Santa’s already been hard at work, overseeing his team of elves and readying his reindeer. After all, the core months of peak season are well underway. As a retailer, you know that it’s too late to start implementing new solutions and strategies, particularly for big and bulky goods, whether it’s a sectional sofa or a swing set.
While Santa has a touch of magic on his side, you do not; now might be an excellent time to note the strain those products are putting on both your warehouse team and your last-mile supply chain. Instead of relying on Rudolph and his team of reindeer, you can learn more about Roadie and how its same-day delivery solutions alleviate the pain points of big and bulky delivery — even during the busiest seasons.
Expanding delivery capacity for the holiday rush
Gifts come in all shapes and sizes, and some things just won’t fit in Santa’s sleigh. That’s where retailers can tap into the Roadie network of independent drivers who come with the right vehicle for the job. Moving a large piece of furniture? A driver will bring a box truck with the extra equipment needed to deliver the item to the recipient. Have a kayak that needs drop-off before the stroke of midnight? A pick-up truck will likely do the trick.
Whether it’s a big-screen TV, a new sofa or a bulky exercise machine, RoadieXL™ enables you to match the delivery to an appropriately equipped driver. This also gives you the ability to offer delivery for virtually any item in your inventory. By expanding your business’s ability to meet customer needs, you can also increase sales of larger, traditionally more challenging items to deliver.
Faster delivery times for oversized goods
Kids, young and old, expect to set out their cookies and milk, tuck themselves into bed and wake up to those big-ticket items beside the tree. And while the big man only works with a team of reindeer that aren’t very helpful when it comes to unloading, the Roadie network of more than 200,000 independent drivers is also hard at work, ensuring that the holiday season delivers the magical experience customers expect.
Leveraging on-demand drivers allows you to offer same-day delivery for those big and bulky items that traditionally require longer lead times. By skipping the cut-off times of traditional solutions, your business can be a valuable stop for those last-minute shoppers or customers who need immediate replacements for an item. With crowdsourced delivery, local drivers can help reduce transit time to ensure gifts arrive before the holidays.
Live tracking for big & bulky
Sure, you can watch the NORAD tracker to see where Santa and reindeer are at any moment, but with Roadie, you can watch those oversized items leaving your warehouse or storage facility and track them at each step toward their final destination. This transparency is precious during the holiday season when timing is crucial.
The ability to schedule specific delivery windows also allows customers to plan their day around the arrival of large items, reducing the likelihood of missed deliveries or package poaching by mischievous elves. With the Roadie photographic chain of custody, both you and the customer receive real-time updates on large item deliveries, and you can also track the driver’s location and communicate directly with the courier if needed.
Achieve scalability with cross-docking
Tapping into the Roadie platform gives you the flexibility to meet sudden spikes in demand without the investment in additional staff, vehicles or storage. Scale up or scale down while ensuring timely deliveries to everyone on Santa’s “nice” list.
Not only do crowdsourced drivers serve as your logistics solution, but when you leverage RoadieXD™, your business can tap into a nationwide network of cross-docks that takes the hassle out of big and bulky delivery at scale, not to mention extra storage and handling costs. The extensive Roadie cross-dock network enables you to fulfill even the biggest-ticket items just as easily as small. Leverage your existing fulfillment network and processes just like you would for traditional carriers, while RoadieXD™ facilitates faster time in transit by transferring orders from inbound to outbound vehicles at cross-dock facilities the same day they arrive. Crowdsourced drivers then can deliver holiday gifts from the cross-dock facilities within hours of arrival up to 100 miles from each cross-dock, allowing you to expand your customer base and market reach.
Don’t get those oversized goods stuck in the chimney. Let Roadie be your logistics solution to ensure all your customers have a very merry holiday season.
