In the past, small businesses in the online retail space have looked towards fulfillment centres as the answer to all their problems. And when we say “problems” – we mean large retailers and their affordable same-day delivery promises!
Competing with the big players
This is because the big players in the ecommerce space (yes – Amazon is a great example) have greater bargaining power. Thanks to the vast quantities of orders they process every day, they can negotiate cheap same-day delivery rates with couriers which smaller businesses find impossible to beat.
So, it makes sense. By outsourcing warehousing and shipping functions to fulfillment centres, small businesses can take a piece of the same-day delivery pie. Just like large retailers, fulfillment centres can also negotiate cheap delivery rates for the high volumes of parcels they ship across all their clients. Call it strength in numbers.
Outsourcing to fulfillment centres has its drawbacks
But here’s the thing – is outsourcing to fulfillment centres still a no-brainer when it comes to keeping up with your customers’ same-day delivery expectations?
First, while achieving cost-effective deliveries is paramount to the idea of outsourcing fulfilment, there are few negative aspects that can be costly to small businesses looking to get ahead. For example, deliveries are the last mile of any customer journey – so, if a fulfillment centre gives a bad impression, it reflects on the retailer. Then there are other things such as the costs of outsourcing and who will pay for and handle breakages and lost deliveries. It can get tricky.
Small retailers can finally bring fulfillment in-house
Now, there’s a completely hassle-free alternative. By partnering with Go People, small retailers can take care of their own fulfillment and offer efficient and cost-effective same-day deliveries in the same way larger retailers can. Just like a warehouse, small businesses can take care of their own stock, process orders and despatch products directly from their business address.
All the benefits of same-day deliveries without the expense!
Go People provides all the tools needed to make onsite fulfillment a reality. Using the platform, retailers can upload bulk orders and book guaranteed same-day deliveries thanks to our huge network of registered point-to-point delivery runners. All retailers need to do is label the packages and arrange them for pick-up! Go People even provides access to GPS tracking technology so every customer can login to see where their runner is throughout their journey.
And the best part, Go People’s completely online delivery solution doesn’t have overheads or handling fees to pass on like fulfillment centres or traditional courier companies. So, you can rest assured you’ll be offering customers all the benefits of same-day deliveries without the expense that usually comes with it.