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Interestingly, a few tweaks in logistics planning can expand e-tail and this is not just with the big e-tail players. In fact, multi-channel retailers who also dabble with e-tail can successfully stand up to the major pure-play e-tailers if they want to blend their online and offline business.
Several customers go to a brick and-mortar store to get the “touch and feel” shopping experience and then come home to order the same product online. And that’s where the tweaks start.
Deliver first. Then sell!
Several smaller players today offer a
facility today that overcomes the Online-Stores-don’t-offer-touch-and-feel shopping experience. A
mid-size online furniture retailer, for example, would benefit immensely from asking the potential
customer to pick 4-5 couches that can be sent straight to his living room where he can choose the one
that goes perfectly with the existing décor. Now, that’s agood plan, right? In one shot, while
overcoming the touch-and-feel constraint, you also outdo the brick and mortar place by giving the
customer choice in the comfort of his living room!
Niche market
Sometimes, e-tailers who stick to a
specific market are preferred choices for customers. They are better curated than an Amazon or eBay
where a search for a book on funny Spoonerisms gives you a list of
measuring spoon sets. Such niche e-tailers also have the advantage of
having a dedicated blog and such digital marketing aids as well.
Where does logistics come in to the picture? Sticking to one sector
helps streamlining logistics. It’s not like you handle green
produce from farms and washing machines at one shot. A single
warehouse can cater to all your orders. So, there is an advantage to
not branching out!
Delivery times
Promising same day delivery or 3 hour
deliveries is a great deal in e-tail now. A lot of app based e-tailers tend to liaise with local
retailers in the area and offer these quick deliveries. Typically, groceries and greens are volume players
in this aspect. There are specialty e-tailers who handle night
deliveries with ease. Dessert craving at 3 AM? They have you covered.
Premium delivery times and premium rates for such pre planned
delivery slots are other logistical tweaks that help you reap rich
benefits.
New Age Postal Delivery
Deutsche Post DHL has revived itself by
becoming an e-tailer in its own right. It deals with same day
solution on a wide scale! So, liaising with such existing and
established networks can help logistics.
Uber to the rescue
Uber, the app based cab service
aggregator is a very useful e-tail logistics partner. It has already
built a huge network and is real time! Several e-tailers sense Uber
can give logistics a great deal of support.
