New research has found four in ten (40%) ecommerce and logistics organisations could combine separate orders for delivery at the same time, with 37% saying they split orders to satisfy customer demand from more than one location.
While 23% of the decision-makers, across manufacturing, retail, transport and logistics supply chain, and wholesale businesses in Europe, referenced specific two-hour time slots.
These findings were presented in The Rise of Direct-to-Consumer, which was commissioned by Deposco – a provider of omnichannel supply chain fulfilment solutions. It polled decision-makers working in these sectors across the UK, Benelux and Nordics, with the report highlighting organisations’ growing emphasis on providing direct-to-consumer (DTC) delivery options which drive sustainability.
The survey results reflected the emerging focus on sustainability by businesses in these regions, and how closely they are linking it with exemplary customer service. A commitment to reducing environmental footprint is one of the biggest trends seen in shipping and delivery, the research showed that some brands are already offering consolidated deliveries, especially where delivery speed is less of an imperative for the consumer.
Based on insights generated by the research, Deposco expects to see moves towards enhanced collaboration emerging, and that legislation that encourages different retailers to collaborate on delivery runs or infrastructure that disintermediates competitors will emerge. It said dynamic buying groups, where individuals get a better price for consolidating deliveries, are another future option.
Furthermore, the survey highlighted that DTC can ensure sustainability and customer service while also driving profitability, with 38% of respondents stating that improved profit margins are among some of the major benefits of DTC.
