May 1, 2013
Over the past few years, the boom in popularity for online retail and ecommerce sites has become telling of the evolving wants and needs of today’s shoppers: We want to shop for goods in an effortless and convenient way. And what’s easier than having goods delivered to your front door after a quick browse through a site and a few clicks of your mouse? Businesses have already started to figure out the answer to this: Not only do we want to shop for goods in an effortless and convenient way but we want them now.
Many physical retailers and brick and mortar shops are using ecommerce as a cost-effective solution for company expansion in order to fight off quasi-extinction and compete with large online retailers which offer more flexibility and product variety than brick and mortar stores. With the rising popularity of online shopping, the urgency for effective, fast, and inexpensive shipping solutions has become a significant factor in a company’s online success.
Competitive shipping options have been an important feature for online stores in order to survive in the increasingly-competitive online shopping market. For a while now, “free shipping” has been a popular solution for attracting new customers while keeping current customers loyal, but the needs of the on-the-go consumer are ever-evolving. Today, companies are realizing that simply offering free shipping is no longer good enough to keep consumers happy; it has become so widely used that it is now virtually expected. Both large and small ecommerce sites are continuously vying for top spots in the online retail arena and many are learning that “same day delivery” may be the new answer to their success and survival.
Beta programs for same day delivery, like Amazon Prime Local Express Delivery, eBay Now, and Walmart Same Day Delivery are all testing out the same premise for a new trend: expedited shipping services that enable a customer to order a product and have it delivered to their door within the same day or even hour. While the current beta programs have limited service areas, early cut-off times for ordering, and select items that are available through the service, same day delivery has the potential to revolutionize the shipping industry and become the new standard that online consumers will expect in years to come.
So what’s forecast for the shipping industry? Same day shipping doesn’t just appeal to a specific niche group — last minute shoppers, busy parents, the car-less, and recluses everywhere all have a common need for fast, easy, and hassle-free shopping experiences. And as the demand for same day services grows, shipping companies will be able to develop more efficient and cost-effective systems to provide service to more areas and extend cut-off times with even faster deliveries.
Some call this a threat to retailers and they may be right. Services evolve just like products do, and standards for shopping online will be raised once again when someone gets same day delivery right.