Everything Business Owners Need to Know About Final Mile Delivery

If your business has been growing and expanding over the years, you’ve probably realized that times are changing. One to two-week-long deliveries are no longer the default, accepted option when it comes to shipping speed.

Consumers now want the items they purchase online as soon as possible. The growing expectation is that deliveries should be next or even same-day.

Final mile delivery services are your answer to resolving this important customer need. Read on to learn all about final mile delivery and how this service can benefit your business for the longterm!

What is Final Mile Delivery?

Final or last-mile delivery describes the process of transporting goods from the transportation hub to their final destination, which is usually someone’s personal home. Depending on the final destination’s distance from the transportation hub, this can be only a few blocks to 50 or more miles.

Within logistics and supply chain businesses, this is considered the most important element. At this point, businesses try to get goods to their final destination as quickly as possible.

A final mile delivery done correctly saves many businesses a great deal of time and money. Moreover, customers’ trust in your brand builds as they receive their expectations for delivery times are met or even exceeded.

Importance of Final Mile Deliveries

As technology has boomed, eCommerce companies especially feel the need for fast, efficient, and consistent final mile deliveries. Brick and mortar companies and their slower delivery times are becoming obsolete.

As consumers are browsing and purchasing online, there’s now the expectation to receive deliveries within 48 hours, the next day or even the same day. Many people will choose who to purchase from based on the convenience of their shipping costs and times. For instance, fast and convenient shipping speeds are what Amazon is known for.

With this in mind, companies in a variety of industries know that efficient final mile deliveries give them an edge compared to competitors.

Features of Final Mile Facilities

Effective final mile facilities have a number of similar features that enable them to ship consistently fast. Some of these features include the following.

Location

Logistics facilities located near major highways and bridges have a transportation advantage.

Building Quality

Facilities that deal with high volumes of goods need structural sound buildings. These buildings are able to handle a large amount of throughput.

Cross-Dock Capacity

Cross-docking is the ability to receive goods from one point of a facility and ship out goods from another. This is especially important for food and beverages so there’s not a need for the extra step of storage. Efficient cross-docking capabilities make the input and transportation of goods seamless.

Ceiling Heights

Along with the overall building quality, these facilities need high ceilings. This helps them store vertical racking systems with wide column spacing.

Benefits of Same Day Delivery

Now that you know all about the need for efficient final mile delivery, how can offering same-day deliveries to customers benefit your business? Here are a few benefits you may not have considered:

Fragile Materials Arrive Unharmed

If you’re frequently shipping fragile materials, you know that there’s always a risk of the goods arriving broken or harmed in some way. While it’s good to provide customers with effective ways to contact customer support, the easiest way to handle this is to reduce the chances of it happening!

Same-day shipping often reduces the number of people handling your deliveries. This reduces the chance of breakage. Damage can occur due to careless handling, dropping, or being shoved in multiple trucks where goods could be jostled.

Impulse Buys

First-time customers may see your business and be motivated by your branding, copy, or design. Maybe you have goods that they need right away and are willing to take the chance on a new business. However, if your business doesn’t offer same- or even next-day delivery, they may be dissuaded from making that impulse buy.

Expanding Opportunities

Some products aren’t able to ship without quick turnaround times, such as food or beverages. If there are certain items that you’ve been wanting to add to your roster of products, it makes sense to include faster shipping times.

Expanding Customer Base

If you have a brick and mortar store, offering same- or next-day delivery is still viable because you’re marketing to customers who may never have walked onto your property. This is because they may not have the time to drive out to you or live so far away that it just isn’t economical.

By offering same-day delivery, you’re reaching out to those customers who may have never made a purchase before.

Meeting Customers’ Expectations through Fast Delivery

Your customers have different expectations than they did years ago. Modern customers now expect fast, efficient, and flexible shipping that will allow them to have their goods in hand as soon as possible.

Not only will you be cutting down on the chances of your goods being damaged in transit, but you’ll also be enhancing your profitability by boosting customer loyalty, streamlining expenses, and increasing customer retention.

Interested in adopting final mile delivery into your services? Get an instant courier quote with us today! Need It Now Courier provides the most reliable and quickest courier services for clients in New York, whether your packages are small envelopes or large boxes. Services include same-day logistics, trucking, air freight, and warehousing.