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The sky’s the limit
Leading parcel broker ParcelHero believes 2016 is the
year that technology will transform the way we send
and receive parcels and deliveries.
ParcelHero’s Head of Customer Research, David Jinks,
says: “We believe seemingly ‘sci-fi’ delivery methods are
nearer than most people think. Driverless deliveries may
sound like something out of
I Robot
, but in fact will be
happening in London this year. Greenwich’s streets will
soon see the eerie sight of driverless vans operating a
predetermined route, moving parcels between either
warehouses and shops or stores and homes.
“The vehicles will be autonomous, and may serve a
large distribution centre and the O2 Arena. However,
whilst control of the vans is entirely automatic,
ParcelHero expects there will be a person in the van to
ensure the operation runs smoothly and to take control
in the case of an emergency.”
In addition, ParcelHero expects drones to appear in
the skies sooner than predicted. After Amazon’s drone
trials were hindered by aviation regulation in the US, the
company approached the UK Government who were
quick to support the trials.
Alongside these hi-tech innovations, ParcelHero
expects to see the return of old fashioned pedal power
for deliveries, with heavier cargo bikes being fitted with
electric assistance.
Jinks concludes: “ParcelHero and its quality delivery
partners UPS and DHL plan to be involved in many
other technological developments, such as increased
green urban deliveries using electric vehicles and radical
new approaches to click & collect. This will be the year
technology delivers for parcel senders and internet
retailers.”
One in 10 online shoppers took advantage of same-day delivery
for Christmas orders last year as more retailers then ever offered
the service, research by ICM Unlimited shows.
Despite the challenges of hitting such a tight delivery time-frame,
three quarters of people choosing same-day delivery in December
said their items arrived on time, with 84% expressing satisfaction with
the service they received.
ICM Unlimited’s research suggests that offering same-day delivery
could give retailers a competitive advantage. One third of all shoppers,
and 74% of those who used a same-day delivery service in December,
said that in the future they would be more likely to buy from a retailer
who offered the option.
Kate Bewick, Associate Director at ICM Unlimited, said: “These
figures give retailers a clear indication of the advantage delivery can
offer in the very competitive market they operate in – particularly in
the light of some of the disappointing Christmas trading figures that
have already been released.”
Same-day deliveries are particularly popular with younger
consumers, with 44% of 18-34 year olds saying they would be more
likely to buy from a retailer that provided such a service.
A winning proposition
New research highlights the commercial benefits of offering
same-day deliveries
consumer demand for speed. Beelivery, a
grocery delivery company, uses crowd-
sourced drivers to deliver anything
nationwide within 90 minutes. Since
launching in February 2015, it has been
growing 30% month-on-month.
On The Dot, a new delivery service
launched by courier service CitySprint,
adds flexibility and control. It lets
customers select a guaranteed 1-hour
delivery window so that they don’t have
to wait in all day. Currently available in
central London and Birmingham, the
service will soon be offered in other cities.
Personal deliveries
Henchman, another start-up, is a
personal delivery service that promises
to buy and deliver absolutely anything
to Londoners within 60 minutes. Orders
can be made through the Henchman
app and website, with all transactions
conducted via PayPal, credit or debit
card.
Craig Stockwell, head of marketing,
says he is amazed by the growth in
demand for Henchman’s service and
the variety of items they are asked to
deliver. “Our customers are still testing
our service in amazing ways, using it
for fridges, alcohol, food, ice, passports,
tax returns and all sorts.We think
it’s just the start,” he said. The most
requested items from Henchman include
takeaways, laptop chargers, medicines
and pharmaceutical goods.
Explaining how Henchman is able
to provide such a fast service, Stockwell
said: “Henchman has a growing team of
drivers positioned throughout London,
so wherever you are, or wherever you’re
ordering from, we can assign someone
to you almost immediately.We use a
mix of cars, motorcycles and e-bikes to
ensure that whatever the order is, we
get there in time. Of course, for some
orders the process is naturally more
complicated – delivering a fridge isn’t as
simple as delivering a pizza.”
Driven by technology
Meeting rising consumer expectations is
made possible through the use of new
technology. Barclaycard research shows
that two businesses in five are launching
a new website (39%) and a quarter
(25%) are introducing new ordering and
payments apps.
Stockwell says that apps have been
critical to Henchman’s success (see box).
“Everything we use to communicate
with our drivers and customers we have
built ourselves.We actually have three
apps: the consumer app, which you can
download in the app store; as well as
the driver app and restaurant app that
we use to power the service. All of this
communication is the bedrock of how
our service operates.”
Delivery services are going through a
period of rapid innovation as businesses
respond to the rising expectations of
consumers and attempt to stay ahead of
the competition.
