Delivery Method
A delivery method is a structured mechanism for the transition of the good or service to the customer’s desired destination. In simpler words, we can define delivery methods as the mode of transportation (how the products will be delivered to you) provided by the online retailer.
Different Delivery Methods
Pickup at Store
It’s a way to purchase something you order and pay for online, and collect it from a shop yourself: certain items just decrease in price as you choose pick-up in-store. Offering shop pickups for online orders provides a quick alternative to shipping for the nearby consumers.
Home Delivery
Home delivery allows the delivery of goods to customer’s house. Some companies offer free delivery whereas some take fees on delivery. This service is most popular for Food Home deliveries.
Delivery at Pickup points
Pickup points are predefined places that are made available to the customer by the seller or the ecommerce platform owner or the logistics company appointed by the seller or the ecommerce platform owner. During checkout process, the customer chooses a pickup point convenient to him where he wishes to collect the parcel. Once, the parcel is available at the pickup point, the customer will be notified and the latter can collect the parcel from there.
The advantage of such method is that customer avoid failed deliveries and the associated penalties. The latter is able to collect his parcel according to his availability.
Some examples of pickup points are
Vivo energy stations for Jumia e-commerce platform,
Park N Parcel in Singapore,
DPD pickup points in European countries.
Postal Services
Postal services around the world provide relatively cheap, secure and reliable delivery service. However, delivery time may vary within a week to 3 months depending on the distance, logistics and options such as ordinary or express. Some examples are China post, Singapore Post, Mauritius Post, among others.
Private Parcel Delivery Services
Private parcel delivery companies can provide fast, secure and reliable delivery service. However, the prices are higher than postal services and vary from one supplier to another. The private service providers can reach out wider range of countries and territories and can deliver the parcel within a week. Some popular private parcel delivery companies are DHL, FedEx (Federal Express) and UPS (United Parcel Service).
