Fast delivery has always been an essential part of any business that sells physical products. However, over the past few years, same-day delivery has become the new standard – despite how tricky and costly it can be to pull off. So how does same-day delivery work? And how can businesses – even small ones – offer it without losing money?
Same-Day Shipping Vs. Same-Day Delivery
Before we get into the details of same-day delivery, let’s first see how it’s different from same-day shipping, and what both terms actually mean. Same-day shipping is what you call a service where the seller ships out an order on the same day that a customer makes the purchase. Following this line of thought, same-day delivery is what you call a service where the customer places an order, the seller ships it out, and the customer receives the package – all on the same day.
As you can see, same-day delivery necessarily means same-day shipping is offered. However, same-day shipping doesn’t necessarily mean your customer will receive their order on the same day as well. Same-day shipping and same-day delivery also differ in terms of how much customers prefer them. When it comes to same-day shipping, 80% of customers want it. However, over 25% would abandon their digital carts without it. But what’s more alarming are the statistics for same-day delivery, with 96% of shoppers defining “fast delivery” as “same-day delivery”. Customers are also at least 20% more likely to place an order if same-day delivery is available.
With this in mind, it’s clear that offering same-day delivery can help boost your business by encouraging customers to shop for something they can receive almost immediately. This is especially true if your business sells gifts, flowers, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts/tools, healthcare supplies, party products, and perishables like food.
Cost of Same-Day Delivery
However, just like anything else, same-day delivery comes with a cost. If your business doesn’t have an efficient system in place for logistics, same-day delivery can be extremely pricey. Especially if you offer free shipping as a promo. However, this can be managed by developing or improving upon your business’s logistics. Through efficiency, you can lower the cost of same-day delivery.
Another factor in the cost of same-day delivery is staffing. This may not be that much of a problem if you’re a small business only receiving a few orders any given day. But the bigger you get, the more orders you will need to package. You will then need to ship those orders in the same amount of time.
To solve this problem, you may need to give your employees more work (which means more pay) or hire more employees. Finally, the cost of same-day delivery also depends on the types of products you’re shipping as well as which areas you deliver to. For example, if your products are big, or if they require special delivery methods, it will cost more. And if you service a large area that need to cover within one day, the delivery fees will increase accordingly.
How Same-Day Delivery Works
Now that we know what same-day delivery is and what contributes to its cost, let’s look at same-day delivery. We can also assess how it works and how you can make it affordable for your business.
Orders Must Be Placed Before Noon
To make same-day delivery possible and affordable, the first step is to set a firm cutoff time for placing orders. Typically, same-day delivery services require orders to be placed before noon. By doing this, you ensure you will have twelve hours to deliver packages. You also prevent any last-minute orders that will be impossible to deliver within the same day. This also ensures that customers will always be satisfied with their service. As long as you make sure the cutoff for same-day delivery is made abundantly clear to them. This way, their expectations are managed, and no blame will fall on you if their orders are delivered the next day.
Concise Line of Products Offered
Another step necessary for fulfilling same-day delivery is offering a concise line of products. This is especially important for small businesses that don’t have several branches throughout a city or state and have to ship out everything from one location. By offering a manageable product line of which you always have more than enough stocks, you can be sure that you’ll be able to deliver any order within the day. It’s also important to know the exact location and amount of your products to make your shipping process more efficient. This can be done by investing in the right technology, such as inventory software.
Multiple Fulfillment Centers
Next comes the establishment of multiple fulfillment centers. You can do this by establishing a warehouse network. Whether by owning it, renting it, or outsourcing it from a carrier. Then, you can regularly stock each warehouse with your products so they always have enough stocks for orders in their respective areas.
By having multiple fulfillment centers, you can cover a larger area. Even if you are a small business with only one branch this can still be made possible. This can also reduce the cost of same-day delivery, since the center nearest any given customer will be the one to fulfill the delivery.
Last-Mile Delivery
Finally, we have last-mile delivery, which is the most crucial part of shipping anything. Last-mile delivery is the transport of a package from a fulfillment center to the destination. A logistics system can help you make sure your products’ last-mile delivery is smooth and that any problems are quickly dealt with. Another important part of last-mile delivery is choosing a responsible carrier. Preferably one who can deliver your stocks to your warehouses as well as deliver orders to your customers. A responsible carrier should also have an efficient logistics system. This will allow you to supplement your own to make the process of same-day delivery even easier.
Finding a Responsible Carrier with GoShip.com
The easiest way to find a responsible carrier that can fulfill all of your logistical needs is by using a shipping marketplace like GoShip.com.
Through GoShip.com, you can easily search for carriers that meet your preferences, then compare their prices and services to find one that provides everything you need.
To find the perfect carrier for your business, head to GoShip.com and get your free quote right now!