company is well connected and has a solid social media presence. This connection will drive business for both of you and it's a lot of fun!
It is critical that you don't wait for everything to be perfect. Your specialty is your store, your products and your customer service. Technology isn't easy for everyone. But don't let it hold you back. Don't wait to get caught up before you start to give your clients what they need right now. A good delivery company will have solutions you can work with no matter where you are at with technology.
My Final Message: Don't wait for perfection: this market simply wont allow you to and we need to keep our economy moving. Hop on Google, find your delivery partner and get started right away.
Rebecca
Fast, secure same/next day delivery in your local community is easy to set up with the help of your local courier/delivery service and/or your own fleet. I want you to know that finding a delivery solution is easier than you think, it just depends on 1. How much you want to invest 2. How much branding you want to market and 3. How much control you want to have.
The first decision is to determine if you want to hire in house drivers or out source to a 3rd party. Now, there are positives and negatives surrounding both models, I have listed them below. At the end, I will give you my opinion.
In House Delivery Vehicles and Drivers
Adds
- You Own/Lease Vehicles: Gives your company a presence on the road. By branding a vehicle, you have eyes on your Brand, Logo and get to educate people that you are OPEN for BUSINESS, and do HOME DELIVERY. They see your BRAND, not someone else's.
- You Hire Drivers: This gives you complete control over your customers' experience. Your driver becomes your last interaction with the client. A piece that is just as important as the cashier at check out.
- No fees (standard for all logistics companies) for delivery or commission paid to 3rd party (Skip the Dishes and Door Dash charge up to 15-20% of the sale)
- You manage it all: this means more distractions from your core business: more payroll, HR management, increased expenses for fuel, vehicle maintenance, leases, insurance.
- Increased liability. Once your product and your driver leaves the store, you have an increased exposure to interactions with others on the road and potential complications that aren't present in store. Your footprint just expanded >1000 fold.
- Limited delivery capacity based on # of drivers, # of vehicles and type of vehicle available
Out Sourced 3rd Party Delivery Service
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- Many Vehicles and Drivers available
- No Overhead
- No Insurance
- No extra Employees
- No Management other than order pick, pack and organization
- No Distractions from your core business
- No control over driver appearance, customer service or timeline
- Another Company represents your BRAND
- You pay fees, a 100% operational expense
- Potential for commission payment as well
My Message:
You can not afford to be off of the road in today's market. You need 4 tires and your brand out there for all to see. You must let people know that you do deliveries and you will come to them if they can not come to you. There is a reason that Jeff Bezos has his Amazon logo on everything that moves. From the boxes and Alexa to his delivery fleet, he has BRANDED his way to financial success.
You can do this as well even though you don't have Jeff Bezos' budget. You simply need a delivery partner and a HYBRID model for your LOCAL deliveries.
I have seen businesses try to do their all of their deliveries on their own and I have seen about 80% of them fail. It is not impossible to succeed, but to start off you need to do the following:
- 1st step is to google a Delivery company in your local town where your store resides.
- Find a reputable company with a solid google rating and give them a shout. Test their delivery system by having a package delivered from your store to yourself... and rate them on Google.
- Set up an account..
- Companies will consult with you at no charge and help you find the best solution for your products.
- Once you have this set up, look into Branding your own vehicle and get it on the road ASAP if your budget allows.
You can chose to use your Branded vehicle for as many or a few deliveries as you want. This is why you also have a local delivery partner, they can fill in the gaps when your inside delivery team is too busy or out of commission. Bottom line is, that for a small investment, you have consumers eyes on your store when they aren't standing in front of it or searching for it on their phone. They see it being active, doing what they want, delivering their purchases to them while on the road. Make sure you include statements like "we deliver!" and "Shop Local" on your vehicle of choice.
If you decide not to BRAND a vehicle, that's okay! Work with your Delivery partner and support each other via social media, and other marketing avenues to let people know you are working together to keep your LOCAL communities strong, safe and supported. Be the DRIVING force behind getting your Brand out there! Make sure your delivery company is well connected and has a solid social media presence. This connection will drive business for both of you and it's a lot of fun!
It is critical that you don't wait for everything to be perfect. Your specialty is your store, your products and your customer service. Technology isn't easy for everyone. But don't let it hold you back. Don't wait to get caught up before you start to give your clients what they need right now. A good delivery company will have solutions you can work with no matter where you are at with technology.
My Final Message: Don't wait for perfection: this market simply wont allow you to and we need to keep our economy moving. Hop on Google, find your delivery partner and get started right away.
Rebecca