Last-Mile Delivery Challenges: How Sendy is Helping You Solve Them

E-commerce growth over the past few years has realized a consistent and remarkable growth. For instance, in 2020, consumers spent $861.02 billion on online shopping, a 44 percent increase over the previous year.

This growth of online shopping has transformed the global marketplace, and with the prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic, it continues to only get bigger!

Despite the upsides, there is a shift in consumer demands and expectations. What they are looking for are cost-effective but quick delivery options.

But when it comes to logistics, the last-mile delivery process is a challenge for most online retailers – particularly in developing countries where infrastructure is a limitation.

Some of the challenges these retailers go through include:

1. High Delivery Costs

The delivery process, for both the customer and the business, tends to get expensive. Setting up an infrastructure that supports timely deliveries can be costly for a business as well.

Complex routes, failed deliveries, extra stops, fleet operation, among others also add to the high costs of delivery. Plus, if the first attempt for a delivery fails, it has to be rescheduled – this doubles the costs.

For customers, high delivery costs lead to an increase in cart abandonment rates. Good infrastructure, higher efficiency, and better route planning are some of the solutions.

2. Late Deliveries

The inability to stick to delivery timelines is expensive for businesses. Delivery delays harm a brand’s reputation, increase customer churn, and affect your bottom line.

As an online retailer, therefore, you need a robust delivery plan that exacerbates timely deliveries. Route-planning, and ensuring transparency and seamless communication at all levels is paramount.

3. Low-Efficiency Levels

Low-efficiency levels affect customers’ satisfaction with a brand. If your delivery or logistical process lacks efficiency, your customers will be frustrated by the late deliveries. This is particularly the case in large order volumes.

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Technology, in part, is a solution here. Investing in good tech will streamline the process of delivery from the warehouse to the customer’s doorstep.

4. Inadequate Route Planning

Route planning is difficult for beginners, and this is one of the reasons an online retailer needs to invest in infrastructure that comes in handy to ensure that last-mile delivery is completed.

Inadequate or ineffective route planning increases the costs incurred by late deliveries. You can solve this challenge with effective route optimization. It not only reduces but also has a positive impact on the estimated time of arrival.

5. Unpredictable Elements

Traffic, bad weather, or vehicle issues are among the elements that affect the delivery process. You need a contingency plan to address these issues, but while at it, also ensure that you maintain seamless communication among your teams and with customers.

You need to have a plan of action at hand, so when encountering an adverse situation, you’re able to dispatch the required solution quickly.

There are a lot more challenges that online retailers go through in regards to logistics. They are some of the reasons why businesses may make losses due to failed or delayed deliveries.

Luckily, Sendy Limited introduced a fulfillment service for online retailers in Kenya offering them a unique provision for growth while efficiently meeting the needs of the customer.

Sendy Fulfillment service

Tailored towards e-commerce and direct-to-consumer businesses that do not have storage or delivery systems, Sendy fulfillment helps retailers pick, pack, and ship orders to customers.

If you are an online retailer, you can simply register on the Sendy Fulfillment platform, upload your inventory, and send items to a Fulfillment center near you.

When an order is placed on your items, Sendy ships them on your behalf. Some of its benefits include low delivery fees that include picking up the shipment from the vendor’s location, three shipping attempts, 60 days of storage, and inventory tracking.

The service also offers inventory tracking which allows customers to follow the exact position of their orders while they are in transit. They can also choose a delivery time and location that is convenient for them.

All these benefits work to ensure that you grow your business by increasing sales and scaling while efficiently meeting the needs of the customer. And by not compromising on the quality of your last-mile delivery, your business’s reputation is enhanced.

On top of insulating retailers from the high operational costs that come with logistics, Sendy Fulfillment offers businesses using the solution access to fast, flexible financing so they can buy more stock and manage cash flows.

Read more about Sendy Fulfillment Here and learn about everything it has to offer. With it, you are just a step away from scaling your businesses’ growth!