Modern Distribution Management Talks Same-Day Delivery And It's Growth

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

Look Out Amazon, Here Comes More Google Shopping Express!

For a moment, it seemed as if Amazon was the only big e-retailer making headway with same-day delivery. With dozens of fulfillment centers strategically located near major US cities, Amazon Fresh expanding and even talk of same-day delivery via drones, Amazon has its' sights on distancing itself from the pack this year. However, there is one e-retailer that has emerged that is taking Amazon head on and are not taking no for an answer. Look out Amazon, here comes Google Shopping Express.

A recent article by Re-code via Yahoo.com reported Google is planning to not just have Google Shopping Express in a select number of major US cities it's currently in, like San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Google has plans to take its' Google Shopping Express nationwide. Google Shopping Express is a same or next-day delivery service that allows customers to shop at local, physical stores online, such as Target, Whole Foods, Costco and more. This is Google's service launched to compete with Amazon's same-day delivery and Prime service.

The article also discussed Google's investment plans which affirms its' dedication into seeing Google Shopping Express soar. Tom Fallows, the head of Shopping Express, stated, “You can very much expect that we are putting a lot of money into this and we’re excited and willing to sustain that investment over time as this gets going”. The executive leadership has committed up to $500 million toward the expansion of the service. This is a huge move by Google and it appears the e-retailer is confident the expansion will pay off.

One thing about Google, its' position in product search can't be beat, since the online giant is the leading search engine provider in the first place. In some form or fashion, everyone uses Google or is connected with someone who does. The retailer has a deep competitive advantage here and their online sales can be unmatched. More than likely, the company will create a number of seamless integrations that will ultimately make Google Shopping Express even more accessible, at the fingertips of Google users.

The e-retailer knows exactly what it wants and how to take Google Shopping Express across the US. Online companies that are not as large as Google, yet seek market share and online sales growth, can partner with a Same-Day Courier Service like A-1 Express to expand nationwide. With quick courier solution implementation strategies, this Los Angeles Courier can help create a broader web presence and deliver your online products anywhere in continental US. The local markets where your shipping mileage radius is small, A-1 Express can develop a delivery solution to help compete long-term, even assist companies like Google to compete.

References: 7.7.14, www.yahoo.com, Google Gunning for Amazon With Expansion of Same-Day Delivery

Patriot Tactical Is Nimble With Amazon And Google, Even Uses Same-Day Shipping

When a company is solely a physical store in the retail industry, their competition battle is a little different from those on the web. In today's mix of e-retail, there are a number of online companies in the same race seeking market share full of shoppers that are looking to do easy spending and find great deals. Online retail is growing at 16% annually and same-day delivery is in demand. Yet, there are one e-retail competitor, Amazon, that have a grip on the market. Also, Google has the search engine industry in its' back pocket. If your company is in the ring with them, its' best to have an effective strategy if you're going to last.

E-retailers are making various business moves to stand up against the best of them, which is what U.S. Patriot Tactical is doing. This company is a store-based retailer of boots, apparel and gear for members of the military.

Sales for the retailer have consistently grown in recent years and the question is how is the retailer doing it. U.S. Patriot has its' share of challenges as every other retailer in the race, but what is making the difference is between its' sales and becoming irrelevant. Amazon and Google are at both fronts, therefore, both have given aggressive attention to thrive.

“A company at our size, we don’t have as many resources available to us, so it’s hard for us to keep up with the updates from Google, or it takes longer for us to respond,” stated U.S Patriot Tactical's President Paul Yoo in the article. A year ago, the retailer had to overcome the challenge of fast site speed, as well as Google changes. Google performs regular shifts on web site ranking, which can make it difficult to stay visible online. Small e-retailers know this is crucial for their online selling and search engine optimization is key to their sales. However, large retailers have the flexible spending to invest in paid search ads, in comparison to small guys with limited budgets. The article stated search engines may favor large retailers with recognizable names as well.

U.S. Patriot Tactical has learned to incorporate more in-depth content for its' website, utilizing copywriters to create detailed product descriptions. The retailer essentially has leaned more towards search engine optimization the organic way, which fits their budget, and at the same time, boosts their online sales. With a search for "military boots", the report stated U.S. Patriot ranked first among Google organic listings.

The retailers also has the competition of Amazon with selling their online products. As robust as Amazon is on the web, U.S. Patriot had to be agile with certain products in order to create sales. Yoo said in the article, “Sometimes we’ll buy up the inventory from the manufacturer before Amazon will even get their hands on it. For us, being nimble is survival. For now, I have more inventory on many items than Amazon does, since this is my specialty. But the minute they decide to go into my niche, I’m not sure I’ll have very much to say about it. That’s something a lot of small retailers are faced with.” The company has also opted to sell some of its' products on Amazon, such as boots, due to its' vast 60,000 stock of them. It can also prepare for competing in local markets by implementing same-day delivery, which is what Amazon is doing as well. A Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express can help deliver products fast nationwide. The Charlotte Courier can help compete in the long-term.

References: 6.24.14, Internet Retailer, Stefany Zaroban, How one Second 500 e-retailer handles Amazon and Google

Google Adds To Google Shopping Express, Launches Next-Day Delivery

No one would have thought that same-day delivery for online retail would be so explosive as it has in recent years. Growth is continuing as a pace where e-retailers are hungry for more market share than ever before. Even search engine giant Google has jumped into the same-day delivery race to compete with Amazon and eBay. Shoppers enjoy convenience and a variety of delivery solutions can be just what they are looking for. That's why Google is not only providing same-day delivery in a number of major US cities, but now another shipping option has been created to attract more shoppers--next day delivery.

Google has announced that it will now offer next-day delivery within the Google Shopping Express service umbrella. The new next-day delivery shipping option will be available in the Fresno north area, up to the Oregon border. The service will be initially launched in Oakland, Fremont, Berkeley, and well-known East Bay area of San Francisco, which was the launching pad for same-day delivery last year. Within months, next-day delivery will then expand as south as Fresno and as far north as the California-Oregon border. The Northern California area appears to have the right demographics and infrastructure for Google not only to roll-out the service, but to also be highly successful.

Google's next-day delivery consists of shipping orders made by 7pm and then delivered the next day to its' customers. Google offering next-day delivery makes sense. With online ordering, shoppers enjoy having a retailer with delivery options that can shift right along with them. Shoppers could need same-day delivery one day. and the week following, they could require next-day delivery and deem it more suitable.

Google Shopping Express was launched last year, as the search giant partnered with well-known retailers to deliver products same day. Companies such as Target and Staples are just a few of the retailers involved in Google Shopping Express. Now, with next-day delivery, Target and others from Google Shopping Express, have partnered with the search giant, including Walgreen Co., Blue Bottle Coffee, Toys 'R' Us, American Eagle Outfitters, Raley's Nob Hill Foods, and Palo Alto Toy & Sport. The report also stated Costco, Office Depot and REI have all jumped into the service.

To help make Shopping Express more attractive to shoppers, Google is offering a six-month free trial, which expires on the 30th of this month. The price for service is $4.99 per store stop for non-members;yet Google didn't state what the charge will be for all Shopping Express members. Customers pay for their deliveries via Google Wallet. The app stores the customer's card and address information, creating a faster checkout service.

Once a customers sees the value and convenience of fast deliveries via web retail, the benefits of it will cause shoppers to continue to order online more. Whether its' same-day delivery or next-day delivery, a same-day courier like A-1 Express can partner with large e-retailers like Google and create an optimal courier logistics solution. The Portland Courier has a national footprint and can be a one-stop source for all of their delivery needs.

References: 6.4.14, Internet Retailer, Abby Callard, Google adds overnight delivery to Google Shopping Express

Amazon to Test Sunday Delivery

For years the web-based retailer Amazon.com has been a trendsetter when it comes to developing creative means for more efficient delivery. One issue Amazon has yet to overcome is delivery on Sundays. The lack of Sunday deliveries has long been an inconvenience we’ve learned to live with but Amazon hopes to tackle this issue by launching a new Sunday delivery program in select cities.

In November of 2013, Amazon launched a Sunday delivery option available to their two largest revenue generating cities: L.A. and New York. Expanding on this idea, Amazon has incorporated 13 more cities into their Sunday delivery option including: Austin; Cincinnati; College Station, Texas; Columbus; Dallas; Houston; Indianapolis; Lexington, Ky.; Louisville; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Philadelphia; San Antonio; Shreveport, La.; and Waco, Texas. Representatives for the online retailer say the company plans to expand this side of their delivery throughout the country in 2014 making it an option available to anyone.

The service in these select cities is free for Amazon Prime members, adding just another perk to the $99 Prime membership. Non-Prime customers can still receive Sunday delivery on qualified items but will pay the standard two-day shipping rate. A spokesperson for Amazon says millions of Amazon’s products qualify for this service and shoppers can easily see what items qualify for this special Sunday delivery as they browse, and these purchases qualify for Sunday delivery as late as 11 p.m. on Friday. Currently Amazon sees infant items and books as its most popular goods being shipped on Sunday, but looks for consumers to shift from their traditional weekend errands in brick and mortar stores to using the weekend delivery for their everyday purchases.

Industry analyst Jan Dawson does not expect other retail giants to jump on board with Sunday delivery. This prediction is mostly due to the opportunity consumers already have to shop at these stores who have brick and mortar options and Sunday hours.

One of the many things Amazon does which makes their business unique is utilizing several courier services to ensure timely and efficient delivery. Presently Amazon uses UPS, Fedex, AmazonFresh, and their new partnership with USPS to complete customer orders. It is through this new business partnership Amazon is able to complete their weekend, specifically their Sunday, deliveries. This partnership has created many part-time positions for USPS at a time when they needed a financial boost as well as allowing Amazon to delivery more orders than ever.

As Amazon looks to completing Sunday deliveries, it is clear now more than ever there is truly a need for a weekend delivery service. Atlanta courier service, A1Express, is your delivery service for all deliveries. Online and traditional retailers nationwide count on A1Express for deliveries any day of the week. Companies that partner with A1Express find quick and simple same-day and weekend delivery for their customers. The staff at the Atlanta courier service is an expert in delivery logistics and customer service.This expertise has made A1Express an obvious choice for many businesses in the Atlanta area and around the country. Call today for a simple estimate for your business needs.