Interesting news this week around Walmart and how it is trying to tackle delivery. In June of last year, the company had launched a trial where store staff delivered goods after work to customers. The simplicity of the trial at the time seemed to make sense. Staff were largely delivering goods on their way home from work and earning extra in the process. Yet according to Reuters staff weren’t happy with the terms and what they were earning for such work.
The story shows the challenge that retailers face in trying to get their delivery propositions right. Sometimes the simplest of ideas can work. Sometimes they don’t. The company is still trying though with a smaller trial from which it is also learning. It will be interesting to see what happens there too.
Taking notice of learnings is vital. Back in the UK a new report from Sorted suggests that retailers and their carriers need to care more about the security of parcels. It suggests that 39% of customers say delivery security is a key consideration in their buying decisions and yet the majority of retailers are still allowing their carriers to leave goods in unsecured locations.
As it seeks to keep customers better informed as to where their parcels are Royal Mail has announced enhancements to its tracked services.
Finally in our two opinion pieces this week we first have a focus on returns – and how to revolutionise the returns process in four easy steps, according to Mike Cockfield of Khaos Control. We also have a piece from John Weber at Aptean, on why ERP is the key to unlocking the power of drop shipping.
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