Gone are the days when customers would wait for days and weeks to receive their packages. Now is the time of a fast-paced life, where people expect to get everything within a day or two at their doorstep. In the world where we can get almost everything just within a click, most of us are getting more and more inclined towards receiving online orders instantly.
This kind of customer behavior makes it more important for eCommerce businesses to explore the world of same-day and next-day delivery. If you own an eCommerce business, this is the time to address the customers’ needs to grow your business exponentially.
There are various shipping options available to eCommerce sellers that they can offer their customers – Standard shipping, priority shipping, expedited shipping, express shipping, next-day, and same-day. The number of shipping options in eCommerce can seem to be as endless as the behemoth of online shoppers’ products. However, one thing we all would agree on is, faster shipping is better.
The fastest shipping form that eCommerce businesses should offer their customers is same-day shipping, as it will help them stay slightly ahead of the curve. Let us take a look at how can same-day delivery and same-day shipping customers benefit your eCommerce business –
What Is Same-day Shipping?
Same-day shipping refers to when the order is shipped out on the same day it is ordered by the customer. In same-day delivery, the customer receives the order at his doorstep the same day he ordered it. Both these terms are often used interchangeably and are extremely important in meeting customer needs.
Please note that you will need to perform same-day shipping of the package for you to offer same-day delivery to your customers.
Timely delivery and fast delivery are essential for a customer. If your customer has ordered a gift for someone whose birthday is the next day, he/she would expect the gift to arrive the same day. In such cases, if the order isn’t shipped out the same day it’s placed, you risk one full day of delay, which can ultimately lead to a return order by the customer.
Missing delivery marks with customers can be extremely damaging to your business.
According to reports, nearly 56% of online customers between the age of 18-34 expect to have same-day delivery, while 61% of customers are willing to offer higher prices to receive their orders on the same day. Nearly 49% of customers are more likely to shop online if the eCommerce site provides same-day delivery.
Looking at the above data, it is pretty much evident that same-day shipping and same-day delivery is the need of the hour. It opens up an eCommerce business to more potential customers and purchases.
How to Offer Same-day Shipping and Same-day Delivery
Here are a few crucial tips to help you offer same-day shipping and same-delivery to your customers:
Target Specific/Limited Pincodes
Try to limit which customers you will be offering same-day delivery to. This will be done the best once you target only specific pin codes and particular customers. You have a limited distance you can cover to deliver an order the same day it’s placed, so you must choose where you ship orders from wisely.
Use Multiple Fulfillment Centres
To offer same-day shipping to your customers, go near your customers. Suppose you’re operating your business from Delhi, and you have customers all across the country. In that case, it will get difficult for you to offer fast delivery to customers living in Bengaluru because your warehouse is located in Delhi.
Also, you can’t offer same-day delivery to customers in rural areas or anyone outside the larger metro area in which your inventory is.
If you use multiple fulfillment centers located in large cities across the country, you can offer same-day delivery to more customers and generate more sales. Shiprocket Fulfillment, an end-to-end fulfillment solution offered by Shiprocket, has multiple fulfillment centers across the country. You can choose to stock your inventory in their fulfillment centers that are closest to your buyers to offer same-day delivery to your customers.
Decide on a Cut-Off Time
The cutoff time is the last time or the hour of the day, till which an order can be placed online to guarantee it will be shipped out the same day. For example, if an order is placed at midnight, it will be shipped only on the following day. On the other hand, if an order is placed at 10 am, the product can be quickly shipped that same day.
Establishing a cut-off time keeps things extremely transparent, where the customer would know when to place an order to be able to avail of same-day delivery.
Who Can Offer Same-day Shipping
All kinds of retailers can offer same-day shipping to their customers. If you run a small eCommerce store out of your house, you could head to your local courier service who offers same-day delivery and ship in advance of their cutoff time. The responsibility is on you to get it packed and there on time.
Third-party logistics providers such as Shiprocket work with the top courier companies, thereby offering significantly discounted rates to eCommerce sellers. Tying up with a 3PL helps sellers reduce their shipping costs while opting for faster shipping.
eCommerce companies that tie up with 3PLs can explore various shipping methods at different prices to decide which way works best for their business, without harming their profit margins. The best is that they don’t have to handle any of the eCommerce fulfillment themselves.
Larger companies usually have their fulfillment network and choose to manage their logistics themselves. Further, they tie-up with last-mile delivery companies that offer same-day shipping services or opt for a 3PL that can manage their scale of business.
Final Say
While getting your order the same day is more expensive than waiting a few days, it’s clear that shoppers are willing to pay extra for it.
There’s no doubt that same-day shipping is here to stay. As the fastest growing delivery option, eCommerce businesses that don’t add it to their shipping strategy mix will get left behind. So it’s time you start planning your shipping strategy around providing same-day delivery to your customers right away before it’s too late!
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