Competition is fierce. Consumers are tightening their purse strings and are making more considered purchasing decisions. There’s a small window of opportunity for retailers today—miss it, and you could miss out for good.
With so many options, something as simple as a delivery being a day late can put a customer off buying from a brand again. To stay on top of ever-increasing consumer demands, retailers need to work harder and smarter.
Why a slick end-to-end delivery experience is so important
In recent research with DeliveryX, we found that shoppers are more concerned with what happens after they hit the buy button. 53% of shoppers see the post-purchase experience as the most important part of their shopping experience, with 63% saying that the fulfilment, shipping, delivery, and returns stage is when they’re most “emotional”.
Add to this the fact that 90% of consumers consider it a non-negotiable that they’re updated on their orders and it’s clear that retailers need to take ownership of the entire end-to-end delivery experience.
It’s not just about next-day delivery (although the majority of consumers have come to expect next-day delivery from their favourite brands). It’s about keeping shoppers updated at every step of the way: When their product is dispatched, when it’s out for delivery, and when it’s close to their home.
How Bigjigs Toys and Natural Baby Shower are elevating the post-purchase experience
Modern delivery should provide a stress-free delivery experience that matches the customer’s expectations and budget. If you can get a product to a customer the very same day but it’s going to cost them over the odds, that is not an enjoyable experience.
Here’s how retail brands Bigjig Toys and Natural Baby Shower have embraced modern delivery through flexibility and new-found agility.
Using technology to take ownership of the delivery experience
Running a business involves juggling a lot of plates. Most small retailers don’t have the time or experience to create seamless carrier management themselves—which is where a technology like Scurri comes into play.
Through delivery management software, both Bigjigs Toys and Natural Baby Shower have been able to take control of their delivery process, pivot when needed, and create a flexible experience for each and every customer.
Developing a multi-carrier model
When carriers experience challenges, retailers need to have a backup plan. For Bigjig Toys and Natural Baby Showers, the solution was simple—add more carriers to their Scurri accounts to ensure minimal impact to their customers. The delivery management solution allows them to easily integrate new carrier services at the drop of a hat, offering an increasing number of flexible delivery options to customers.
Now, Natural Baby Shower has a set of automated rules that choose the optimal carrier service for each order based on the dimensions or contents of each package. With such speedy integrations at play, retailers are able to switch up their carriers as soon as there’s any hint of an issue.
Full delivery management, not just last-mile carrier connectivity
For many retailers, creating an enjoyable delivery experience means focusing solely on the last mile. While last-mile carrier connectivity is important to ensure deliveries arrive on time and as expected, it’s more important to create a superior delivery management experience that flows through the entire post-purchase phase.
Both Bigjig Toys and Natural Baby Shower took advantage of full delivery management involves to reclaim total ownership of the delivery experience, from offering the right carrier and service for each transaction to branded post-purchase communications that keep shoppers in the loop.
Better post-purchase experiences
While the last mile is often out of your hands, you can still maintain some semblance of control by keeping customers informed throughout the delivery process.
This is exactly what Natural Baby Shower do, by taking advantage of Scurri’s post-purchase management software to track orders and update customers on the fly. This means there are no nasty surprises and far fewer “Where is My Order?” calls to the customer service team.
An informed customer is a happy customer. It’s not necessarily about delivering a package the very next day, it’s about the package arriving when promised and the consumer being able to track its progress the entire journey.
Using a delivery management solution has given Bigjigs Toys and Natural Baby Shower a competitive advantage
The sheer amount of choice for consumers today means it’s easy for a shopper to jump ship as soon as things don’t go as planned. By using a delivery management solution like Scurri, Bigjigs Toys and Natural Baby Shower have polished their competitive edge.
Not only does it help increase customer satisfaction after a purchase has been made, but it removes the stress of being at the mercy of carrier strikes and hiccups.
Bigjigs Toys continues to mix up its carrier options and continues to evolve its delivery propositions in line with what its courier partners are able to offer. It also plans to use its delivery management platform to offer the best possible options for each order.
For Natural Baby Shower, using delivery management software has saved a huge amount of money. Accurate and speedy label production has saved 50% of carrier label costs and saves around 10% of shipping costs. And, by setting rules that automatically select the best carrier for the job, they’ve managed to save up to 80p per package while providing an excellent post-purchase experience for customers.
The post-purchase phase is becoming a key point of differentiation for retailers. Create a great experience and customers will come back time and time again. In today’s highly competitive landscape, a “great experience” means ensuring the delivery process is flexible.
Both Bigjigs Toys and Natural Baby Shower are committed to creating enjoyable end-to-end experiences through flexible multi-carrier models, branded and consistent post-purchase communication, and owning the entire delivery experience. They do all of this with the help of delivery management software Scurri.
Want to learn more about the benefits of flexibility in modern delivery? Download the whitepaper, Controlling Agility.
You’ll discover:
- Why a multi-carrier model is the answer for most retailers
- Why delivery visibility for consumers is absolutely vital
- Why retailers and their carriers must focus on a communication-led delivery experience
- How delivery management platforms are improving businesses and helping retailers take back control of their last-mile experience
Download the whitepaper here.
