Amazon Competes With Wal-Mart, Offering Same-Day Delivery In Canada

With the holiday shopping season around the corner, a number web-based and brick-and-mortar retailers are all in when it comes to using same-day delivery to help boost sales this year. Some of the big boys, like Google and Amazon, have both been very aggressive as the fourth quarter hits. With just making a big strategic move with it's first physical store location and a number of city expansions for same-day delivery, Amazon was thought to be done for the year. We thought wrong.

With so much focus on Amazon's same-day delivery in the US, the online giant does operate outside the country as well. The fast service has now stretched beyond US borders into Canada right before holiday shopping begins. Canada's The Globe and Mail recently reported Amazon has announced it is launching same-day shipping in Vancouver and Toronto. Amazon.ca, Amazon's Canadian branch, is spearheading the charge to make same-day delivery a well-known option there. The driver of the strategy is to compete with retail leader Wal-Mart, which offers free same-day service there.

Kaan Yigit, president of Solutions Research Group discussed the battle between Amazon and Wal-Mart in the article. He stated the new Amazon service could increase volume and order frequency, which appears to be needed to stay ahead of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart's service is helping it "start gaining on Amazon..." added Yigit. Experts know the amount of stores Wal-Mart has, which enables it to easily reach a multitude of shoppers, therefore, higher volume and frequency can be made easier. With an option to save time and work shopping in long lines, customers may find Wal-Mart's free same-day service attractive.

Both retailers have made huge same-day delivery investments. Prior to branching the service out into Canada, Amazon added 7 more major US cities that it offers same-day delivery in, including New York City, Dallas, Indianapolis, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, followed by the recent implementation of Atlanta. Amazon has touted about making its' own deliveries, however, they could partner with a nationwide courier like A-1 Express to get the job done, as others like Google have as well.

Wal-Mart has rolled out same-day delivery several US cities on the west and east coast. One of the optional services for faster shopping is "Wal-MarttoGo", which the retailer began testing in Denver stores. The service offers customers the ability to shop online and then come to a participating local store to pick their order up. Shoppers pull up at a curbside location, like a pharmacy pick-up, but instead pick up their online items, ready to go when they get there. Wal-Mart's retail store locations, equating to short distance driving, makes it ideal for it to partner with a same-day courier to perform same-day delivery for them.

As same-day delivery grows among retailers like Wal-Mart, Amazon, Google, Macy's, and others, it will begin to have more impact on overall shipping. More shoppers are seeking ease and convenience, resulting in more shifting business trends. A-1 Express has the logistical expertise and tools needed to help any retailer take the next step into same-day delivery. The Chicago courier can create a same-day logistics solution quickly, especially to gain an advantage in this year's holiday shopping season.

Reference: 11.5.14, The Globe And Mail, Marina Strauss, Amazon.ca raises stakes in same-day delivery service

Deliv Follows Google, Expands Into Four More Cities

As the race for same-day delivery intensifies, the retail industry is finding more and more web-based retailers in hot pursuit of the market that it dominated for decades. Now that online retail is consistently growing, brick-and-mortar stores have the likes of companies like eBay, Amazon, Google, and other to deal, especially now that shoppers find same-day delivery convenient. The only sensible move to make was to dive into offering customers their purchases the same day as well. Google and Amazon now have Deliv to compete with for retail market share.

This is how you can have a startup company like Deliv find a niche involving partnering with retail stores to deliver their store items to its' shoppers. The Wall Street Journal has reported Deliv is expanding into offering same-day delivery into 4 more metropolitan areas and 18 more shopping centers. It already provides the service from malls, even from stores like Macy's. The 4 expansion cities include Seattle, Washington D.C., Northern New Jersey, and Houston. Deliv has landed agreements to provide service out of new malls, such the the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. This expansion comes shortly after Google launches into 3 more US cities.

Deliv has been providing same-day delivery in San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. These are some of the same major US cities that most retailers jump start same-day delivery. Now Deliv is expanding its' services into more major cities, apparently gearing up for the quickly approaching holiday season. Physical store retailers are fully aware that to compete with Amazon and Google, they will have to, at the least, offer some form of the service to keep its' customers loyal and to attract new ones. Macy's and others will surely see the benefit at year's end, as they stand toe-to-toe with web-based retailers.

In the WSJ article, Deliv CEO Daphne Carmeli touted about the advantages if its' service model versus others. “This works because we’re more like the airport shuttle with 15 people it’s delivering at once than the yellow cab service with just a single passenger. It turns out people don’t want their deliveries in one hour, they want set times typically in a few hours. That means we can combine deliveries.” The volume of drops makes the difference, which is why the demographics have to include a dense population in order for same-day delivery to be effective and profitable long-term.

Deliv is just one example of how a transportation company is the best resolve for physical retailers to becoming more versatile than ever. Its' model follows Google, as it has also partnered with several major retail store chains such as BestBuy, Wal-Green's, Toys-R-Us, Target, and more, helping retail sales increase. A same-day courier like A-1 Express is a logistical expert in last-mile deliveries and has a national footprint to implement any same-day delivery model. The Seattle courier can fulfill online orders fast, including error deliveries, online store returns, and store exchanges.

Reference: 10.27.14, The Wall Street Journal, Greg Bensinger, Startup Deliv Widens Same-Day Delivery, Following Google

Amazon Revamping Delivery Network, Could Turn To Using Same-Day Courier

Amazon knows what it takes to do retail, as it continues to beat the competition online. What the retailer feels it needs improvement in is its’ delivery network. Last year’s Christmas shopping season turned out to be a disaster for the retail giant, as their primary partner UPS failed to deliver on-time, not to mention other deliveries. It became clear that the delivery of the product is just as important as the purchase itself. The buying is the shopper’s part. The delivery is Amazon’s. It wants to make its’ delivery network stronger and Amazon is evaluating how this can get done.

The article covered the grocery and general merchandise delivery options Amazon can choose to implement to get the results it wants. A parcel carrier could work, which could entail the carrier bringing the general merchandise from their sorting location, and combine it with the grocery delivery truck at the Amazon fulfillment center. It would be very challenging to get the delivery done the same-day. Here are some of the quoted changes Amazon stated it will implement to revamp its’ delivery network:

• UPS, who has been the primary carrier, will be replaced by a network of regional carriers.
• The top 40 markets will be served by a private fleet being built by Amazon to support an expansion of its online grocery business” (Amazon Fresh). This means there will be a big expansion from the three metro areas currently served by Amazon Fresh.
• The private fleet network will co-mingle groceries with general merchandise.
• Orders will be routed through Amazon’s 55 fulfillment centers, with deliveries made the same day, the next day or, at most in two days.

The main discussion in the Forbes article was whether utilizing a same-day courier could be the key to the optimal delivery revamping that Amazon is looking for. The advantage of using a courier is a courier specializes in same-day delivery. This is their expertise and they are reliable at doing it. A courier service can transport general merchandise and groceries directly from point-to-point within hours. Same-day delivery is the goal for AmazonFresh, which currently is rolled out in a small number of markets.

The disadvantage of using a courier is primarily the cost. For this type of service, a courier can be expensive. Yet, with a same-day courier like A-1 Express within a market with the right demographics, such as San Francisco, pricing can be lowered and there will be high volume in big cities. It makes sense to use this Los Angeles Courier solely or in conjunction with a private fleet. A courier is also a great source to correct delivery errors, redeliveries and product returns.

Amazon indeed has high expectations and so does its’ customers. Whether groceries or general merchandise, Amazon has to deliver or its’ competitors will. Wal-Mart, for example, has launched a same-day grocery service of its’ own. “WalMarttoGo” not only offers same-day delivery of groceries ordered online, but shoppers can also pick up their order at a local Wal-Mart store. This isn’t an option that Amazon has for its’ shoppers. Amazon’s delivery network has to be effective to compete long-term.

Reference: 3.19.14, Forbes Magazine, Steve Banker, Amazon Revamps Its U.S. Delivery Network

US Postal Service Testing Same-Day Delivery In New York

It can be said about the US Postal Service that the company has no quit in it. With the recent years of drought in first-class mail sales and losing billions due to lower mail volume, the Postal Service could have started cutting services or even shutting its’ doors. However, it didn’t. The company chose to roll up its’ sleeves, find another way to use their assets and make something work. Looks like it finally has.

The US Postal Service has reported that in the last three months of 2013, the company delivered 1 billion packages. This is a 10% increase in comparison to the same period in 2012. It also showed revenue went up 14% to $3.4 billion within that time. This is a huge sign for the future of the postal giant. Metro Post, its’ new same-day delivery service, was also launched last year in San Francisco and in New York in December, also helping the USPS gain some momentum. Same-day delivery is a new concept that a number of online retailers, such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, eBay, Google, and more, are testing to meet online demand.

Metro Post in New York is doing a whole lot better than the pilot program in San Francisco. It was launched last year in hopes of same-day delivery working in one of the most popular cities for it, however, it didn’t do well at all. San Francisco Metro Post delivered only 95 packages in five months. “It was a rushed pilot—they announced it, but it wasn’t really ready to go. Sometimes you learn more from the failures than the successful ones.” said Jim Sauber, chief of staff of the letter carriers’ union. This is not the case for the New York Metro Post. Since its’ December conception, the service has had 68 packages delivered within a day.

Another move the USPS has engaged with New York Metro Post is partnering with web-based retailers and deliver for them on Sundays. The postal company is currently working with web-based online giant Amazon in not only New York, but also Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The article discussed how the Sunday service is very attractive to customers and is growing quickly. So far, Metro Post has delivered over 2.5 million packages for Amazon. If this continues to go well, it could lead to other innovative ways the two companies can partner up and perform same-day delivery elsewhere. There is known the USPS only has five letter carriers operating in New York.

With the downswing of first-class mail sales, the Postal Service is making the right turns now to generate revenue by venturing out and offering other services. The core driver of all of their sales is the growth of business online. Other web-based and physical store retailers that don’t have their own vehicle fleet like the Postal Service, can turn to a same-day courier services like A-1 Express to make their deliveries. This New York Courier has the courier expertise and superior performance to meet a wide range of same-day delivery needs nationwide.

Reference: 2.13.14, www.businessweek.com, Devin Leonard, The U.S. Postal Service Tests Same-Day Delivery

Same Day Car Part Distribution

Cars. Most of us have them and most of us need them. And while we enjoy their performance on the road, it's what's inside of them that gets us where we need to go. Parts. Without vehicle parts, cars could not be manufactured or repaired. These necessary parts build the vehicles we have come to rely on everyday.

Same-day car part distribution has proven to be an asset in doing business today. From car manufacturers and repair facilities, to auto part retailers, there are many benefits for every group within the part supply chain with implementing an effective same-day car part distribution system.

1. Customer Satisfaction - Whether your company is the manufacturer or a reseller, the end user is the customer to ultimately satisfy. Same-day part distribution achieves the goal of obtaining and maintaining a satisfied customer base. Therefore, your can provide optimal service to your customers.

2. Real-Time Demand - Companies can meet on-demand expectations, especially if emergencies occur and a part is needed quickly. With this type of distribution system, you can know real-time when the parts you need will be in your hands.

3. Inventory Reduction - Same-day part distribution lowers the costs of warehousing part inventory. As a result, various cost savings on vehicle parts and repair labor are made available for your company.

4. Minimize Transportation Costs - Upon factoring all variables of handling your own part distribution operation, transportation costs can be reduced and a courier may prove to be more cost effective to handle your same-day part distribution. It will positively effect any reverse logistics you may need as well. 5. Increase Operation Efficiency - With having a same-day distribution for your parts, operation efficiency increases. It allows more time for your personnel to devote to making your core competencies even better.

A-1 Express Delivery Service, Inc. is the recognized leading provider of same-day transportation and distribution services across the country. If you need same-day vehicle part distribution, we can do this for you. We have a customer base where we currently provide this same type of service need. Same-day service is our expertise and we successfully deliver nationwide. We provide tracking visibility from origin to destination. We have a customer and service-focused operation coupled with the latest real-time information management technology. We understand today's business. We understand that technology is a major component to achieving optimal logistics distribution. We also understand you not only need the parts, but more importantly, your customer needs them also. We provide excellent customer service and perform our deliveries fast! Allow A-1 Express to be a part of your distribution success today!