FedEx recently announced the rollout of a new and rapid delivery option so that merchants can better meet the rising customer demands surrounding delivery speeds. The new delivery option, which is called SameDay Local, offers several benefits to sellers, such as time-definite delivery windows, flexible integration, and many others.
FedEx Launching SameDay Local
In a recent post on the FedEx website, the company announced the rollout of FedEx SameDay Local, which is a delivery option that’s designed to let FedEx customers meet rising consumer delivery demands, while also balancing cost.
FedEx SameDay Local was made in collaboration with OneRail, a last-mile delivery company, and lets shoppers choose with two-hour or end-of-day delivery when they check out.
Behind the scenes, this move connects FedEx customers to a national network of over 1,000 delivery providers and coordinates everything through intelligent orchestration. It also automatically matches orders to the appropriate vehicle and driver, dispatches them quickly, tracks them, and provides live updates.
This move makes sense, as speed is becoming the name of the game in delivery. It also follows the recent news that Amazon is speeding up delivery, showing that FedEx wants to keep pace with others in the industry and not lag in terms of delivery speeds.
The Benefits of FedEx SameDay Local
The announcement of FedEx SameDay Local also goes over the many benefits it offers and what it enables. This includes:
- Time-definite delivery windows, to boost reliability.
- Near real-time tracking throughout the whole process, predictive ETAs, and proof of drop-off.
- Efficient API connections and full platform support for flexible integration.
- Optimized delivery provider selection, routing, and performance thanks to smart orchestration using AI-driven rules.
- 24/7 support and proactive monitoring, to help catch delays and disruptions as quickly as possible.
- The ability to fulfill specialized, large, and oversized deliveries.
Meeting Consumer Demand
One of the big reasons behind this move is likely to meet rising consumer demand for fast deliveries. Fast and reliable shipping is among the most important elements in online shopping for consumers, as people want the things they buy online to arrive quickly.
FedEx shared that 96% of shoppers define fast delivery as same-day, 80% want a same-day option at checkout, and almost half of shoppers are more likely to complete a purchase if there’s a same-day option available.
Of course, while customers often want the fastest delivery possible, many also want options for when they can wait for an item, and don’t want to pay for such rapid delivery. Some may also want deliveries to arrive within a precise time window when they’ll be home.
FedEx said that this new delivery method expands the company’s delivery offering to give customers more options to meet the range of shopper preferences.
While the delivery method is brand new, I expect it to become popular among FedEx customers quickly, as they aim to deliver items to their customers more quickly and reliably than in the past.
Also, while the delivery speeds get most of the attention surrounding this new option, I believe the real-time tracking, smart orchestration, and proactive monitoring it offers are also huge wins for sellers and retailers.
