As the popularity and relevance of online shopping and online retail continues to soar, more and more retailers are realizing the struggle associated with keeping up with consumers’ shipment expectations. With the average consumer defaulting to purchasing from Amazon, their expectation of other retailers in regards to shipping are very similar. Unfortunately, less and less retailers are capable of providing similar shipping options despite customers expecting order fulfilment times to be accelerated. This creates a challenging dynamic for these retailers to navigate.

While the order fulfillment process of every organization will be handled differently, one phase in particular remains fairly constant throughout: last mile delivery. Throughout this phase of delivery, any product purchased by a customer is transported from the product’s holding fulfillment center to the final point of sale, otherwise known as the customer. Despite the importance of this phase, more and more smaller retailers are failing to deliver any value within it. Developing a last mile delivery strategy that works for your retail business can be a challenge, but without a honed strategy, your online sales will likely see a decrease over time.

It wasn’t until recently that this step of the delivery process was as important as it was. Prior to the development of this phase, online shoppers would order something and believe on good faith it would come in a timely manner. There was no robust tracking information such as what customers are used to today. Businesses would ship the purchase as quickly as they were able to, which of course didn’t bother online shoppers at the time. Today, any online retailer you purchase from is going to confirm your purchase with you and provide a shipment tracking link as soon as the package has been sent. What’s worse is that Amazon continues to push the needle forward in terms of maximizing the value of last mile delivery.

How can these online retailers adjust to the expectations of today? Guaranteeing an industry standard delivery speed is only part of the solution. One issue with this thought is that throughout the nation’s time dealing with COVID-19, online shopping became the go-to shopping method. The volume of orders and necessary deliveries for online retailers skyrocketed as a result of this. Most of these retailers looked to inventory management systems to help ease the burden that these orders set. With these systems, retailers are able to reduce the number of backorders by a large margin. With ample warehouse space spread out throughout the country, coupled with these systems, retailers are able to provide robust delivery options for their customers.

Do you believe your business has been negatively impacted as a result of its last mile delivery processes? If you want to improve your businesses’ shipping policies and increase online sales, consider how an inventory management system could positively impact your business. For more information on how these systems can provide a competitive advantage within your retail niche, be sure to take a moment to check out the infographic coupled alongside this post. Courtesy of WAREHOWZ