With the emergence of e-commerce and online retail, shopping has become easy, efficient, and for retailers, very competitive. Retailers have been looking for the next big thing to grab a hold to in order to take consumer buying to the next level. What was not even considered in the past as having no imprint on retail, is now perhaps what is creating something so revolutionary, it is paving the way of the future of business.

Same-day delivery, which use to be commonly known as "local delivery", is what has become a premier driver in the retail and distribution industry. Modern Distribution Management recently released an article discussing how same-day delivery has become well-known as it has been made more logistically feasible due to modern fleet technology. In times past, local delivery was simply involved getting a package, item or freight, from one point to another within a short radius. It was only conceivable to have certain products shipped in this fashion, especially with transportation costs accounting for 25 to 35 percent of a seller's overall overhead. Yet now, distributors have the type of technology-based delivery network suited and innovative enough to handle same-day delivery.

Grand Junction, cloud-based software company that helps distributors manage their delivery network, had input on the rise of same-day delivery in the article. Its' founder and CEO Rob Howard commented, "(Local delivery) has been around, but it's starting to hit the prime time. One of the reasons is because Amazon, eBay, Google – bunches of people – are starting to offer same-day delivery programs for consumers. And they have to use the local delivery industry for that, and that is a forcing function to force the professionalization of local delivery and kind of move it to the prime-time." This is in fact true as these large e-retailers are making huge investments into this level of service, as shoppers' access to online use grows.

Online sales have experienced growth year after year and there's a reason why. Technology has also opened the door wide for convenience, as consumers can virtually shop from anywhere they are. The best deals are online and shoppers enjoy the hunt. Once they find it, some of them don't want to wait multiple days to get their purchase in their hands. Same-day delivery is literally bridging the gap, as shoppers aren't getting their products from a distribution center far away. What they just bought can be sourced from the local physical store and delivered to their front door within hours.

With the direction of technology, distribution and logistics, same-day delivery is going to become a household option for shipping products, whether it comes from a local warehouse, physical store or a delivery truck. It would be wise for companies that are looking to thrive online and in their local stores, to partner with a Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express. The Portland Courier can help expand your online business quickly to enter into new markets and can be a one-stop source for same-day delivery nationwide. A-1 Express can help get your local delivery system headed upstream with the flow of current fulfillment trends, so as logistics move, you'll move with it.

References: 7.7.14, www.mdm.com, Scott Merrill, Same-Day Delivery, Fleet Tracking Gain Focus in Distribution