7 Clear Ways to Improve Your Local Delivery Service in 2025
Discussing the significant benefits and operational improvements businesses can achieve by implementing local delivery services.
Discussing the significant benefits and operational improvements businesses can achieve by implementing local delivery services.
A business or company must evolve in response to changing market and consumer demands. Every few years, the way markets operate undergoes a significant change. The covid-19 pandemic was the most recent change that completely transformed selling. People were stranded at home due to the pandemic, unable to shop for groceries.
Almost every business had to start providing local delivery services as a result of this. Because of the demand, even local businesses have begun to offer local delivery services.
“What’s dangerous is not to evolve, not to invent, not to improve the customer experience.”Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon
When it comes to business evolution, the best course of action is to follow the wind.
Local delivery service refers to the distribution of goods and services on a neighborhood or city level. Local delivery in eCommerce allows a shopper to buy items from an online store (Amazon), an online marketplace (Shopify), or a physical store and have them delivered to their door.
Local delivery can be used as a substitute for both shipping and in-store shopping. Local delivery offers benefits for merchants and shoppers alike in a world where in-store shopping from retail locations has increased risks and shipping carriers are prone to delays.
In recent years, e-commerce has become an integral part of the global retail fabric. More people are opting to shop online as a result of the ongoing pandemic and digitization in modern life. Online marketplaces accounted for the majority of online purchases in 2020. This evidence should be sufficient to persuade you to include local delivery services in your retail process.
Delivery service comes with its own set of costs and delays. Offer a delivery service to your local customers to get around these issues. You can take control of the process as a merchant who sells and delivers products without having to worry about external factors like extra shipping fees or hiring carriers. You can choose to offer delivery services and manage delivery needs independently rather than being tied to a carrier. Make your shipping option appealing.
Businesses that want to grow quickly and sustainably must cultivate a loyal customer base in their community. You’re not just doing a good deed; you’re also becoming a part of the community. Being connected in a community is the need of the hour – for individuals and businesses alike – when social distancing is the norm. A business can connect with the local community in a variety of ways.
The pandemic’s effects on consumer behaviour are likely to last for many years. As long as their delivery needs are met, customers will continue to support local businesses in their cities or areas. Businesses that anticipate customer needs and act to meet them will easily position themselves for better future market opportunities.
Here are some suggestions for businesses that have already implemented local deliveries as part of their operations.
Set priorities for all of the delivery orders for the day to make the process easier and more efficient. You can use this method to identify customers or locations that require attention based on priority or specific calendar dates. You can try to fulfill delivery orders according to urgency based on resource constraints.
Creating delivery schedules and routes manually in a time when all business operations are carried out using software is not only outdated, but also inefficient. Route planning software is readily available to assist businesses in creating daily delivery schedules in a matter of minutes with the click of a button. Businesses can also use this software to set priorities for scheduled deliveries.
In business, the importance of having a good delivery route planner is frequently overlooked. When you delegate delivery route planning and creation to a delivery route planner, you are delegating one of the most time-consuming tasks in the entire delivery process. You must choose the delivery route planner that best suits your business and logistics needs out of all the options available
Businesses can easily track the progress of deliveries, drivers’ performance, and driver availability using real-time GPS tracking or telematics. This increases daily efficiency and improves customer satisfaction by keeping customers informed about the status of their deliveries.
Businesses can easily save time and money by calculating efficient routes, setting priorities, and tracking fleets and drivers in real-time, which would otherwise be wasted on manual planning and optimization of delivery routes. Other business matters that require immediate attention can be given the same amount of time and money.
The chances of making mistakes or creating incorrect routes are reduced when you use route planning and optimization software. Route optimization algorithms employ advanced technology to gather real-time traffic and location data in order to provide you with accurate delivery instructions. Route planning and optimization algorithms can help businesses avoid mistakes and achieve optimal delivery performance.
You can let your customers know when they can expect their deliveries by scheduling deliveries using real-time information and receiving real-time updates on driver and package location. This can be accomplished by sending automated emails or SMS messages to your customers. Many routing software packages include the ability to send real-time notifications and updates to your customers, as well as the ability to capture proof of delivery via images or customer signature.
The following questions may arise when adding local delivery to your business:
Many of these issues and questions have a single answer: route planning and optimization.
You can plan ahead of time for item and delivery instructions, communicate directly with your customers, monitor the activities of your drivers and fleets, and ensure timely deliveries.
You must consider factors such as labor costs, vehicle operations costs, layers of taxes, and keeping the overall service fee competitive when determining the final delivery fee for local deliveries. Examine the market and look for opportunities.
You can use search engine marketing, social media marketing, Google alerts, and retargeted ads to promote your local delivery service to nearby customers. Concentrate on developing a brand.
As a local business, providing delivery services will only add to the company’s value. Allowing a solution like EasyRoutes route planner to handle the planning and optimization will add more value and convenience to your logistics process. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss your options. We will do everything possible to ensure that you find the best solution.
Roundtrip's mission is to equip every business with the software tools they need to deliver products to their customers in a delightful way. Thousands of worldwide choose EasyRoutes to power their local deliveries across dozens of product categories, from meal kits and groceries to coffee, cupcakes, kibble, and so much more. Our easy-to-use route planning and delivery optimization app is certified Built for Shopify, a two-time Shopify staff pick, and the top rated local delivery app on the Shopify App Store.