Amazon recently revealed that the company is testing 30-minute deliveries for thousands of different products in parts of Philadelphia and Seattle, using a unique approach. Fast deliveries are growing more crucial as customers want their products quicker without a long wait, and ecommerce brands need to optimize their deliveries to satisfy these preferences.
Parts of Philadelphia and Seattle Get Deliveries in 30 Minutes
According to a post from Amazon, the company is beginning to test ultra-fast delivery of 30 minutes or less in select parts of Philadelphia and Seattle. The company’s Amazon Now delivery service in these areas allows for customers to order thousands of essential products for this rapid delivery. This includes eggs, milk, fresh produce, pet treats, diapers, medications, snacks, cosmetics, and more.
The delivery fee is $13.99, but Amazon Prime members get discounted delivery that starts at $3.99 per order. There’s also a $1.99 order fee that only applies to small orders, which are orders below $15.
The company is able to offer such rapid delivery as it’s using smaller specialized facilities that are strategically placed near these service areas. This allows for efficient order fulfilment and drastically reduces delivery distance.
For Amazon customers looking to use this speedy new delivery service, you simply need to check the Amazon app or homepage and look for the 30-minute delivery option to see if the service is available in your area.
Delivery Speed is Crucial for Consumers
This move from Amazon makes sense, as many customers are looking for faster deliveries when shopping online. In fact, 74% of online shoppers expect delivery within two days, and some expect it even sooner than that. Many people don’t want to wait days or weeks in between purchase and possession, and want the instant gratification of getting a product as quickly as possible after ordering.
If deliveries are slow or delayed, unhappy customers may give poor reviews, leave for competitors, or clog up customer support with questions and concerns about their deliveries. A brand that develops a poor reputation for long shipping times may struggle to reach out to and retain new customers, as well.
However, while delivery speed is important to consumers, companies shouldn’t focus solely on providing the fastest deliveries. Other aspects like delivery cost, flexibility, reliability, and communication, are also critical.
Improving Your Deliveries
As a result, ecommerce brands need to do all they can to ensure deliveries are optimized in a variety of ways. If your delivery lags behind your competition, in terms of speed or any of the other aforementioned aspects, your customers may jump ship and go elsewhere. Some useful tips to improve your deliveries as an ecommerce brand include:
- Using software or tools to automate your warehouse operations. This can help you speed up every part of the process including tracking inventory, gathering products, packaging parcels, creating labels, and more.
- Using route optimization software to plan out efficient routes to ensure deliveries are fast and use the most optimal path to a customers’ home.
- Offering customers live-tracking and notifications, so they can keep tabs on where their delivery is, and how long they need to wait until it arrives.
- Ensuring your return and refund policies are clear and easy to find, so customers are never confused about the process.
- Consider partnering with a few carriers, so you have the best flexibility and coverage.
- Offering multiple choices for delivery. Some people may be willing to pay a premium for same-day or next-day shipping, while others are okay with waiting a week or more, as long as it’s free or cheap.
