Combining Nano Distribution Networks with Last Mile Delivery
Today’s customers want flexible delivery solutions that offer same day delivery options from retailers. This requires efficient last-mile delivery solutions that won’t strain a company’s supply chain network. The coronavirus pandemic brought this to the forefront as consumers experienced lockdowns.
The global last-mile delivery market is expected to reach $45.27 billion by 2027. This urban landscape of suburbanites will open up vast opportunities for retailers. The last-mile is the final leg of delivering products to customers. It is dependent on reliable technology, manpower and infrastructure.
Innovators in this space deploy a grid of nano distribution networks such as Phlatbed across major cities in the United States for example.
The complex nature of last-mile deliveries for retailers
Studies have shown the complexities of last mile deliveries. For example, you can’t deliver a lawn mower the same way you deliver groceries or other small items. A Doordash driver and a Phlatbed driver profile are polar opposites. The specialties required to deliver large items vary in comparison to delivering a few small bags.
Issues like poor visitor entry management, status updates, tracking delivery windows, and customer unavailability are common hurdles experienced by delivery staff on the final leg of the delivery process.
Solving for some of these issues
To counter the problem, Phlatbed has partnered with leading residential communities, micro warehouses and retailers to ensure a seamless customer experience. All this while keeping the customer within the retailers ecosystem. This creates zero disruption in the customer purchase experience. As cities prepare for further e-commerce growth, the demand for last-mile delivery is expected to grow by 78 per cent globally by 2030.
It remains to be seen which of the last-mile innovations, including nano-distribution networks, among others, will evolve as the fastest-growing segment in the years to come.
