The retail industry is asking itself a lot of questions right now. While the biggest eCommerce giants are steaming into the market with super-fast deliveries thanks to their massive fulfillment centres and in-house delivery teams, small businesses are wondering how to compete. The pressure is on.
Small businesses understand that offering same-day deliveries isn’t an optional “deal sweetener” any more – it’s a necessity for their survival. This means they’re constantly looking for ways to better manage their operations, leveraging the power of technology rather than market share and financial prowess.
Small businesses need a better way to manage operations
So, why is all this happening? Because consumers are demanding faster deliveries – not just because they want all the benefits of high street shopping without the effort, but because increasing numbers of consumers want the flexibility to make last-minute purchases online. Whether it’s Mother’s Day, Christmas or a birthday celebration – more and more consumers are looking towards online retailers to get them out of some “eleventh-hour” strife.
And therein lies another issue, retailers need robust delivery operations to meet consumers’ delivery expectations during peak trading periods. The convoluted processes, unreliability, and expense of traditional courier solutions simply don’t cut it.
If you’re a small retailer, here’s a new courier solution to consider: Why not build your own delivery fleet and hire a few subcontracted delivery drivers?
A flexible delivery team could be the solution
The problem with having a large team of in-house delivery drivers is that they quickly become too costly for small retailers who experience peaks and troughs of trade. A full team of delivery drivers capable of providing consistently fast deliveries only really works when delivery volumes are always high.
Subcontracting delivery drivers alongside your own fleet gives flexibility to adjust your workforce according to the volume of orders you receive. What’s more, your delivery workforce can be quickly adjusted by area – which means businesses find it much easier to scale where there are areas of increased demand.
But, as with many modern courier solutions – turning an idea like this into a real practical solution that can be successfully implemented is a matter for technology. That’s where fleet management software comes in. Fleet management systems are an easy and cost-effective way for small businesses to control and manage their own delivery drivers as well as their subcontractors – from absolutely anywhere. Think about it.