Diapers.com Says Busy Moms Using Same-Day Delivery

It use to be challenging for parenthood moms taking care of their newborn or infant when those "suddenlies" occur, like running out of diapers. Not any more. Now for those moments, moms have turned to having their baby in one hand and a phone in the other, as they turn to same-day delivery for all sorts of baby items.

Mashable recently reported how Diapers.com is in a growing mobile market of moms buying immediate baby needs. Diapers.com experienced 50% of purchases made from a mobile device last year. This is up 25% from the year prior. Within a US retail market in which only mobile shopping accounted for 1% of total sales, Diapers.com is seeing a thriving trend as moms are going mobile. Moms are seeing the convenience in fast delivery when they run out of not only diapers, but other baby products like baby food, baby wipes, formula, and more.

"Moms send us stories all the time of nursing her baby at 3 a.m., realizing she's almost out of diapers or some other essential, placing an order with us through our app, and having the package show up at her door later that day," commented Michal Geller, a senior vice president of marketing and business development for Diapers.com. He went on to say, "Same-day delivery is a game-changer for busy moms". Most of the mobile shopping is happening from home or at work, not on the go. "Many of our customers cite that they place orders on their Diapers.com app while rocking or nursing their baby," Geller added.

The article mentions how the diaper market itself is forecasted to reach $52 billion worldwide by 2017. This is just one dynamic of a vast baby retail market, and the growth in one product will certainly affect another. Another relative forecast is how online retail overall is expected to reach $500 billion by 2018. With these figures, it's not a coincidence that Amazon made the move to buy Diapers.com and its family of sites — Soap.com and AfterSchool.com — for $550 million in 2010. Diapers.com now has access to Amazon warehouses, making their supply chain for delivery even more effortless to go along with its' popular app.

The app is specifically designed for one-handed use, which is great for moms. Customer shopping carts also stay connected to their account throughout the browsing process, even when toggling between laptop and smartphone. Geller mentioned that tablet use has "decreased significantly" in spite of its' mobile growth within the past year. "The modern mom — I see it from my wife and from my wife's friends — the phone has become such a useful tool to have at her side and in her pocket and in her hand. We're going to continue to see growth in that area. We absolutely believe that the phone is mom's co-pilot to some degree. To the extent that we want to be her best friend, we see those things go hand in hand", He said.

Diapers.com isn't the only retailer involved with same-day delivery. Google, Wal-Mart, Petco, Target, and more have all decided to dive into meeting on-demand shoppers where they are. Therefore moms have plenty of retail options, as well as couriers to deliver to them. A same-day courier like A-1 Express can help moms get baby products fast and retailers has a superior delivery partner to turn to. The New York Courier has a national footprint and the same-day logistics expertise needed for mobile shopping now and in the coming growth years ahead.

Reference: 7.8.15, www.mashable.com, Adrienne LaFrance, Mobile shopping's early adopters: New moms

Same-Day Delivery Race Heats Up, Deliv Acquires WeDeliver

The competition within online retail is intensifying as more and more companies pursue to meet on-demand shopping with same-day delivery. It is gripping retailers as a "must-have" service to thrive within a technology-driven business world. Physical store retailers aren't waiting until same-day delivery is the norm, because by that time, e-retailers like Google and Amazon, will have mounds of retail market.

One delivery company has found a need and niche to meet brick-and-mortar stores with same-day delivery where they are. Deliv, widely known for its partnership with department store leader Macy's, has announced it's official buyout of WeDeliver, a large delivery competitor in Chicago. Deliv now has an extensive market control in that area, which is one of the primary cities by companies to establish same-day delivery. It is clear Deliv is after becoming the biggest same-day provider nationwide, and everything that comes along with it, including more retail partnerships.

Deliv isn't expanding for mere growth, but also to not get outpaced by Amazon. Ingrid Bekkers, Deliv VP of Marketing, stated in the article, “Two-day delivery for retailers has become the norm, but retailers are feeling the need to respond to Amazon and its same-day delivery option”. Amazon has rolled out of same-day delivery in a number of cities; however, it recently announced offering Prime members free same-day delivery. Beginning in California, Amazon plans to expand into San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, San Diego, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle-Tacoma, Washington DC, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta also.

Being on the transportation side, Deliv partners with a number of malls and well-known retailers to compete with e-retailers like Amazon. Mall stores like FootLocker have Deliv on call to pick up and deliver purchases online to their customer's front door. Macy's uses Deliv for same-day delivery in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Houston, Chicago, Washington DC, New Jersey, and Seattle. In addition, sister company Bloomingdale's utilizes Deliv in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Chicago.

Macy's is not the only brick-and-mortar retailer on board with same-day delivery. Retail leader Wal-Mart has same-day delivery in multiple cities in the US and free same-day service in Canada. It also has Wal-MarttoGo, which allows online shoppers to pick up their order from stores. In February, Ace Hardware rolled out same-day delivery testing in 33 of its' 4,400 stores in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, and Florida. Also earlier this year in January, pet food company Petco partnered with Instacart to test two pilot programs for the service in San Francisco and Boston.

E-retail requires physical store retailers to get ahead of the curve, offering the convenience shoppers want. A-1 Express is a nationwide courier that mall and brick-and-mortar retailers can partner with for same-day delivery. With the latest courier technology and expertise, the New Jersey Courier can evaluate retailer needs and implement a same-day logistics solution fit for growth. To compete with Amazon, Deliv and others, A-1 Express is a superior delivery option in a tech-focused business world.

Reference: 6.24.15, Direct Marketing News, Al Urbanski, Same-Day Deliverer Expands in Chicago

US Same-Day Delivery Expected Growth Over $4 Billion

Even a decade ago, no one could fathom that online retail could reach a point in which it could get an item to a customers' front door within hours. It is now highly attainable and many retailers have rolled out same-day delivery in the US by the masses. Google, Amazon, Macy's, Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, and more have all literally bought into it. Yahoo Finance mentions Business Insider's BI Intelligence research service is forecasting that the service will leap from $0.10 billion in 2014 to $4.03 billion by 2018.

If BI's forecast is correct, there will be hefty dividends for the retailer that snags a thriving same-day delivery model now. It seems this is what a number of big name retailers are attempting to do, as shoppers opt out of going through the hassle of getting dressed and hitting the stores. They rather stay at home or remain at their jobs, and for a small free, be able do other things with their time.

Physical store retailers have taken notice also. Wal-Mart is a retailer that has implemented same-day delivery in several major US cities. WalMartToGo is the name of their online pick-up option, where shoppers can buy their items online and Wal-Mart will have them ready for pick-up when they arrive. For years the retail giant has depended on its' low prices to draw customers and keep them loyal. However, e-commerce has been the steady game changer and every retailer knows it. This is resulting in same-day delivery being so vital to competing, as technology makes instant shopping easier and easier.

All of the omni-channels are being mixed, making the best effort to create a seamless experience between the online store and the actual physical location itself. It is the convenience factor at its' best. Amazon knows it is facing higher contention from physical stores and startups utilizing e-retail to emerge as a legitimate option for customers. If physical stores, which have even partnered with startups for same-day delivery, crack the code to the service, Amazon will have some market challenges to come. This has all the reason why Amazon recently made same-day delivery free for all of its' Prime members. A member's annual $99 fee is all they pay, saving them that $5.99 per delivery. This a small price for Amazon to pay to maintain loyal customers, and they may gain more

For a forecast like BI to have researched and expects to occur in the near future, it is sure to cause more than just popular retailers to jump into the same-day delivery race. In fact, it already has with new startups creating innovative ways to get shoppers the convenience they are searching for. Same-day delivery is making shopping as fast and simple as the debit card, which was anticipated to change how we do business--and it did. Now, it's same-day delivery's turn to revolutionize e-commerce.

Many retailers providing same-day services, are choosing to create a courier network or partner with a same-day courier like A-1 Express to optimally perform their deliveries. Since the New York Courier has all of the logistical expertise and driver fleet to match, it makes sense for retailers to outsource. A-1 Express has a national footprint that will exceed the expectation of big retailers that need quick implementation and is a courier that can handle long-term growth.

Reference: 6.5.15, Yahoo Finance, Matilda James, Why Same-Day Delivery Is Imperative in E-Commerce

Amazon Launches Free Same-Day Delivery In California

If someone would have told you that same-day delivery was free, you probably wouldn't believe it. With all of the investment into seamless omnichannel creation that's behind supplying online and store products to shoppers and all of the upfront costs of launching in big cities, you wouldn't think a company could conceivably pull it off. However, retailer Amazon appears to have done it.

The Los Angeles Times has reported that Amazon is making same-day delivery free in 14 metropolitan cities the US. The initial launch will be in California cities in the Southland, including those in San Fernando Valley to Irvine, as well as the Redlands and Moreno Valley in the east. Prime members that make a $35 purchase and up by noon, will receive their online order by 9pm that same day. The initial rollout includes more than 1 million items, such as books, games, cooking tools, and electronics.

Amazon has added 50 fulfillment centers around the world within the last four years. It also has 109 total warehouses to handle the millions of orders it has. With its' vast locations strategically aligned primarily to service major US cities, it has now become feasible for the e-retailer to offer the service free. Chris Rupp, Amazon's vice president of Prime, stated that the free service is "a real-life changer". It will be a huge asset for shoppers that need items right away, from birthday gifts to household goods.

"These things just pop up in life, and this is meant to simplify our customers' lives," Said Rupp in an interview. "Some of the feedback we've gotten from customers is it already feels like we're living in the future." It does appear that Amazon is going future in every sense. The retail giant is one step closer to same-day delivery drones, which the company stated would be probable to deliver packages within 30 minutes. The Federal Aviation Administration has recently approved Amazon to conduct further research on drone use. This would be the very first type of delivery method of its' kind.

This could be considered a soft launch in scope of Amazon's bigger plan. The article stated that more major US cities will receive the service also, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle-Tacoma, Tampa Bay, Washington DC, and Atlanta. There will be more than 500 cities and towns included at the launch as well, plus more added in the future.

Google is only one of the many fierce competitors running against Amazon. Google Express is expanding, as well as Wal-Mart, start-up company Deliv, Macy's, Uber, and others are all on the same current seeking to bring same-day success to their shores. It's inevitable that same-day delivery is going to be necessary in order to compete online. A same-day courier like A-1 Express can be a partner of any retailer desiring to implement the service fast. The San Francisco Courier has a nationwide footprint to accommodate broad expansion for any retailer in need.

Reference: 5.28.15, www.latimes.com, Andrea Chang, Amazon rolls out free same-day delivery

Alibaba Goes 3-Hour Delivery For Healthcare Products

In the US, we think of big name retailers like Google, Amazon, Wal-Mart and others that have implemented various models of same-day delivery. However, the service isn't only thriving in the US, but also in other countries, namely China. Retail giant Alibaba can attest to this, especially with its' recent announcement that shows it is making same-day delivery a core competency in all that it does.

Reuters recently reported that Alibaba Group Holding has announced it is rolling out a three-hour same-day delivery service for healthcare products in five Chinese cities. The five cities will include Beijing and Shanghai. This will only be the beginning, as Alibaba plans to expand the healthcare delivery service to 19 cities by the end of this year. The retailer is wasting no time with offering the service which makes sense due to economies of scale and volume profitability created by servicing more cities.

"This service is ideal for consumers who need non-prescription drugs and other healthcare products quickly," said Xu Hui, head of Cainiao Ji Su Da. "This service effectively mobilizes resources at both online and offline stores, which in turn brings the customers a seamless shopping experience." Cainiao is an Alibaba affiliate operating in partnership with logistics firms, collects and delivers orders. This is similar to a same-day courier like A-1 Express and what it does for hundreds of retailers. The nationwide courier performs same-day delivery for time-sensitive items, such as daily prescriptions and other health care goods.

Alibaba works via a partnership with five pharmacy chains that sell their healthcare products on Alibaba's Tmall.com. This shows Alibaba has a working relationship with the pharmacy chains, and as expansion became more feasible, it made sense for the pharmacy chain to join up with Alibaba. The goods are sold from several online stores within the Tmall. Ji Su Da, or "fast delivery", is what the service is referred to as. Currently, deliveries includes more than 1,500 drugstores. The article mentions how shoppers now have access to these stores and can request the new service. Ji Su Da is a part of a broader trend called "online to offline". This means Alibaba's pursuit is to bring online various offline services, from flagging a taxi to finding nearby restaurant discounts. Shoppers can use their smartphones to find someone's location and the nearest service provider also.

Rival JD.com is out to gain more share of the online market as well, with a strong logistical network and a fast delivery service similar to Amazon. In the US, Amazon has its' one-hour Prime Now service in various major US cities. The e-retailer recently launched same-day delivery in Baltimore and Miami. Right before the holiday season last year, Amazon rolled out the service in New York City, Indianapolis, Washington DC, Atlanta, Dallas, and Philadelphia. Amazon also is moving forward with same-day delivery via drones, which the FAA approved its' usage.

Same-day delivery is very beneficial for the healthcare industry, both in China and in the US. A-1 Express is a Dallas Courier that can successfully transport time-sensitive healthcare goods, including pick up and delivery from local drugstores, hospitals, residences, nursing homes, and other facilities.

Reference: 5.12.15,www.reuters.com, Paul Carsten, Alibaba rolls out 3-hour delivery service for healthcare goods