Retailers Getting Faster At Delivering Online Items

If you're moving as fast as Amazon is, then you would understand that today's online retail is emerging to become a staple business within e-commerce. Online retail is expected to reach $500 billion by 2018, and Amazon is leading way, capturing 33% of sales online a year ago. One of the e-retail giant's core value-added services is its' ability to optimally perform two-day delivery, as well as Same-Day Delivery. This has given Amazon a tremendous advantage over other retailers, yet a new report shows that they are beginning to fight back and speed up their delivery times.

Internet Retailer recently reported how several top e-retailers in the US have begun to deliver their online items. It's new “Click, Ship & Return: Fulfillment Report” showed that retailers were making delivery time improvements within the last three years. The study was based on 30 retailers, tracking KPI's such as shipping speed, order processing times and returns. The report found that the average delivery time was four days.

The four-day time frames is a big difference from what it use to be. Based on a Slice Intelligence tracking of 238 online retailers, in January 2014 the average delivery time was 8.3 days. By April 2016, that average has decreased to 5.1 days. Therefore, there was a vast improvement within a two-year span. Consumers have become more comfortable with shopping online, coupled with the convenience of technology, the demand for faster delivery has increased. The retailer that can provide the same product, yet have the ability to get it into the hands of shoppers reliably faster, will be the one that gains a loyal customer.

In comparison with Amazon, the e-retail holds an impressive average between one and two days to deliver. This is no surprise with the level of distribution and fulfillment center operation that Amazon has. Now, it even has the reach to provide two-hour delivery via Prime Now in major US cities. Earlier this year, Amazon's expanded its' free Same-Day Delivery program to a total 27 cities, including San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Diego, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Washington DC, Chicago, Richmond, Atlanta, Orlando, and more. Soon Amazon will be nationwide.

Other retailers are beginning to adopt Amazon's strategy. E-commerce analytic company, Slice Intelligence, performed a study and found one way retailers are successfully delivering quicker is by building more distribution centers to fulfill online orders, and these facilities are storing merchandise close to many heavily populated areas. This is resulting in faster turnaround delivery times. They are also utilizing their brick-and-mortar stores to pick up and delivery online orders. A company like Wal-Mart for example, has thousands of locations nationwide, which would enable it to easily fulfill online orders.

Instead of perform the deliveries themselves, many retailers partner with a Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express to develop an optimal same-day delivery solution throughout the US. The Phoenix Courier has a national footprint and the expertise to exceed any company's expectations. We understand courier same-day delivery, offering route deliveries, long-distance services, return delivery services, one-hour services, and more. A-1 Express can help get retailers' delivery time decreased, resulting in being able to truly compete with Amazon.

Reference: 9.9.16, www.internetretailer.com, Kat Fay, Top e-retailers deliver the goods faster

London's Sainsbury Goes Same-Day Grocery Delivery to Compete With Amazon

It takes more than online sales to compete with Amazon and most retailers know it. Grocery store chain leader Sainsbury in the UK has concluded as well that a Same-Day Delivery option is key to meeting the service demand by today's shoppers. Amazon is doing it. Sainbury announces it is going to do it too.

Sainbury is rolling out its' own model of same-day grocery delivery service in over 30 areas in England by Christmas of this year. The grocery retailer currently does next-day delivery on all orders placed before 11pm, as long as a delivery slot is available. The new grocery service will provide grocery delivery to shoppers that order online by noon, which will be received by 6pm that day. To also meet its' customer service options, Sainsbury will have a pick-up option that will be ready to pick up from 4pm. Customers will have a variety of ways to get their online products into their hands.

The article discussed how Sainsbury will be charging up to £7 for its same-day grocery delivery services. Like Amazon, Sainsbury’s Delivery Pass membership costs between £30 and £60 a year. Shoppers can also pay no delivery fee for all orders over £40. Amazon had found the formula to thriving online by creating a loyal customer customer base via Prime, and Sainsbury seeks to do the same.

Sainsbury isn't the only grocery store retailers that is gearing up for the upcoming holiday season. The world's largest retailer Wal-Mart launched its' pilot program of same-day grocery deliveries in Denver, as well as another unidentified market last month. Wal-Mart partnered with Uber and Lyft ride-hailing services to perform the actual pick up and deliveries. If all goes well, Wal-Mart will probably expand the service. As the biggest shopping season approaches, it's critical to have same-day grocery delivery to have been proven, especially as retailers like Wal-Mart have same-day delivery of non-grocery items in their sights.

Wal-Mart also has made similar implementations with Sainsbury, as it has begun to offer its' new ShippingPass membership program. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched ShippingPass to keep pace with Amazon's Prime services. ShippingPass provides free shipping with two-day delivery for all members, which pay only $49 per year for memberships, in comparison to Amazon's for $99. Shoppers on WalMart.com will have access to online items such as electronics, clothing, health products, and more. The retailer has over 3,400 Supercenters throughout the US and has all the pieces necessary to easily perform last-mile deliveries.

Like Sainsbury, Wal-Mart plans to offer same-day delivery as well. As Amazon continues to expand it's own same-day delivery program, more and more retailers are implementing the service. A Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express can partner with retailers to help establish the delivery component of their web presence. The Phoenix Courier has hundreds of companies that it has provided optimal same-day delivery solutions for nationwide. Shoppers have become comfortable with online shopping and the retailer that can utilize same-day delivery to get products conveniently into their hands, will be the ones that compete against Amazon.

Reference: 7.21.16, www.dailymail.co.uk, Sean Poultner, Sainsbury's takes on Amazon with same-day delivery pledge

With Huge First Quarter Loss, JC Penney Looks To Improve Online Shopping

In 2011, JC Penney's began pursuing to turn their retail ship around and back on a course of success. The retail company even hired former Apple retail executive Ron Johnson to lead the charge for future growth. The company has not seen the incline it has hoped for and in the first quarter of this year, JC Penney has hit huge losses for the worst.

CNNMoney reports JC Penney has suffered a first quarter loss of $289 million and a decrease of sales of 16.4% from 2012. Its' shares fell 2.2% on Thursday. This occurs after the step down of CEO Ron Johnson. The former CEO pursued to revive the company with new ideas and initiatives. He pursued to implement changes such as overhaul pricing, redesigned store layouts, and create mobile and self-checkout machines within stores. The attempt has not given JC Penney's the growth it is looking for so far.

JC Penney's now has new CEO Mike Ullman at the helm now and he knows there is work to be done. "We recognize the magnitude of the challenges that we face, and we believe we can put J.C. Penney back on a pathway to profitable growth", stated Ullman in an analyst conference call. One of the first actions the company has taken is admitting mistakes and asking customers to return via a YouTube channel ad. The company has also received a $1.75 billion loan from Goldman Sachs for the big push forward.

Former CEO Johnson did have a pursuit that has not change with Ullman, which is online retail. One of the areas Ullman mentioned about improving was relative to its' online store. "Over the last year, jcp.com functioned as a completely separate entity inside the company, with little synergy between stores and online," said Ullman. He pledged to reemphasize their private brands and increase its' online store performance.

Online shopping has had a great impact on many brick-and-mortar stores, some of which have ended up closing such as Circuit City, which JC Penney is pursuing to not have the same fate. The direction is clear that e-retail has now created a major revolution in the business world and brick-and-mortar stores must go with shift if they want to thrive. Large retailers such as Wal-Mart, Macy's, eBay, Google, and more are making online shopping a top business objective, putting the pieces together to make it more attractive and effective.

All of these online giants are even implementing same-day delivery of their online products as e-retail and mobile commerce becomes a standard in the way we do business. Same-day couriers like A-1 Express are being partnered with to offer delivery services to get online shoppers their products to their front door easy and fast. The Phoenix Courier has a national footprint and is able to assist companies like JC Penney implement profitable online store delivery ideas and solutions.

References: 5.16.13, CNNMoney, James O'Toole, Another massive loss for J.C. Penney

Black Friday Starting Thursday, Couriers Can Help Holiday Sales Thrive

The shopping holiday season is about to officially begin, as Thanksgiving arrives. Black Friday, the day afterwards, is the big day shoppers are waiting for. However, the way retailers have viewed Black Friday this year, all the gloves are off and many are beginning to offer their deals sooner than the traditional Black Friday.

Retailers are actually rolling out their deals on Thanksgiving Day. CNN Money reported Black Thursday could be the newest trend beginning this year. This results from retailers jockeying for position to be the first store to open for the holiday sales season. Wal-Mart and Toy-R-Us will be opening at 8pm on Thanksgiving night. Target will be opening at 9pm also. This means many shoppers will shorten their turkey night to go and catch the deals. Others my use the shopping experience as a time to bond and have fun with their families.

The Black Thursday shopping day my be good for retailers, but is being opposed by employees. They will have to cut their Thanksgiving Day short in order to work. The article mentioned Target employee Casey St. Clair that has taken a stand, receiving 170,000 supporters to close stores on Thanksgiving evening. This issue will probably be the difference maker in whether Black Thursday will stand or buckle in the years to come.

Regardless, There is still positive signs for this year's sales on Black Friday. The National Retail Federation forecasts holiday sales will increase 4.1%, which is not as high as the 5.6% from last year. Online sales increased by 24% in 2011 and are expected to see growth as well. More shoppers are using their iPads and other mobile devices to find and purchase the best deals. Many large corporations are seeking to make online retail as convenient as possible, even testing markets utilizing same-day delivery to get products to their customers a lot faster.

Same-day delivery is what can help retailers meet the shopping demand this holiday season, especially to increase their online sales. Same-day couriers like A-1 Express can assist any company with their order fulfillments nationwide. This Phoenix courier can pick up and delivery your holiday products fast! A-1 Express can create a courier logisitics solution for your company just in time for the holiday rush and help your business thrive.

References: 11.12.12, CNN Money, Emily Jane Fox, Black Thursday is the new Black Friday; www.nrf.com