If we’ve learned anything from the uncertainty of the last two years, it’s that retailers must be prepared for the unexpected. What worked last year or last month may not work in 2023, and the most successful organizations will be those prepared for whatever comes their way.
High labor costs, disrupted supply chains and increasing demand for free and fast delivery have created a new brand of uncertainty, which means retailers cannot continue to operate as they always have. Rather than focusing on high-cost solutions just to meet demand, many organizations are looking outside their walls for help with tasks that allow them to use their resources more efficiently.
For many organizations, that means taking a look at final-mile delivery. Outsourcing non-core services like last-mile logistics allows your team to focus on what they were trained to do, while putting your business in position to move orders quickly no matter what trouble may arise.
With crowdsourced on-demand delivery, your business can create efficiencies and continue to offer home delivery to customers without the need to hire drivers, purchase and maintain more vehicles, or set up and expand your logistics infrastructure — all of which come with costs that can quickly add up. Using an affordable crowdsourced platform like Roadie allows you to flex and scale your delivery options so you’re not leaving business on the table when demand spikes — or when rising costs or slow supply chains challenge your ability to get customers what they want, when they want it.
Read on to learn how having an always-on fulfillment option in your toolkit can help your business stay a step ahead of the challenges shaping today’s market.
Beat trucking labor woes with crowdsourcing
Labor is in short supply throughout the supply chain, particularly in the trucking industry. Though not the root cause, the pandemic further hastened the need for drivers. In fact, nearly a third (30%) of shippers have experienced driver shortages, according to the 2021 Third-Party Logistics Study.
Some warehouses use their own drivers and fleets for scheduled and on-demand deliveries, but shorter delivery windows and widespread labor shortages make this option less reliable than it once was.
Crowdsourcing is helping to fill this gap. Crowdsourced final-mile delivery with Roadie allows businesses already facing diminished fleet capacity to tap into a national network of independent drivers that reaches up to 90% of U.S. households with local delivery. Businesses that use crowdsourced delivery no longer need to divert trained warehouse workers or recruit drivers in an already competitive market.
Plus, with over 200,000 drivers using Roadie to fulfill orders on-demand, you aren’t confined by traditional carriers’ capacity limits and schedules.
Meet customers’ need for speed
On top of fueling an ongoing labor shortage, the pandemic forever changed consumers’ shopping habits. Not only are they buying more online, but many shoppers increasingly are looking for speed and availability when they make a purchase. New research from SOTI found that more than a third of consumers say they feel delivery times have been slower than usual, and more than half said shipping/delivery time is the most frustrating aspect of ordering online.
That frustration is unlikely to stop consumers’ demand for speed and availability, however. It just means they might look past your business if you can’t deliver fast enough. SOTI’s research found that more than a third of respondents said they’ll look elsewhere if delivery or pickup of an item takes longer than two days.
With Roadie, you can reach more than 20,000 U.S. zip codes with same-day and next-day local delivery. That kind of reach can help your business expand options for ultrafast delivery into markets you haven’t been able to easily tap into. In this market, faster deliveries means happier customers.
Don’t let a tough economy stop your business from getting customers the products they want, when they want them. Crowdsourced delivery with Roadie can help your business move quickly — no matter the market conditions.
Want to make good on your ultrafast delivery promise? Read on to discover how Roadie can help businesses protect their fulfillment operations from the impact of the trucker shortage to deliver nearly any item, anytime, anywhere.
