Amazon Testing Drones For Same-Day Delivery

One thing about same-day delivery is most retailers and shoppers like the fact that it is so convenient. The ease of the service is undeniable and online business sees the benefits of offering this level of service. Amazon is one retailer that offers same-day delivery and has over 40 order fulfillment centers to aid the service to spread easily in more US cities. Now, the retail giant is testing another way to make same-day delivery in the future even more convenient.

Internet Retailers recently reported that Amazon released new information that the retailer is testing its' first new delivery model using drones. The drones will be used to deliver only small packages to online shoppers. The drones will only deliver packages that are 5 pounds or less. It remains unsaid on whether this weight limit will increase, however, 86% of all Amazon orders meet the drone delivery criteria.

The service will be called Prime Air, which is identical to the Prime family called Amazon Prime. For a $79 yearly fee, online customers can subscribe to a yearly free shipping program. Amazon may offer with Prime Air a subscription along those lines as well. The service offering a subscription is yet to be made known with the drone testing still in process, however, same-day drone delivery will probably be very attractive for all customers worldwide.

Amazon made a statement relative to drone use for same-day delivery and the company appears to be very excited about the futuristic service. Amazon stated in the report, “The goal of this new delivery system is to get packages into customers' hands in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles. Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years and the [Federal Aviation Administration] rules and regulations.”

The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) did stated the drone same-day delivery will take same-day delivery stated within "several years" to create the rules, which will be drone deliveries like this. The agency also state it has tested "Unmanned Aircraft Systems roadmap" last month, discussing the requirements for us to enter national airspace", Agency administrator Michael Huerta stated in the report stating all deliveries will travel correctly. "It provides a five-year outlook and will have annual updates." 7,500 drones will being flying in the US within five years, which the first commercial drone was used for surveying this past September for a health project.

Amazon is having e-retailers guessing on what will be the next big trend. E-retailers, with large volume of orders to fulfill, will need a delivery system in place via partners such as a Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express. Until this service gets off the ground, e-retailers can call on the Portland Courier the provide superior delivery services and quick service implementation as well.

Reference: 12.2.13, Internet Retailer, Thad Reuter, Amazon.com dances with the drones

Will Same-Day Delivery Survive This Time?

Same-day delivery is really the talk of the e-retail world right now. You will not find any of the big name retailers conducting any business online without some form of the service. Whether it is Wal-Mart, eBay, Amazon, Target, and more, these companies are making huge investments into making the service thrive. However, even with all of the trending and uproar, some experts are wondering will it work this time?

MIT Technology Review wrote a report questioning whether same-day courier services will succeed and examined some of the retailers new services out there to see if it will make it. Google’s new same-day delivery service is called Google Shopping Express. With this service, you can really buy anything, from gum to a phone charger, and have it delivered to your front door for $5. Google and others usually launch same-day delivery in the San Francisco Bay Area because it has the right ingredients for the service. With all of the e-retail companies offering same-day delivery, the question is why are they pushing for this service now?

When the internet first began to grow, there were companies like WebVan and Kozmo.com, which put a lot of money into same-day delivery as well. These companies were hoping that online sales were going to grow rapidly and make the service sustainable, yet it did not. This could prove to be quite different right now since the consumer environment has changed. This is especially true because of increased usage of technology, such as smartphones, ipad, iphones, tablets, and more. This is not to mention the US population is becoming more centralized, meaning there is more time being spent at home.

Jeremy Levine, a venture capitalist at Bessemer Venture Partners, stated in the report, “Everything in retail revolves on price and availability. Price is price, and availability is a measure of how fast I get it after I click on my phone. A lot of the big guys are trying to crack that code.” Currently, online sales in the US are at $262 billion. The growth shows no signs of slowing down either. This is another reason retail giants are acting swiftly, seeking to be innovative and offer some form of same-day delivery.

Google's Shopping Express charges $5 for each store a customer order from and delivers within 2 hours. eBay has their same-day service with a $25 minimum purchase. It's service is currently available in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. EBay plans on expanding the service to 25 more US cities as well. Online leader Amazon offers Amazon Fresh, its' same-day grocery service in Seattle, and now in the Los Angeles area. This service is actually free for orders over $35. Regarding packages, Amazon created Amazon Lockers, which consist of a customer having their online orders shipped to their nearest locker location and picked up from there at their convenience.

The best option for online retailers to go with is to partner with a same-day courier like A-1 Express to perform the deliveries. A-1 Express has a national footprint and can prove to be exactly what online retailers are looking for to make same-day delivery work. The San Francisco Courier has the courier expertise to create an optimal delivery solution and can provide quick implementation as well. As e-commerce grows continues to grow in the coming years, we will see if same-day delivery will survives.

Reference: 11.14.13, MIT Technology Review, Rachel Metz, Can Same-Day Delivery Succeed This Time?

Shoppers Will Use Web For Black Friday, E-Retailers Can Use Same-Day Courier

Another holiday shopping season is upon us and is set to begin after Thanksgiving hits. The anticipated Black Friday kicks it off the holiday season with more than enough deals that shoppers can keep up with. Retailers are gearing up to take on all the consumers that are coming their way. Now, surveys are showing that e-retailers should not only be ready for shoppers at their physical stores, but also over the web.

A recent report by Internet Retailer is showing 35% of adults plan to primarily conduct their Black Friday shopping online. Offers.com performed the survey via lpsos Public Affairs consisting of a poll of 1,018 adults in the US. The coupon company also found that 37% of adults plan on shopping both online and at physical stores. 28% of adults surveyed stated they will only shop for Black Friday at physical stores.

“These trends show positive signs for the continued growth of online consumer activity,” Offers.com CEO Steve Schaffer said in the report. “People don't have to leave Thanksgiving dinner to get to the best sales, and they most certainly don't have to shop in a physical store to get the best Black Friday deals.” 72% of those surveyed will resort to the internet to make some type of purchase during Black Friday. This is definitely no surprise because shoppers are greatly aware of the discounts that are available online.

The survey also found out that overall 53% of adults will shop on Black Friday. With the other survey numbers, combined with online shopping increasing each year by 16%, e-retailers are sure to have big results this holiday season. Many retailers may consider offering same-day delivery to compete online. Retail giants like Wal-Mart, eBay, Google, Macy's, and more have already implemented same-day delivery in preparation for the upcoming online retail sales.

Black Friday and Black Friday weekend can be a good start for e-retailers looking to cash in for the rest of the year. Same-day delivery can be very attractive to online shoppers, especially those seeking to avoid the crowds. A Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express can deliver for e-retailers to their customers fast to their chosen destination. The Memphis Courier can also be an option for e-retailers to perform same-day delivery directly from their retail store locations. A-1 Express can be listed as a delivery option on a retailer's website, beginning Black Friday and throughout the holiday season to help their sales soar this year.

Reference: 11.8.13, Internet Retailer, Amy Rusto, Most Black Friday shoppers will head to the web

Deliv Partners With General Growth Properties, Announces Same-Day Delivery To Mall Shoppers

The more popular same-day delivery becomes, the more it is surely effecting the retail industry. Well-known e-retailers like Amazon, eBay, Google, Target, Macy's, and others have been mostly on the front pages regarding their new online trends to offer some form of same-day delivery. Now, one shopping mall operator General Growth Properties appears to be stepping into the race to provide the service and compete online.

General Growth Properties, or GGP, has partnered with Deliv to launch same-day delivery to mall shoppers reported PRNewswire. The service has been implemented to meet the demands of omni-channel retailing and to offer another option for customers to shop from the mall online. With this option of same-day delivery, its' mall shoppers can have an experience as close to physically going to the mall themselves.

The new partnership will begin at four mall locations that GGP owns, which are Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco; Eastridge in San Jose; Glendale Galleria in Los Angeles; and Oakbrook Center in Chicago. Customers can either shop online from that particular mall's website with participating retailers and have their items delivered. Shoppers can also have items delivered from the store, to their desired location, even as gifts.

CEO and founder Daphne Carmeli had nothing but positive remarks regarding being a provider of same-day delivery from malls. She stated, "Shopping malls have been a part of the American culture for decades, providing opportunities for fashion, social activity and convenience. In the Internet age, all retailers, as well as mall operators are looking at ways of continuing to provide outstanding customer experience to shoppers and GGP has shown great initiative introducing the delivery service. With Deliv's unique ability to manage same-day delivery to any location, GGP has established a simple, manageable and prestigious differentiation for its retailers."

This type of same-day delivery will definitely revolutionize the way customers shop at the mall. Many people enjoy the physical mall experience, however, sometimes they simply want to shop online conveniently from home and receive their product. This provides customers with time savings and the effort of traveling themselves. With online retail growing at a rate of 16% annually, there is a lot of value in retailers making an obvious, beneficial investment into providing same-day delivery.

Deliv, with a crowdsourcing delivery system, is not the only viable option for a same-day delivery partner for malls. Malls can partner with same-day couriers like A-1 Express to provide this type of delivery nationwide. This Los Angeles Courier has the logistics expertise and courier technology to develop a same-day delivery solution for online retail. Many well-known e-retailers, such as Wal-Mart, are using couriers instead, and mall retailer can utilize couriers also.

Reference: 8.29.13, prnewswire.com, Deliv Partners with GGP to Bring Same-Day Delivery to Mall Shoppers

EBay Launches "Shoppable Window" In New York, Will Use Same-Day Courier For Deliveries

EBay has been one the largest online retailers for quite some time, competing against Amazon for superiority. The company has been implementing various e-retail business strategies to get ahead, including one-hour same-day delivery within cities on the west coast. Now, eBay has created another service program, however, it will begin in the big apple of New York.

EBay has announced it will be launching a "shoppable window" in New York this month. These windows are actual virtual stores in which are being set up to generate more sales from their physical store networks. The first four of the screens opened on June 8th and will continue until July 7th. The EBay window will be selling various items from current and new fashion brands. The window has been set up since late last year, however, shoppers were not allowed to make any purchases with the screen. This service window will be set up on the doors outside of closed stores.

Shoppers will have the ability to go to the shoppable window, place an order and have their products delivered via a same-day courier to their doorstep. Payments for their orders will be accepted by the courier via Ebay-owned PayPal. This will be a very convenient service for customers and will increase the reachability of brick-and-mortar retailers to online shoppers. EBay has continued to partner will store retailers to develop a business model to increase their online sales. Companies such as Target and Macy's are just a few of the companies eBay is implementing the shoppable window business strategy.

Ebay's shoppable windows are being stated by experts as a platform to shift to mobile shopping. "This extends the boundary of the store. Suddenly the physical store, by virtue of online technology, extends to any space that's interesting to use," said EBay's Head of Innovation and New Ventures Group Steve Yankovich. Their pursuit of mobile shopping could definitely be the case. Recently, eBay announced roll-out of a one-hour same-day delivery service. The service is available via their mobile app--eBay Now. Through eBay Now, shoppers can place on order and have it in their hands within one-hour.

"We would never be able to fit all those products in a store in the traditional way," Chief Executive William McComb said regarding the shoppable window being used to launch a new fashion brand. He went on stating, "These things would typically require an extra 10,000 square feet of store space. But through partnerships like this eBay one we could do this through stores that are 2,000 square feet".

EBay utilizing a courier service for the new shoppable window confirms that same-day delivery works. Same-day couriers like A-1 Express can assist any e-retailer to provide various courier innovative solutions to fit excel within the online business industry. A-1 Express has the expertise to develop same-day delivery solution, including fast service and cost savings for its' customers nationwide.

References: 6.5.13, Reuters, Alistair Barr, EBay to open 'shoppable windows' in New York