Retailers view their e-commerce shipping service as an extension of their business. The quality and flexibility of their delivery solutions play a direct role in the decision-making criteria for their customers and overall success.
A significant 51% of shoppers prefer to shop online. That’s why retailers work to enrich the buying experience from sale to delivery. Most recently, retailers have turned to Buy Online Deliver From Store (BODFS) to meet customer expectations. This solution optimizes last-mile delivery by shipping from a store or warehouse to the customer that same day.
Why BODFS?
As online retail booms, customer expectations of convenience and low-cost delivery grow as well. Most retailers offer click and collect, but it still requires customers to pick up their item.
A BODFS model, however, surprises and delights customers by saving them time, improving delivery windows, and offering flexibility.
And a growing number of consumers are willing to pay for that convenience. According to a McKinsey study, 30% of consumers consider home delivery important. And another 25% of customers are willing to pay premiums for same-day or instant delivery.
For customers, there are many reasons to love a Buy Online Deliver From Store model:
They don’t want to drive long distances to pick up an item.
A 30-mile drive feels like a hike and takes too much time. By giving customers BODFS as an option, businesses remove store distance as a purchase barrier.
They can’t fit oversized items into their car.
Your customer bought an item only to realize they’ll need a bigger car or will have to wait two to three weeks for traditional shipping. But what if you could deliver to their home that same day? A BODFS shipping solution can fulfill delivery — no matter the item’s size and shape.
They’re not at the mercy of ironclad delivery schedules.
Sometimes your customer buys an item and needs it now. Convert stores into fulfillment centers, and businesses can offer same-day home delivery.
E-Commerce Shipping Helps Gain Ground on Big Box Retailers
Convenience is king — and big box retailers know it. Companies like Walmart and Home Depot have transformed retail stores into fulfillment centers. And for customers, it’s making the purchasing process a whole lot easier.
Retail giants aren’t the only ones who can gain a competitive advantage through an e-commerce shipping solution. If businesses implement BODFS — even on a much smaller scale — same-day and next day delivery becomes a reality for their customers. In turn, that convenience and speed builds customer loyalty and drives future sales.
You can read more on ship-from-store fulfillment in this article from our March/April issue.
Jamie Gottlieb is the Content Manager at Roadie, the only collaborative delivery network with over 60,000 pre-qualified drivers covering all 50 states. Roadie has made deliveries in more than 9,000 cities nationwide — a larger footprint than Amazon Prime. Visit www.roadie.com for more information.
