More Free Same-Day Delivery For Amazon In Chicago

It's amazing to see the growth of Amazon implementing same-day delivery programs in most of the major US cities already with more to come. What makes its' service so competitive is that it is for free. Other well-known retailers, be it web-based or brick-and-mortar, have their various fees for their services. However, its' going to take some ingenuity to topple Amazon.

The Chicago Tribune recently announced that Amazon expanded its' free same-day delivery service into Chicago and Orlando last week, adding to the already 14 same-day markets in the US. Those cities include San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle-Tacoma, San Diego, Phoenix, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Washington DC, and Atlanta. Making the service free began in 14 Los Angeles metropolitan cities earlier this year and the other cities will probably follow.

A spokeswoman stated in the article that the free same-day delivery in Chicago will extend north to Evanston and Arlington Heights, south to Oak Lawn and west to Glen Ellyn and Downers Grove. This will be a big move and makes sense for Amazon being that Chicago is a popular city for holiday shopping. The coverage area for Orlando was not mentioned.

Same-day delivery will be free for all prime member orders placed over $35. Although Amazon's online Prime catalog offers 20 million items for shoppers, the current free service only includes 1 million of them. Time will tell, yet more than likely, this will grow the more and more established the service gets. All orders placed by 12 noon, will be delivered by 9pm the same day. All orders placed after 12 noon, will be delivered the following day.

The fulfillment centers for Amazon have been the key for its' growth, which act as localized warehousing in order to generate fast deliveries. This is the same model for big name physical store retailers that are competing against Amazon. For example, department store leader Macy's launched same-day delivery starting last year and fulfilled its' online orders from actual store locations. In that regard, delivering same day is very viable.

As Macy's jumped into same-day delivery, Kohl's decided this year to dive in head first as well. It recently added six more major US cities to its' same-day delivery list, which included Los Angeles, Boston, Brooklyn/Queens, Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Miami. Kohl's was already offering same-day delivery in Chicago, as well as in San Francisco and in the Bay Area. Therefore, the retailer is gearing more towards providing same-day delivery in as many feasible US cities as possible for the upcoming holiday season.

Online shopping continually increases every year and retailers know it. During the biggest shopping season of the year, e-commerce sales are expected to increase 13.9% in November and December, and an overall increase of 5.6% during the same time frame. To keep up with Google, Amazon and more, A lot of retailers are partnering with a Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express in order to offer same-day delivery too. The Chicago Courier supplies the same-day logistics solutions and the driver delivery expertise, performing the actual service too.

Reference: 10.21.15, www.chicagotribune.com, Meg Graham, Amazon brings free same-day delivery to Chicago

Kohl's Joins In, Launching Same-Day Delivery In Six More Cities

When it comes to same-day delivery, it appears that popular department store leader Macy's is not going to be having all the fun. Another well-known retailer has decided to make a go of it right before the holidays.

Kohl's released on Monday that it's rolling our same-day delivery in several major US cities in the coming weeks, adding to the list of its' current service areas in San Francisco, the Bay Area and Chicago. NBC reported that Kohl's will add six more, which includes Los Angeles, Boston, Brooklyn/Queens, Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Miami. Having same-day delivery up and running in this time frame will mark it ready for shoppers before Black Friday in November.

"The consumer's expectation is clearly shifting increasingly to the "I want it now" model, and department stores that are able to oblige will see significant increases in sales," said Giulia Prati, a senior research analyst at L2 Inc, citing an eMarketer report. He mentioned in the article that e-commerce sales account for 15% of a department store retailer's revenue. However, this number does spike up during the holidays.

There are figures to back that up as well. According to an August emarketer report, e-commerce sales are expected to increase 13.9% in November and December, and overall sales are expected to increase 5.6% in the same period. Therefore, retailers will miss out on potential sales because more than likely some of those shoppers will want their online items the same day. Retailers can partner with a Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express for quick implementation of a same-day delivery program and the Boston Courier performs the actual service for them.

Koh's is partnering with Deliv to get the new endeavor off the ground. Deliv is a start-up company, similar to Uber, in which it contracts drivers to pick up and deliver online orders to shoppers. Whether from malls or physical retail stores, Deliv will act as a courier for Kohl's, in addition to Macy's now. Macy's aggressively launched same-day delivery late last year for the holiday season. Currently, Macy's has 17 major US cities in which it offers same-day delivery. Other retailers like Google, Wal-Mart, BestBuy, Toys-R-Us, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and more have a same-day deliver service also.

The front runner that many retailers are competing against is Amazon. The robust retailer not only has an efficient fast delivery model, but also is starting to make it free. Amazon rolled out free same-day delivery in 14 Los Angeles metropolitan cities this year and this could expand into the other cities that it has service in. It services are offered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Baltimore, Boston, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Washington DC, and in hometown Seattle-Tacoma.

The expansion of same-day delivery by Kohl's is needed to compete with Amazon, Google, and Macy's that already are meeting the demands of this market. Whether a retailer joins with A-1 Express or another provider for same-day delivery, more than likely, others will begin to launch the service this year too.

Reference: 10.14.15, www.nbcnews.com, Reuters, Same-Day Delivery Wars Heat Up As Kohl's Adds Six More Cities

UK Retailer Argos Rolls Out Fast Track Same-Day Delivery Service

There couldn't be a better time for retailers to step up their game with same-day delivery, as Amazon is driving more and more of them to do just that. A recent report by The Guardian shows that this is not just going on with Google, Macy's, BestBuy, and more in the US, but also abroad. Ask high-street retailer Argos and it will tell you that if you're going to thrive against Amazon, you're going to have to compete their way, which is offering shoppers a fast online delivery option.

Argos' has launched Fast Track delivery service to to offer same-day delivery to shoppers right before Black Friday and the big holiday season begins. The service is making available 20,000 products to customers with only a flat fee of £3.95, which is less expensive in order to combat Amazon’s low cost Prime Now. In the UK, Prime Now is £6.99 per order and is said to only be available within certain London postcodes, versus Argos' Fast Track delivery, which will be offered all around the UK.

“Argos led the way with click and collect 15 years ago, and customers can continue to shop with us in the traditional ways if they choose to,” said John Walden, chief executive of Argos’s owner, Home Retail Group. He went on optimistically about the new service stating, “But we believe Fast Track is the next big innovation and brings shopping into the digital age for customers. No other retailer can offer the breadth of products immediately or at that speed."

He also stated, “We can do this because we are a different type of retailer. We know where every product is in our network and for customers who shop across digital channels – online and mobile – that means they can get what they want faster and with certainty.” The article mentioned how Walden would not disclose how much Argos had invested in re-engineering its national “hub and spoke” model of 170 larger stores and distribution centers for better quality and delivery speed. Amazon has distribution centers strategically located all over the US, appearing to be the same concept and objective.

Sophie McCarthy, a retail analyst with Conlumino, also commented in the report regarding the best move for Argos to make was to launch same-day delivery. She stated, “This has the potential to be a serious game changer, not only for Argos, but for the wider UK retail market as retailers increasingly chase fulfillment as a competitive weapon. There is no doubt that the introduction of a same-day delivery service for as little as £3.95 is going to be an expensive business for Argos, but the costs of it not competing on delivery are likely to be even higher – its last trading update revealed further sales declines as it struggled to evolve its traditional catalogue to fit the demands of the modern consumer.”

It makes sense for Argos to do it right before the holiday season, as Google, Amazon, Macy's, and others are doing the same. For retailers seeking to drive their sales upward online, a Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express can partner with any retailer and get their same-day delivery program launched quickly. The New Jersey Courier has a national footprint, enabling it to implement the service on a large scale also. Argos and other retailers see the benefits of same-day delivery, and it won't be long until others begin to follow.

Reference: 10.6.15, www.theguardian.com, Rebecca Smithers, Argos squares up to Amazon with same-day delivery across UK

Millennials Driving More Retailers To Offer Same-Day Delivery

The growth of online retail is coming from all directions, including from millennials. With the use of tech gadgets and mobile devices, the new generation is making its' impact on how retailers are doing business. Their voice is even being heard when it comes to same-day delivery growth.

Multichannels Merchants recently released news relative to a high percentage of millennials are all in with same-day delivery being offered as a shipping option. Fraud prevention firm Trustev and Coldwell Banker Commerical Affiliates performed surveys that found over 56% of consumers between ages 18-34 expect retailers to provide same-day shipping when they order online, and 64% of the millennial demographic were more likely to make an online purchase if same-day delivery was offered. This is a huge stat that is going to make a number of heads turn by physical and web-based only retailers that are not on board with same-day delivery yet.

Rurik Bradbury, CMO of Trustev, commented on the findings in the report. "They’re mostly digital natives, and the younger half grew up knowing nothing but online apps. So we can see how their worldview has shaped those expectations. At this point we’ve had e-commerce for more than 20 years, but now there are a bunch of same-day delivery providers like Deliv and Postmates, built with this group’s real-time demands in mind.”

In regards to fraud for the quick turnaround times for same-day delivery, he also said, “A lot of famous brands, including a large higher-end clothing retailer, have told us they dread the push from executive management to do same day because it’s not possible with their current process. The average retailer reviews 10% of its transactions, so to turn these orders around (while mitigating fraud) and not missing the one-day cutoff isn’t possible with current systems.”

Amazon and 1-800 Flowers were the only two of the 50 top retailers in the Manhattan area zip code 10001, which Trustev researched, that offered same-day delivery as a standard option within their checkout process. Yet, there is a growing list of companies diving into rolling out same-day delivery programs nationwide, including big name retailers like Walmart, Williams Sonoma, Target, Ulta Beauty, Costco, Staples, Ace Hardware, Neiman Marcus and Macy's. Kohl’s has now launched its' same-day pilot program in San Francisco and Chicago also.

Macy's is the department store retailer that has expanded its' same-day delivery service the most. Late last year, Macy's rolled out its' program in 8 major US cities, which included San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Houston, Seattle, Chicago, Washington DC, and New Jersey. Its' program grew into nine more US markets this past August, including plans by Macy's to expand into 14 more by the end of the year. Macy's now is in more markets with the service than Amazon.

With these figures by millennials, not to mention that online retail is forecasted to grow upward to $500 billion by 2018, companies will begin seeing that same-day delivery will become a standard option for shoppers. Retailers aren't on their own when it comes to implementing the popular service. They can partner with a same-day courier like A-1 Express and get their online business turned toward the new fast service trends to come. The New York Courier has a nationwide footprint and can help retailers gain more of the millennial market.

Reference: 9.24.15, www.multichannelmerchant.com, Mike O'Brien, Half of Millennials Want Same-Day Delivery, but Most Retailers Don’t Offer It

Google Express Expands To Fresh Food Same-Day Deliveries

As eBay sits out of the same-day delivery race for now, Google clearly has its' sites on Amazon. The retail giant's most recent move proves it. Since 2013, Google has been aggressively involved in express delivery withing hours of everyday online products, along with certain foods. Now, same-day grocery delivery of fresh foods is next.

CNet reported this week that Google will be testing same-day grocery delivery later this year. This is a trailblazer for Google, as this will be the first time its' service, Google Express, will be tackling the delivery of fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods. The key is these types of groceries is they will have to be delivered quickly. Google already delivers on mass scale general products within hours, and fresh foods won't be any different. Testing will begin in the San Francisco Bay Area, partnering with large grocery store chains like Costco and Whole Foods.

The move is strategically beneficial for both Google and partnering grocery stores. Physical store chains are able to tap into the market of shoppers that don't enjoy dealing with finding a good parking space and waiting in long checkout lines just to get some apples and a loaf of bread. Whole Foods currently offers fast delivery for food trays and volume food orders for corporation having business luncheons and events. Google Express grocery shopping online will appeal to younger shoppers also, especially college students.

Wal-Mart, like Costco and Whole Foods, already is involved in same-day delivery. The robust retail leader has the service in a number of US cities, as well as in Canada. Wal-Mart offers free same-day service in Canada to aggressively compete against Amazon.ca in that area. As far as further same-day delivery plans, Wal-Mart does have its' neighborhood market stores, which it rolled out a few years ago. These small, close-proxy stores can act as fulfillment centers for online orders. Wal-MarttoGo is also another service option, allowing shoppers to order online and then pick up their orders from a nearby participating store.

Online retail is forecasted to reach over $500 billion by 2018 and delivering groceries will have its' impact on this expected growth. Google's same-day grocery launch will grow, along with its' same-day and overnight delivery in other major US cities. Just this week, Google Express expanded into five more Midwest states, including Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, and Boston already have Google Express. Amazon's same-day grocery delivery service that is available in Seattle, Los Angeles and other cities. As its' free same-day service expands from Seattle and California, with the right numbers, this will probably be the case for delivering groceries too.

Google's new fresh food deliveries is sure to peak the interest in other e-retailers and brick-and-mortar retailers who are considering doing the same. Whether it's food or not, same-day delivery is here to stay. A Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express can assist any retailer with implementing the same-day delivery program they need. The Washington DC Courier has a national footprint to help large retailers obtain a service that can be used in any of their markets.

Reference: 8.18.15,www.cnet.com, Richard Nieva, Google to test same-day grocery delivery service