Last-mile delivery trends are very dependent on e-commerce variables, and the e-commerce growth wave is not stopping any soon. According to research, e-commerce is expected to overtake physical retail by 2024 with 600 million dollars in sales.
With the increasing demand for digital shopping and challenging customer expectations, logistics operations get compromised and can't keep up with the pace of new trends and requirements.
As experts in the last-mile field, we wanted to dedicate this blog article to some of the customers' most demanded requirements in this new technological era, requirements that are creating very specific last-mile delivery trends.
Our objective is to guide retailers through some of the newest last-mile delivery trends and encourage them to explore all the aspects that should be incorporated into their delivery models.
All this to help them maintain delivery operations with a profit margin.
Sharp tracking technology
To begin this list of last-mile delivery trends, let's start with the traceability topic.
Live traceability of packages is the bare minimum customers expect nowadays. Thanks to technology, almost all couriers and retailers can provide the pretty accurate status of orders; however, in many cases, tracking doesn’t meet final recipients' expectations displaying errors or lack of transparency.
The trend in this era is to offer pinpoint accuracy in parcel tracking, and not just that, but a complete overview of parcels conditions - whether is temperature and exact delivery routes for customers to be as informed as possible, and all of this is possible thanks to sharp technology developments and Internet of Things (IoT).
Autonomous Technology
Going deeper into our last-mile delivery trends list, we have autonomous technology, tightly related to the labor costs area.
Labor and human-associated costs account for up to 60% of all last-mile expenses. As harsh as it might sound, most employees involved in last-mile delivery duties are replaceable with technological advancements. These costs opened the debate for retailers to consider other cheaper means of delivery.
Self-driving vehicles like drones and robots are getting attention as an alternative to reduce labor costs. These vehicles represent a huge potential to solve delivery issues, not just cutting out-of-pocket labor costs but relieving companies from unnecessary carbon emissions.
Smart Lockers Technology
Self-service lockers or more commonly known as Smart Lockers, click the third box of our last-mile delivery trends list.
The software and disruptive technology are now integrated into conventional lockers for various reasons. Let’s start by mentioning people’s increasing demand for one/same-day delivery.
The acceleration of e-commerce and demand for rapid delivery challenges last-mile operations; hence, it is more doable to meet fast delivery customers' expectations using smart lockers as it allows bulk delivery rather than door-to-door.
Porch piracy is an unfortunate common threat in urban areas, especially in the US. Parcel lockers comply with all security aspects to keep parcels securely stored.
Lastly, and just to mention a few: Chain of Custody Record. This is an aspect tightly linked to our precious “sharp tracking technology” that allows communication between all parties involved in the transportation.
A well-documented chain of custody reduces the chances of errors and delays in delivery, and this is possible with Intelligent Lockers.
Mixed or Hybrid fleet management systems
As for the last last-mile delivery trend, we have a new fleet management system.
Retailers worldwide are opting to reverse the conventional outsourcing of the last-mile delivery, meaning they are implementing an insourcing model.
By insourcing delivery management, retailers gain better control of their delivery operations. This is executed with a mixed/hybrid fleet management in which the retailer owns some vehicles and partners with contractors, third-party providers, and freelance drivers.
This new last-mile delivery trend and fleet management works under demands and mitigates all the downsides of the traditional model, like deadhead miles.
To keep the industry rolling, all companies in all sectors need to keep an eye on the future last-mile delivery trends and anticipate the emerging customers' needs that can help their business afloat and operate under the most relevant technology models.
How can Bloq.it API solution help your business?
At Bloq.it, we are at the forefront of locker systems integration and development of lockers' software for various industries. We strive to develop the most innovative application interface that adapts to your existing workflow, letting you gain complete power over the service interface with 100% adaptability. Our solutions are already in over 10 countries around the world.
Want to discuss how our technology can help your business optimize delivery operations?
Reach out to one of our industry specialists, and let's find the best solution for your business together.