The microchip has brought instant gratification to nearly all areas of human endeavor. Parcel shipping is no exception. The percentage of e-commerce parcels sent in an expedited fashion vs. conventional ground delivery is growing.
As consumer demand for increasingly immediate customer service continues to grow, parcel carriers are experimenting with new ways of delivering packages faster and / or more efficiently.
Here are just a few examples of how the way your customers may be receiving their packages in a few years:
UPS® and FedEx® are experimenting with parcel lockers—lockers located at retail locations where packages can be delivered instead of a home or office location.1
UPS, DHL, and pretty much all the major carriers are testing drone-based delivery systems in other parts of the world, and even here in the U.S.2
This trend is an example of are going to change the customer experience, but it’s not the carrier’s customers who are experiencing the shift. It’s your customers.
Parcel shippers will need to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing parcel logistics environment in order to stay competitive. Shippers who effectively utilize data to more deeply understand their carrier relationships—and potential areas for improvement—will be most empowered to make these innovations work for them and their customers, no matter what the future holds.