The challenges couriers & retailers face with last mile delivery.

^{As more customers are shopping online these days, a speedy courier delivery service isn’t just a nice option to have — it’s actually expected by most consumers. Therefore if a nationwide same day courier service and their retail partners want to stand any chance at all of competing with huge online businesses such as Amazon Prime, they need to make urgent same day delivery a priority.}

^{Many businesses have started to use new courier technology and are experimenting with new supply chain models to increase their parcel delivery volume, speed up deliveries, and most important of all, keep their customers happy, whilst trying to be cost-effective. However, the biggest challenge they face is the same-day delivery service & last-mile delivery.}

^{Last mile delivery?}

^{In a parcel's journey from the seller's warehouse or shop to the customer's delivery address, the final step of the process is known as the “last mile”, which is the point at which their parcel finally arrives at the customer’s door. As well as being very important to customer satisfaction, the last-mile delivery is the most expensive and time-consuming part of the delivery process.}

^{What are the problems faced with last-mile delivery?}

^{When you’ve placed an order, have you ever tracked your parcel online and seen that it was “out for delivery” and waited for what seemed like an eternity for it to eventually arrive? If you have, you may already realise that one of the main problems with last mile delivery is inefficiency. The reason for this is that the last leg of your parcel delivery involves a huge number of other drops along its journey to you.}

^{In rural areas such as Derbyshire, or Cumbria, delivery addresses on the driver's route can often be miles apart, with only one or two packages getting delivered to each, this can be massively time consuming. In cities and built up urban areas, it can be just as bad; even though delivery addresses in urban areas are close together, road works and traffic constantly cause the delivery driver to be delayed.}

^{The costs and inefficiencies of the last mile problem have been made worse by the increase of online retail sales, which means the number of parcels and packages delivered each day is far more, as well as customer expectations to include not just fast, but also free delivery.}

^{Technology to help improve last mile delivery.}

^{Many buyers are already familiar with crowdsourcing local services through digital platforms like Uber. Location-based crowdsourcing allows customers to use a mobile app to book a cab, book a hotel room, order Dominos Pizza to their house, hire a joiner to mount a TV, or even arrange for the delivery of flowers to a funeral.}

^{Crowdsourcing has been used in transportation, hospitality, and takeaway delivery for quite a while, and retailers are eyeing its low start-up costs, and improved customer experience to help ease their last mile delivery problems.}

^{Crowdsource technology, retailers, logistics companies, and consumers can now connect directly with local, same day couriers who use their own vans to carry out collections &deliveries. Businesses can ensure their online orders arrive with their customers faster, meaning they receive their items exactly when and where they want them. The freedom to make scheduled deliveries also means that customers are home at the time of delivery, eliminating the need for a second or even third delivery attempt.}

Find out how Greg Paulson Same Day Couriers could help you or your business by visiting us at - www.gregpaulsoncourier.co.uk