Yes, two-day delivery to as many clients as feasible would be ideal. Two-day delivery, on the other hand, is a surefire way to improve cart abandonment and order cancelation rates. However, if you want to keep shipping costs low while still providing two-day delivery for all purchases, it might be harmful to your business.
If the cost of quick delivery is prohibitive, you may provide two-day shipping as an additional choice and let the customer choose. Another clever idea is to define the service only to a certain category of consumers, such as Amazon Prime members.
How to keep 2-day shipping costs low
Two-day delivery doesn’t come without a price. If you’re not cautious, the costs of providing two-day shipping may negate any benefits you receive from offering it. It’s not possible to spread the overall cost over customers. As previously said, your consumers want their products delivered promptly and for free! The most you can do is minimize the delivery charge as far as feasible. Here are some pointers to get you started:
Use ground shipping
Moving by air is the most expensive method of freight transportation. However, it can only work if the fulfillment center is close enough to the client. Because most of your clients are likely to come from large cities, your fulfillment centers should be located in urban areas.
You may restrict the fast shipping option to consumers within a certain zip code if you cannot provide a large distribution of fulfillment centers. You might even offer one-day or overnight delivery to clients who are near to your fulfillment center.
Offer 2-day shipping to customers on a membership plan
Only Amazon Prime members enjoy guaranteed two-day shipping, despite Amazon’s logistics expertise. You may also create a similar model for your e-commerce firm. More clients are likely to join when you provide this benefit on a membership plan, and the subscription fee might offset some of the shipping expenses.
Leverage distributed warehouses
You’ll want to make certain that you’re ordering from the same warehouse or fulfillment center as your customers so that you can provide two-day delivery. Even if you only have one fulfillment center, working with a 3PL firm is a smart idea. Customers’ orders will be delivered faster since you’ll be reducing transit time.
Examples of 2-day shipping
Here are some of the most popular two-day shipping alternatives:
DIY: negotiate shipping discounts with carriers
If you’re in charge of fulfillment, you’ll have to carry the items yourself. Two-day delivery is available from the leading carriers, such as FedEx and the USPS. You may also save money by having them collect your items from your facility with shipping discounts if your company is big enough.
Outsourced: partnering with a 3PL
This option is best suited for online retailers who want to store their inventory at a fulfillment center of a third-party logistics provider. The business guarantee that the goods will be sent on time. The introduction of large, centralized warehouses has made it possible for vendors to reduce costs by utilizing distributed storage and shipping. What’s more? Because all purchases must go through you, you’ll have access to consumer information.
Conclusion
Providing rapid and inexpensive delivery choices has become critical in gaining and retaining online consumers. Unfortunately, many small firms lack the logistics capabilities required to utilize the expedited delivery services offered by ecommerce giants like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.
Outsourcing fulfillment needs to a 3PL firm is the greatest method to remain competitive. You’ll be able to provide guaranteed two-day delivery if you work with the right logistics company.
To learn how Launch Fulfillment may assist you in providing 2-day delivery, fill out the form below to connect with our staff.