Shoppers are going online in droves this year. Online shopping has been steadily growing over the years, and is expected to increase by about 4 percent this year. It makes sense—who wants to wait in long lines and risk picking up a cold or the flu when they can shop from the comfort of their own home? This increase in online shopping places a strain on shipping companies as well as retailers, however, as they struggle to maximize efficiency, cut shipping costs and stay environmentally friendly.

Here are some of the challenges (and solutions) that shipping and final mile delivery providers in Columbus, OH face during the holidays:

• Keeping your promises: Online shoppers consistently say that their top concern is whether their packages will actually arrive on the date promised. Their second biggest concern is porch piracy, or having their packages stolen after they’re delivered. You can address this by making your “order by” dates explicitly clear, and using final mile delivery services to keep track of package delivery.
• Special apps help you stay on top of delivery issues: One of the biggest time and money wasters is having to make extra trips due to missing or unclear delivery instructions, obscured addresses or confusing maps. Thanks to technology, drivers can now be securely connected with their customers via phone or text. Special apps allow customers to track their drivers, and drivers to call the customers to clarify any missing or confusing information.
• Climate change: As we’re all aware, climate change is a very real problem, and it’s incumbent upon retailers as well as delivery service providers to come up with environmentally-friendly solutions. Some services use electric vehicles—including electric delivery vans—to cut down on pollution and fuel consumption. Other companies have started buying buildings within neighborhoods to use as smaller, eco-friendly distribution hubs. Others (weather permitting) hire porters to walk or couriers to bike the packages to their final destination.
• Robots and drones: As technology gets better, robots and drones may become a way to cut down on porch piracy, climate change concerns and more. Currently in development are robots that carry deliveries in a locked compartment, stay in a dedicated lane and come with a special code for the customer to access their packages. It’s a creative way to address many of the concerns that have popped up for final mile delivery services.

Whatever your delivery concerns may be, chances are that the final mile delivery industry is working on a solution to address them, making every holiday season better than the last.

Final mile delivery in Columbus, OH

Quality Experienced Moving, Inc. provides efficient and secure final mile delivery in Columbus, OH. Let us take the hassle out of moving your products from a major hub to the customer’s home—it’s easy when you work with us! We’ll make sure that your deliveries arrive on time with full transparency. Call us today to find out how we can make sure all your holiday shipments arrive on time and in perfect shape.