While e-commerce and online businesses have taken the world by a storm, there are more and more people who prefer buying their essentials from the comforts of their chair. Taking advantage of this, there are several businesses out there that are making it big while providing their customers with the commodities they require. Right from gold jewelry to a stapler pin, you get it all online without having to put much of an effort.
Since you cannot touch or feel what you are purchasing online, it is usually the product description, the brand name and the product reviews that allow buyers to trust something. At the end of the day, the quality is what matters to ensure that you retain your customers well so that they would want to come back to you whenever there is a need for a purchase.
Another important aspect of retaining trust and loyalty of the customers is the shipping. You either have a home-grown logistics department that helps in reaching products to the customers, or you outsource them. Whatever it may be, when the things are shipped, it should surprise the receiver well.
With each passing day, the shipping industry trends in e-commerce are changing, and also there are things that you can expect in the days to come.
Storage facilities are closer to the customer
With major brands initiating storage facilities in almost every major city, there are plans in coming even closer to the customers. Setting up storage spaces in the suburbs or probably major connecting hubs as that of highways allows things to reach the buyer in no time. Receiving things overnight rather than waiting for a day or two due to the elaborate shipping process is no longer in trend. With each passing day, the logistics are co-operating well with the sender, and thus things are getting a fast pace.
The usage of digital currencies
While there is less time taken to shop online rather than being at the nearby store and browsing through multiple products, shopping has become effortless these days. A single click of a button initiates a purchase. Along with that, payment methods have made things even easier. In the days to come, digital payment methods, as well as digital currencies, would allow payments within seconds rather than waiting for passwords and security checks.
There will be support coming from Big Data
With data sets that contain market analysis and shipping industry trends that people follow, more and more e-commerce companies would know the shopping trends that consumers follow. It would help in understanding market behavior, as well as the type of shopping consumers, like to follow. That way, the products would have improved quality, the websites would come up with quicker solutions for buyers and accordingly would there be refinement in the strategies that the logistics team makes for faster and easier shipping.
There will be delivery automation
With the introduction of robots, drones and unmanned labor, shipping, and delivering goods from the seller to the buyer would be quicker. While some sectors are already implementing such techniques as that of delivery with driverless vehicles as well as drones, it will be a common thing in the years to come. This way, there would be reduced use of manpower as well as lesser expenditure on logistics. A one-time purchase of such automated inventions would last for a very long time with effective results each time.
Same day delivery will no longer be a dream
While at the stores, you pick something, pay for it and take it home. For online shopping, you need to be patient while it comes to you from the seller’s warehouse to you. It takes time until you get to use it. The shipping industry trends state that in the years to come, same day delivery will no longer be a dream where people would receive their purchases at their doorstep in no time. You no longer have to worry about something coming to you after ages of tracking and follow-ups.
There will be subscription purchases
While the biggies in the e-commerce industry have already introduced the concept of subscriptions, there are more and more businesses opting for it. Products that consumers purchase regularly or every month will opt as a subscription where the customer may pay it beforehand. The delivery is automated while also allowing discounts to those who opt for subscriptions. This saves time and effort on the buyers part while making pay attention to other important chores.
While shipping is one of the most important aspects of an online business, there are multiple trends that are being followed as well as forecasted. While people find it convenient to shop from the comforts of their chair, businesses too intend to gain their trust and loyalty by making deliveries easy and convenient.
