Same Day Delivery – Is It Sustainable?

Gone are the days of ‘standard – three to five days’ being a sufficient delivery window. In this present day, there are a vast range of delivery options available: time specific, next day, premium, and, the subject of this blog: same day. As a company who works exceptionally hard to fulfil all our client requests with ‘Just in Time’ delivery, we have to question, is a same-day delivery option truly feasible?

There are a number of factors which must be considered – and perhaps these are easier to consider for those who work in the industry and are directly impacted by the effects of same-day delivery. From cost-effectiveness to efficiency, as industry professionals we propose this thought: is it logistically possible to offer a same-day service for a sustained period of time?

One can understand why business leaders, particular for consumer products, might be tempted to trial same day delivery: last year, Ecommerce News found that 72% of UK consumers would shop more if the retailer offered same-day delivery, and that sales could be €5.77bn higher with more delivery options. For those customers placing the order, there is a period of excitement as one waits until the product arrives. But beyond the screen of the online retailer, the logistics sector which drives these industries does not experience the same emotions. The process of same-day delivery is one of pressure, and boxes need to be ticked.

Major international companies like Google, Amazon and Uber have all adopted a ‘same-day’ delivery option, but often, if viewed from a smaller scale perspective, this is not a realistic target for national and local firms. Not all have found it to be a success, however – retail giants eBay have struggled to retain this service; terminating it shortly after it began due to its high costs not matching demand. In addition, with the driver shortage in the freight and logistics industry still a highly prevalent issue, the option of same-day delivery seems far from possible – how can sustained same day delivery be achieved when there are not yet enough drivers on the roads to cope with the current demand from consumers?

Another important consideration to take into account is whether quality control may slip. With time pressures becoming the main focus of warehouse workers, it is not difficult to imagine that mistakes might happen when only a tiny window of time is given for employees to suddenly process orders.

Largely, a concern at the forefront of our minds is the likelihood of every logistical company being able to cope with such a demand. At Barnes Logistics, we are proud to have a fleet with over 100 drivers on the road each day who help us meet order delivery requests; however, we, in our expert opinion, find a ‘Just In Time’ approach to be far more sustainable – a concept you can find out more about in detail in our previous blog. In sum, ‘Just In Time’ works for orders to be moved to specific locations only at the required times, reducing flow times and the amount of inventory to tackle waste and save money. This, combined with our experience and expertise, has proven invaluable to a number of industries.

Perhaps it is time for consumer retailers to take a step back and place efficiency and practicality over increasing their customers’ expectations – particularly given the state of the drivers’ shortage in the UK. Surely managing customer expectations will lead to higher levels of brand loyalty than promising a service which may not be tenable? A slick, well-regulated ‘Just In Time’ system implemented by trained professionals seems a far more economic and skilful logistics scheme to adopt, and one which would offer customers a happy medium in terms of product demand.

If you’d like to know more about the benefits of ‘Just In Time’ and how it can help your business, get in touch with our friendly team today.