Sometimes in order to discover new innovative ideas, you have look back into the past, and this is exactly what is happening with parcel delivery. All those involved in the industry are striving to make delivery a fluid motion throughout the entire process.

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For retailers to keep up with the demand from consumers, parcel delivery has had to change, especially since same-day delivery will be standard by 2023, according to a recent survey called The Future of Fulfilment Vision Study. The study also revealed that a small minority of the logistics and retail professionals who participated in the survey believed that two-hour delivery could be more in demand by 2028. It is thought that 50% of all orders will offer a two-hour delivery.

So what innovations will the industry adopt to keep up with increasingly efficient delivery demands?

Transport

Same-day delivery is already in great demand from companies like http://allaboutfreight.co.uk/same-day-courier-service/same-day-courier-manchester providing a same day courier in Manchester.

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However, changes to parcel delivery in the coming years include autonomous vehicles, drones and an increasingly popular option of networks of drivers delivering orders instead of carrier companies. Bikes too may be the future of parcel delivery, with DPD using them to deliver parcels in Nuremberg in a pilot scheme. Bikes are able to get round traffic congestion and help towns limit their polluting emissions. Furthermore, they can be used in all weather conditions. For more information on the benefits of using bikes to deliver parcels, click here.

Click and Collect

Customers have expressed a desire for more delivery options that go beyond work and home. They want swift services as well as the opportunity to track each step of the delivery process online with full visibility of the entire process. Of course, consumers do understand that not all orders can reach them via same-day delivery.

Managing Returns

Although changes are occurring, some professionals who took part in the survey expressed frustration with freight costs, inventory allocations and backlogs of orders. The Future of Fulfilment Vision Study showed that managing returns was a massive challenge for retailers, and it is the most hated part of online shopping for consumers. Retailers are beginning to move away from the old paper and pen process, making as much of the order process as automated as possible – particularly the logistics and warehousing.