Same-day 24/7 fulfilment is the future of e-commerce, say experts.
One of four consumers would be happy to pay at least £3 extra for 24/7 deliveries, according to new research by ParcelHero.
“Next-day deliveries are really yesterday’s news,” says David Jinks of the home delivery expert.
“Where the battle for [consumers’ spending] is really taking us is 24-hour, night and day deliveries.”
While UK online retailers may baulk at the suggestion, David adds that 24/7 deliveries are already commonplace in areas of China.
“Increasingly in e-commerce, where China - and in particular Alibaba – leads, the West follows. And already Alibaba-owned Hema supermarkets in Beijing and Shanghai offer a round-the-clock 30-minute delivery service that has proven highly popular with nocturnal shoppers.”
Already, one in ten consumers are still ordering things up to 3am.
“In a society increasingly used to instant gratification, shoppers see items they must have right now – and night owl consumers are prepared to pay handsomely for late-night deliveries.
“Retailers need to wake up to the potential opportunities for increased sales and better margins,” says David.
“Amazon spent an eye-watering $61.7 billion on logistics last year, that’s 26.5% of its net sales, because it knows deliveries are a marketing tool, rather than just a necessary evil.
“That’s why our research shows 78% of logistics companies expect to provide same-day deliveries by 2023. For many shoppers night-time deliveries could prove a vital life line, and certainly win new sales.”
Read the full study on the demand for 24-hour deliveries at https://www.parcelhero.com/blog/news-updates/24-hour-vampire-economy
