Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases are rising again in the Australia. Melbourne is currently under lockdown after reporting and upward trend mainly due to businesses being reopened despite the continued threat of the disease.
As an effort to stem the rise of infections, many Australian business owners are turning to deliveries to limit face-to-face interactions with customers. However, most store owners depend on Australia Post (AusPost) as the main courier for their goods. While this is a good option for country-wide deliveries, it can be a bit troublesome for local deliveries.
Local deliveries give you more control over how and when packages are delivered. This provides a better shopping experience for your customers. Also, offering same-day deliveries can make you stand out against competitors.
Delivery Tips For Online Sellers
If you’re thinking about delivering locally to customers, here are some useful tips to consider.
Look for The Best Delivery Option
Finding a low-cost delivery option is always the best way to proceed with local delivery. In Australia, there are many 3rd party delivery services you can hire to reach customers county-wide and locally.
For local food delivery, you can reach out to services like Menulog, Deliveroo and Postmates. This kind of delivery service partners with local restaurants so that you can deliver to 90% of addresses in the whole of Australia. Their local services is very popular and are downloadable for Android and iPhone users.
Uber is also popular in Australia. You can partner with them to deliver groceries, parcels and other goods to customers. They are available in major Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
CouriersPlease and Same Day Express are another popular 3rd party delivery services in the country. They usually deliver parcels locally, nationally and internationally.
Before booking any of these services, take a look at how much they charge per delivery. Who shoulders the delivery cost? How will customers react to an additional $8-10 as delivery fee?
Timing is also important. For food, it should get there in less than 1 hour, parcels within the day. Make sure that you understand timing because it has a big impact on customer experience.
Deliver Orders Yourself
This is another option you can consider for local deliveries. If you have a vehicle then perhaps you can skip the 3rd party service and do it yourself. This will not only allow you to control the pricing better but the timing too.
You can set up a cut off for orders so that you can deliver them the same day and then head off to deliver parcels after cut off. For food, you can deliver to nearby areas via bike. You also have the option of renting or buying a scooter for deliveries. This mode makes it easier to reach customers faster and farther away. DIY delivery gives you better control and also ensures that customers get their food and packages on time.
Curb Side Collection or Pickup
This is another good option that limits your customer’s exposure to other people. You can offer your products to be picked up either by the curb side or inside your store. This is a good choice for many kinds of businesses like food, groceries, hardware, pharmacies, meat shops and dry-goods.
Customers can order by phone, online or through your store’s app. Once you receive their order you prepare the order and they will pick it up. This is a good idea because customers don’t have to spend a lot of time inside your store or restaurant and you can schedule deliveries so that they are on their way out almost immediately.
Compare and Experiment
Whether you’re just starting out or have been in business a long time, every order is exciting. It might take some time before you find a delivery mode that works for you so make sure you asses your strategy from time to time. Don’t be afraid to explore and experiment different delivery modes because it will give you a chance to evolve and meet new customers.
