Packed-full mall parking lots, obligatory office potlucks and another “World’s Best [fill in the blank]” mug from your kids. There are some things you’ve come to expect during the holidays, but the latest trend in ultrafast delivery can help address them all.
The market for corporate and consumer food gifting is $42 billion and growing by more than 5% annually, according to recent research. This includes everything from charcuterie and fruit arrangements to gourmet popcorn, cookies and cupcakes for any occasion. These gifts might not be able to replace the “World’s Best” mug on your family’s shopping list, but a delicious delivery from any of these services can help holiday shoppers avoid busy malls and be a hero at the holiday party.
Sound good? It’s a tasty deal for your food-focused business too — especially with crowdsourced delivery in the mix. By adding on-demand same-day delivery options, whether it’s for your baked goods business or your specialty food operation, you can fulfill your customers’ holiday gifting needs with speed and convenient tracking — two other expectations high on holiday shoppers’ lists, particularly with perishable orders.
Why same-day delivery matters for perishables
As demand for holiday food gifting soars, consumers also expect transparency every step of the way. A 2024 survey by ezCater found that 97% of corporate consumers want delivery tracking updates for their perishable orders. Also in the findings: Only 25% of food providers offered that feature. Adding crowdsourced delivery with Roadie to your logistics helps your food business maximize all this and more. Here’s how:
Real-time order tracking
All deliveries made with Roadie have real-time delivery tracking and notifications that give customers peace of mind. They can follow the status of their perishable order from the moment it leaves the store until it arrives at the recipient’s door (or their own). This level of transparency reduces customers’ anxiety and builds trust that your business can fulfill delivery promises, especially for time-sensitive orders.
Ultrafast delivery
Perishable items like baked goods, fruit arrangements, premium butcher cuts or local organic produce require careful handling and a quick turnaround to ensure quality. Same-day delivery preserves the integrity of these orders, and Roadie makes that delivery easy by matching your deliveries with requirements like cold handling. Moreover, batching and routing capabilities with Roadie can help you get more deliveries out the door and delivered fast with a single driver, even within short delivery windows.
On-demand scalability
During the busy holiday season, retailers often struggle with the volume of orders coming in. Crowdsourcing adds flexibility so your business can scale delivery capacity up and down instantly, without the overhead costs of maintaining a larger fleet year-round. With Roadie, you can accept more orders, from company office parties to personalized individual gift orders, while still ensuring each one arrives on time and in perfect condition.
Meeting the demand without the stress
If perishable and food deliveries are your bread and butter, the holiday season is a great opportunity to differentiate and grow your business. By partnering with a crowdsourced delivery platform like Roadie, you can expand your service area, offer same-day delivery with constant visibility and provide the transparency customers expect — all without stretching your internal resources.
Whether your customers are shopping for themselves, their families or their coworkers, connect with Roadie today so you can improve their shopping experience this holiday season and every day afterward. With all these great features, a “World’s Best Logistics Pro” mug will definitely be in your stocking this year.
