Monthly Archives: May 2016

Amazon Goes Free Same-Day Delivery With All Service Zip Codes

Same Day DeliveryWhen it comes to Same-Day Delivery right now, no big e-retailer is doing it better than Amazon.  From year to year, the retail leader is aggressively expanding the service, which many experts foresee to go nationwide.  Yet as large as Amazon is, when it comes to offering the free service in certain zip codes within its’ coverage areas, it wasn’t literally delivering in all of them and some Roxbury customers in Boston wanted to know why.  Then, the allegations of race began to emerge.

Last month, it was found that service boundaries by Amazon excluded Roxbury, but included all of the areas around it.  Amazon stated it had nothing to do with race, but other factors, such as the concentration of Prime members in each area, proximity to warehouses and the company’s ability to find delivery partners to serve that area.  To diffuse all speculations, Amazon has now decided to adjust its’ delivery program.

Amazon has announced that it will provide free same-day delivery in every zip code within its’ service areas.  The e-retailer made a statement obtained by the caucus and shared it with Bloomberg News, which said, “Very shortly, we will be expanding Prime Same Day Service to every zip code of the 27 cities where Prime Same Day delivery is currently launched.  We will further not launch the service in any new regions, until we are able to secure a carrier for every zip code.  We are still figuring out the details and procuring last mile delivery for each of these zips, but we should have 100 percent coverage shortly.”

It was mentioned in the article that US Representative George Kenneth Butterfield, a Democrat from North Carolina and chairman of the black caucus, said the group “is anticipating the results of Amazon’s plan to expand its delivery services to previously excluded zip codes.”  Also, Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush called for an FTC investigation, in addition to speaking about the issue on the House of Representatives’ floor.  Soon afterwards, Amazon pledged in a letter to Rush to serve Chicago’s South Side within weeks.

Amazon provides the service free to Prime members, which pay a $99 subscription cost per year.  As same-day delivery grows, more and more Prime members have put a demand having it at their disposal.  On a broader scale, same-day delivery is forecasted to reach $987 million by 2019.  Therefore, Amazon, Google, Macy’s, and more have all opted in to develop a last-mile delivery model to increase revenue and market share.

With Amazon being more widespread with same-day delivery in more specific areas, it makes it all the more critical for e-retailers and prick-and-mortar stores to meet their online order fulfillment demand with a convenient service such as this.  A Same-Day Courier like 1-800 Courier is a viable partner for any company to deliver their online items.  With a nationwide footprint, the Indianapolis Courier is innovative and can develop sound same-day delivery solutions that best suits a retailer’s short and long-term needs.

Reference: 5.6.16, Bloomberg News, Spencer Soper, Amazon to Fill All Racial Gaps in Same-Day Delivery Service

Will Wal-Mart and Target Go Same-Day For Online Baby Goods?

same day deliveryOnline retail is a rapidly growing market for all types of goods, including baby goods.  Amazon appears to have a firm grip within the market.  However, retail leaders Wal-Mart and Target are competing against the e-retailer.

Internet Retailer recently reported that the baby products category has the highest penetration of sales online, and 75% of those sales occur on Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com.  Consumer research firm TABS Analytics showed in a new study that e-commerce accounts for 20% of all sales within the baby products market, which is currently at $30 billion per year.  This outstrips the 2% penetration for all consumer packaged goods.  The study also shows that 18%-24% of baby products purchases occur online.  That means that Amazon/Diapers.com represents an impressive 43% of the baby products market online.  Wal-Mart’s represents 23%, Target’s is at 18% and all other e-commerce players equated to roughly 12% of the market.

“Online sales of baby products are out-competing all other segments of consumer packaged goods that we have surveyed over the last three years,” said TABS Analytics CEO Kurt Jetta in the article.  “Brick-and-mortar retailers with e-commerce aspirations should treat baby product sales as the frontline of their battle for online success.”  This means that this market has a high potential to generate revenue for all three retailers, and it may be worth doing with it takes to capture more of it, even with offering more Same-Day Delivery to attract consumers.  With baby goods having the types of sales that it has, one reason Amazon probably has an edge in sales is because of its’ vast same-day delivery program.

Indeed, Amazon has a huge footprint in this market online.  The article mentioned that 75% of the $6 billion in baby products purchased online occur on e-commerce sites run by Amazon.com.  This amount falls within a $30 billion total in the market from all offline and online purchases.  Also, Amazon with it’s subsidiary Diapers.com, comprises 7.3%-10.6% of all baby products purchases in the US.  Walmart.com accounts for 3.7%-5.8% of purchases and Target.com, 3.3%-4.3%.

The question is will Wal-Mart and Target Baby go deeper into same-day delivery?  Baby goods are just one of those lines of products that are needed on a frequent basis.  More and more consumers have become comfortable with shopping online as well.  Wal-Mart has same-day delivery in some major US cities and Target works with Google Express providing same-day delivery.

It would make sense for both retailers to jump aboard with Amazon and expand the service.  Amazon announced earlier this year that it added 11 more major US cities to its’ current free same-day delivery program.  The new additional US cities include Sacramento, Stockton, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fresno, Louisville, Raleigh, Richmond, Tucson, Milwaukee, and Nashville.  Now, the e-retailer leader has 27 total markets where they offer same-day delivery program.

When companies like Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target seek after implementing same-day delivery, they partner with a Same-Day Courier like 1-800 Courier to create an effective delivery solution.  The Seattle Courier has a national footprint, enabling it to be a delivery provider on a large scale and can expand from city to city.

Reference: 4.20.16, www.internetretailer.com, Stefany Zaroban, Amazon, Target and Wal-Mart battle for online sales of baby goods