Decrypting the mystery around hyperlocal deliveries
Everyone loves having orders delivered on time — it’s what makes us want to buy and sell more! Retailers have tried many methods to achieve fast deliveries: Central Warehousing, Dark Stores, etc. Each of these comes with their own set of problems: a central warehouse is liable to increase time, a local store is liable to hike expenses, and employing delivery agents for 24*7 coverage is a complicated setup.
Too many instances occur where retailers can’t economically deliver quality products to their customers. Perishable items — that need to be delivered quickly to maintain quality — and other time-sensitive products like medicines take the biggest hit.
Deliveries from one part of a city to another have been a daunting task because of the following limitations:
- Storage for perishable items
Every item has a different shelf-life. Storing each of them separately creates a big challenge, especially when they are perishables, having a very short shelf-life. The more perishables you sell, the more expensive your warehouse needs get. For example, broccoli and onions need to be stored differently and so do fish or chicken. This could mean multiple storage settings and higher operating costs.
2. Warehousing real estate
Leasing and maintaining a decent warehouse is tough in terms of both time and money. The perfect warehouse is rarely at the perfect location, thereby increasing transit times. Central warehouses lower the ‘cost per delivery’ but increase the ‘time per delivery’. Plus, they are never small, which makes leasing them an expensive affair.
3. Labour for delivery
Hiring delivery employees requires a proper system to manage the same. When the delivery needs are constant, having a full staff could become a very expensive affair. The economy of reliable on-demand delivery services is unmatchable.
4. Managing the entire logistics process
Handling delivery squads means having to manage the entire logistic process. This means a full setup of labour and tech to monitor the movement of all goods, all the time. These setups are susceptible to gaps in operation that increase your chances of incurring a loss due to improper handling. Furthermore, inefficient setups adversely impact the customer experience; leading to more losses than gains.
5. Delivering customer service for quick last-mile delivery
On-demand logisticians are specialised to provide customer service. This expert handling of customer experience is not a trait of employed delivery personnel, who may have to prioritise other metrics over customer service. Targets like delivery time, speed, and volumes impact their earnings and bonus so naturally, that takes precedence over positive customer experiences.
A plug and play logistics solution is a future-proof method that does away with the limitations stated above. This is because they can be applied to evolving methods of retail. Let’s check out some use cases:
Large retail stores complete online orders by delivering from their warehouses. These time-consuming warehouse deliveries can be upgraded to a direct delivery system — deliveries straight from the nearest store to the customer, within 2 hours of an order.
- Mobile Hubs:
These are movable storage options for storing perishable items. Delivering fresh produce every single time would mean connecting these mobile hubs with an efficient hyperlocal delivery system.
- Dark Stores:
Dark stores house products in traditional brick-and-mortar establishments, but where customers don’t physically browse the shelves. These stores are a cost-effective trick that saves on time and warehouse costs when used with a reliable local delivery system.
- Mom and Pop Stores:
Mom & Pop shops are used to describe the small retail stores that are usually owned and operated by the same family. You can think of using such existing shops to store and distribute your products. Last-Mile delivery service would be the quickest connection between your products and your customers.
The Shadowfax Value:
As one of India’s fastest last-mile delivery networks, we are present in over 350 cities across the country and a preferred choice for retailers, restaurants, as well as Ecom players, big and small. We add value to logistic solutions with our:
- Warehouse Management: Our logistics technology offers easy-operate platforms for your Delivery and Inventory Management solutions.
- Fast Delivery: Experience unmatched hyperlocal deliveries that can be completed within 30 to 40 minutes!
- Cost-Effectiveness: Shadowfax is plug-and-play. Hire whenever you want and save it when you don’t. Scale your needs up and down based on your needs.
- Kirana Association for Tapping Local Knowledge: Our micro-fulfilment strategy has on-boarded over 400(?) Kirana stores to achieve higher delivery efficiency.
- Excellent Customer Experience: Each Shadowfax Delivery Partner undergoes vigorous training to become an expert at creating an excellent customer experience with each delivery.
- Mobile App: User-friendly software that makes it very easy to manage, track, and review your orders or deliveries.
Our tech innovations are aimed at perfecting the last-mile delivery process; through effective solutions of efficient and hasslefree delivery — straight from a retail store, to a customer’s doorstep.
