Delivery and Shipping for Small Businesses After the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the risk of the coronavirus dramatically changes the landscape of retail and consumer shopping behaviors, small businesses are among those most affected. If your small business is struggling to navigate the changes the coronavirus has caused, the right strategy can help you adapt to serve your customers better. 

What Is Retail Delivery?

For the past several years, home deliveries and Buy Online Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) services have become increasingly popular — the COVID-19 virus accelerated this already rising trend. Customers love these services because they’re convenient, fast and now safer during the pandemic.

Retail delivery is changing brick-and-mortar retail today, as fewer people go to stores in person. More customers want to order on an app and get quick turnaround times and deliveries. That means many businesses are providing more retail delivery services and taking products right to customers’ doors, which provides more personalized service and an excellent customer buying experience. As a small business, you can join this growing trend and get ahead of the curve to provide your customers with top-tier service.

How to Begin Brick Delivery Service

Setting up an online store and transitioning out of being a solely brick-and-mortar business can be a smooth process when you have a strong strategy. However, before you dive into the details of transitioning to online services, think through a few primary factors: 

1. Evaluate Your Business’s Capabilities

Decide on what you can and can’t ship. Are there products you should ship yourself or items a third-party service can deliver? Do you want to limit your shipping capabilities to the local area, or expand farther? Will you offer multiple options for shipping?

2. Find a Delivery Option That Works for You

Next, determine how you want to complete deliveries. For lower-demand orders, look into third-party delivery services. If you’re shipping products in high demand on your own, UPS Inc., FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service all offer shipping services specifically for small businesses. Shipping software such as ShipStation may improve the fulfillment by allow shipping labels and packing slips to be printed in bulk.

3. Plan for an Effective Shipping Process

Aim to process and ship orders within 24 hours. Once you’ve sent your products, you’ll want to have tracking information for each package. Dive into your inventory data analytics to help you plan and keep track of your stock.

Discuss Inventory Management for Improved Service Delivery

Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to have an inventory management system in place so that you can provide fast, accurate delivery services. There are many benefits of inventory management for delivery retailers, including:

• Better tracking of inventory to prevent out-of-stock items.
• Reduced shipping and delivery errors.
• Faster inventory tracking and processing.
• More efficient accounting, record maintenance and data analysis.

Inventory Management Services From Finale Inventory

At Finale Inventory, we’re committed to exceeding expectations with our personalized approach to help your small business succeed. Find out how our inventory management services can help you improve service delivery. To learn more, sign up for a free trial or request a live demo today.